A Sahib's Daughter (23 page)

The following morning, he slept late and decided to check out of the club before breakfast, to the intense disappointment of Dali. He ate at Keventers, a café opposite the club, where he feasted on scrambled eggs, bacon, sausages and black pudding.

“As good as an Ulster fry,” he thought, remembering his mother’s huge breakfasts, with soda farls and potato bread from the shop.

“I’m a devil with the frying pan,” Irene liked to say. No one in the world could produce meals like she did. He remembered the roast beef on Sundays with both mashed and roast potatoes, Yorkshire pudding and delicious gravy. Thinking about her made him nostalgic for home. He hadn’t been back since that awful trip after Lorraine died three years ago, the lowest point of his life. He was due home leave. In fact, he was due six months’ leave. It was something to think about, though at the moment he was preoccupied with developing his relationship with Samira.

It was beautiful day and he decided to walk to Prava’s house. It was pleasant to gaze in the windows of the little curio shops. He was fascinated by the Tibetan and Nepalese handicrafts, jewelry and artifacts and by the distinctive hill people he saw on the streets, dressed in their ethnic costumes.

Prava was glad to see him and called out loudly as he drew near,

“Good morning, Justin, how are you, my boy?”

“Good morning, Prava. Don’t you look pretty today?” He climbed the dozen or so steps to the verandah to join her.

“What rubbish!” she tittered, susceptible as any other woman to compliments.

“Sammy has gone for a walk. You can either wait here or try to find her. She usually turns left on the Mall.”

Prava had observed, as she observed everything that happened on her street, a grim-faced Ravi return to his motorcycle. Whatever it was that went on between them had not gone well. And judging by the time that had elapsed since, Sammy was not rushing home with joyful tidings. She was certain, in the circumstances, that her granddaughter would be pleased to see Justin. She’d known all along that that Ravi was no good, just like all plainspeople. Hadn’t she told Sammy yesterday to go for the British Sahib?

After Ravi left, Sammy took refuge in the woods behind the Gymkhana Club. Few people knew about the narrow dirt path that cut through the undergrowth beneath the trees. Steep and slippery, it didn’t lead anywhere except to the top of the hill. She and Mark had stumbled across searching for a lost tennis ball years ago. It was a good place to cry. No one would see or hear her. But she had already shed all her tears over Ravi. And what was the point of crying when he’d made things patently clear? In some ways, it was a relief to have the uncertainly taken away. She now knew the reason for his withdrawal and didn’t have to agonize over it.

Ravi had chosen a stranger over her. The thought hurt like crazy. But, since he didn’t want her, she would just have to get on with her life. At least she wouldn’t have to wait in the wings any longer.

Feeling slightly cheered, she made her way down the hill, past the tennis courts and the Gymkhana Club. With all the drama over Ravi, she’d completely forgotten about her date with Justin and was taken aback when she saw him walking toward her, smiling until he saw her tear-stained face.

“What is it, Samira? Is something wrong? Are you hurt?” he asked.

She had no idea what to say. She didn’t want to tell him about Ravi. It was too long a story, and in any case, it was over. Better to forget about it and move on. Some things were better kept in the family. She knew she’d be telling the story to her grandmother later and to her mother when she got home.

So she smiled at him and lied, saying the walk had brought back memories of her time in Darjeeling and made her realize that she had some decisions she needed to make.

“What can I do to make you feel better? Where would you like to go?”

“Well, first I would like to go home and wash my face.” She was conscious of her swollen eyes and red nose. “And after that? Actually, I know exactly what I would like to do, if you don’t mind!” She suddenly remembered one of the reasons she had wanted to come here, “I’d like to go shopping!”

Justin laughed. How like a woman! When men were upset, they wanted to hit someone or something, or sweat it out in some way. What did women want to do? They wanted to shop.

“Excellent idea! I had to resist going into all those wonderful shops on my way here. I’m more than happy to go shopping.”

Back at the house, she could see that Prava was all agog, though she realized that Samira was not going to say anything in front of Justin.

“Would you like some breakfast, Justin? Sammy?”

“Oh, no thank you,” Justin said. “I had a huge breakfast at Keventers. I couldn’t eat a thing.”

“How about you, Sam?”

“I’m fine, thanks, not really hungry.”

Which was worrying, thought Prava. Sammy wasn’t easily put off her food, especially breakfast.

“Are you ready?” Justin asked Samira. She had washed her face, put on some of her new makeup and changed out of her old white dress into something more respectable.

“Yes, I am. I’ll just grab my purse.”

Prava watched them leave; happy that Samira had Justin to distract her during what she was certain was a difficult time. She could not imagine what Ravi had to say that required him to drive all that distance, but