I've got to rent the house by today

"Jamuna, Clean that window sill, its dirty from yesterday's rains." Triveni called out to her maid
"Yes Madam" ,  responded Jamuna
Triveni was herself busy dusting the shelves in the house. It's got to be clean and sparkling when a prospective tenant visits. "I have to somehow let out the apartment by today", she kept telling herself. Triveni's house was located in an up market and suburban Jubilee Hills neighborhood in Hyderabad. Theirs was a brand new building that overlooked the city from the top of the hills.
She was very proud that her apartment was unique for its balcony view of the city.
"Why should I charge anything less than 15,000 ruppes?" She had asked Janardhana Rao, a broker defiantly.
"Madam, you are charging 15,000 rupees for 800 sqft madam. Your neighbors are charging only 8000. " The broker persisted.
"Have you seen the view from the balcony? Come in the morning and I will show you. " she shot back at him dismissively

"Madam,  please listen to me. You keep a lower entry rent and then can increase it every six months. I will myself help you with it. Yours is the only apartment that is still not let out in this new building."
She was in no mood to step down.
"I'm not interested in working with you any longer, I know how to let this apartment for lease. You are free to go" she dismissed his services summarily.
He had gone out mumbling something. She was not to be cowed down by these brokers.
"I will show them how it is done" she had told herself.
Triveni has seen so many people do it easily enough. She gave a boxed advertisement in Deccan Herald for the Saturday edition, when the weekly property rentals were published.
"A sprawling 3BHK apartment with modern amenities and  a balcony view of entire Hyderabad. Environment friendly and suitable for bird watchers at only 15,000 p.m, visit site between 9 and 5pm on Sat. Address....."
read the advertisement.
She had scanned the newspaper that morning for similar ads. She was happy that no one else had the features she had advertised. Be it the balcony or the bird watching . She found one apartment in Banjara Hills a few kilometers away.
She finished dusting and inspected the ceiling for cobwebs. She was sure she was not going to find any in a brand new apartment. She pulled herself a plastic chair under the fan and sat down to cool herself. She smiled inwardly at the cool fan she had picked for the house. With a chandelier sprouting from the center of the fan. It was huge with five blades. She was proud that she had lavishly spent on the fan.
Half an hour had passed when she looked at her wrist watch. It showed half past ten. There was no sign of any visitor. "Should I have mentioned my phone number?" she rued.
She then went and opened the main door hoping that people would not mistakenly knock some other apartment
Another few hours passed and no one turned up. She was getting restless. Have I made a mistake in the advertisement" she pondered.
The automated voice of the lift disturbed her thoughts "Please close the door" said the polite voice of the lift buzzer.
soon followed by the sound of lift doors closing. Her pulse quickened. "Hopefully it is for our apartment" she thought to herself as she straightened her Salwar. Soon enough, a gentleman in rich looking embroidered kurta peeped around the door sill.
"House . for rent... " he started
"aaanh yes yes yes yes.. Please come in" she welcomed him with the best of smile. Even her husband of twenty years had not seen such a sparkling smile.
He started to remove his shoes..
"No no.. don't bother.. " come in.. she encouraged him hoping to make things easier for him
"No, no, I don't walk into the place am going to call home, with my shoes on" he replied rather firmly
"place am going to call home.. a place am going to call home.." the sounds reverberated in Triveni's mind as her pulse quickened. "So open minded." she thought to herself.

"he he eh he eh.. " she laughed "you are very correct ji. . even I don't walk with my shoes in my residence. These are shoes I specially brought to wear indoors.. " she pointed to her Bata sandals . She is not going to admit that Jamuna had cleaned a pile of dog poop from the very shoes that morning.
He smiled.. and came in as he looked around the house..
"My name is Triveni.. Triveni Pandurangan" she introduced herself...
"Oh, nice to meet you madam.. I'm Ramesh Talwar, I was told that there would be someone to meet me.."
"Who would have sent this fellow. " she wondered as she kept nodding and smiling..
"The broker..  " he added as though her perfectly read her thoughts..
"Ooooh.. yeah yeah.. i forgot.. " she added again throwing in that shrill laugh for a good measure.."was Janardhanan trying harder? " she wondered.
"mm.. " he smiled curtly having cleared that.
"Let me show you around the house Mr.Talwar, you should see the view out of the balcony, out of the world.." she started effortlessly slipping into the saleswoman demeanor that she had rehearsed a thousand times since she had given that ad. She even watched the movie Rocket Singh, the salesman of the year to pickup a few tips! Afterall what source is better than Bollywood when it comes to knowledge!
Talwar followed her as he looked into the other rooms. He stood out in the balcony and was immediately sweating.
"This is an east facing balcony. You should see the sunrise here. A perfect place to enjoy your morning Chai ehe he he he eh" she added with fluid arm movements that would have made even makers of Preethi mixie cast her on their advertisements.
Hmm. he said looking at all the bird poops lying on the balcony. She noticed him with the eye of an eagle.

"This place is so environment friendly that even birds love it. You see, birds of all kinds visit this place.. Mynahs, Bulbuls, Masakkalis and what not. I only have limited knowledge on birds you see.. eh he he heee he"

"Come let us see the apartment, " she led him indoors again.  she saw Jamuna standing near the kitchen and gestured her to clean the balcony immediately.. Jamuna scampered sighting rage in her boss' eyes.

By the time she finished showing the apartment, Jamuna was done and was hurriedly picking up the broom stick and leaving the balcony.

"I was told that the place is much bigger." He commented..

"No, sir. this is a 3 BHK and including.. common area.. "

"Hello, " she was interrupted by Talwar answering his phone..

"haan haan.. third floor, third house on the right." he was instructing someone..

"Sorry madam, my mover has arrived with my things.. He will soon be moving things.. " he said..

Her heart was beating.. Was she really hearing the truth..

"Oh sure.. I didn't know you'll be occupying today.. " she responded really not sure of what to say..

"Oh did he not tell you.. ?" he asked

"Oh, no , brokers are busy people, cannot really fault them.. but its perfectly alright, the house is available, what more is there to say.. eh he he he he he.. " her teeth flashed its whites..

"Madam, I come from Hardwar and I cannot afford to make multiple trips , once to see and once to occupy. For me , its all about time.. " he added with a sense of authority normal to a businessman.

"Yeah yeah.. well said sir. In India no one has a sense of time.. the other day, I called a call taxi to come at 1pm to visit my sister's -brother-in-law's father-in-law's sixtieth wedding anniversary and he coolly turns up at 2pm. When I ask them he says that he is ready to leave if am not happy. Tell me sir how will this country progress?" she asked of him as though discussing a genuine social problem..

He did not seem to evince any interest in progressing the subject further and Triveni did not miss it..

"Jamuna, bring some chai for Talwarji here.. " she instructed her maid..

"No madam.. don't bother.. " lets settle the commercials and we can move forward..

"Oh sure.. what did the broker tell you about the rent?" she asked innocently..

"Yeah he told me that it was 17,000 per month , but he said the area was 1500 square feet. This looks much smaller.. " he added, a bit confused..

"No no.. he said it right only, we have a huge covered car park in the basement that is reserved for us, he must have included that also.

"Oh, " he nodded rubbing his shin.

"That itself will be around 1000 square feet!" she lied..
"You can park two cars in there Talwarji.. two cars.. " she exclaimed with her eyes wide open.

The car park was common for t he building, she could easily bribe the watchman to say that it was theirs and ensure that no one else used it. five hundred rupees should easily do it. Her mind was continuously working to make this deal go through

There was no way she was going to let 17,000 slip through her fingers.. that too he had come with an intention to occupy right away..

"He also mentioned that there was a park in the front and lots of trees, the view here looks a bit barren.. " he said..

"No sir, till last week, it was like that, suddenly the government decides to cut down the trees and one morning we find the road completely cleared! these guys are very bad sir, the government guys.. " she again lied with a good show of concern and anger on her face..She was feeling that somehow Talwar was not happy with the differences he found in the apartment. She has to make amends somehow.

"I know you took the trouble , I will reduce the rent for this reason alone, am a nature lover too you see.. " she said with the Happydent smile.
"I will be perfectly happy to rent this out to you for 15,000 rupees per month, that is two thousand rupees lesser.. " she added with a show of serious concern and sincerity.

'mm.. ok, in that case you have a deal.. " he said in a emphatic tone.

"I hope the broker has explained my business and my background details.. " he asked looking at her expectantly..

"Oh yeah.. very much. you are a big man sir. the broker told me all about it, your business, your goodhearted nature, everything.. " she was by now completely at home spinning yarn after yarn. The kill was too close to miss. She was sure that Talwar was a big businessman just  by his attitude and looks.

"Alright, " he said pulling out a cheque book and writing something on it.
"I will give you ten months advance as promised and a months rent in advance madam. Anything else ?", he asked
"No no no.. that's it. you have everything in order.." she was terribly excited. She was going to be rich soon.
"To whom shall I make the cheque for.. ?"
"don't bother sir. I will fill it in.. " she added comforting him..
"No  no, its my practice madam. don't mistake me.. "
"Oh,, ok ok.. then please make it for Mr.Pandurangan.. " she responded quickly craning her neck to see what he was writing. He had made out a check for a lakh and sixty five thousand. Her mind was flying in the skies. now. She had done it. Rent out the house single handedly. She will manage the broker later.

"Full name madam.."
"Vittala Hari Tummala Pandurangan" she added quickly with a smile
He turned and looked at her face. obviously intimidated by the long name..
"Names are longer in this side of the country sir.. " she acknowledged with a sheepish smile.. "Shall i write it for you.. ?" she offered.

He responded by turning the chequebook to her direction and was again interrupted by the phone..

"Hello.." he barked into the phone while she waiting with one hand on the chequebook and the other holding out for the pen he was yet to give her.

"Haan.. bolo.."
"What ? where are you.. I cannot see you guys.. "
"Haan. 3rd floor, 3rd house on the right.. "
"Where the hell are you guys, I gave you an address and can't you follow simple instructions..?" he was barking into the phone now..
"Read out the address," he snapped into the phone as he pulled out a slip from his kurta..
"Haan, haan.. " he repeated into the phone as the person on the other end was reading out the address.
"Arrey, thats where i'm at.. " whats wrong with you guys.. you guys should know this place better than I do
"What? Give it to him.."
"Haan brokerji, bathao.. "
He listened quietly for a moment.
"but madam is here...  " he explained into the phone..
"Haan, speak to the madam here.. " he wiped the phone and gave it to her.
Triveni took the phone..
"Yes , Triveni here, "
"Madam, I think there has been a mistake, he was asked to go to third floor, third house on block 3. I'm at the residence now with his saamaan and he is not. Can you direct him to the right place.."
"But, this is block two,  " she croaked.. she had lost her voice..
"I know madam, he is new to the city.. you see. " explained the calm voice on the other side.
She felt as though the world was swirling around her..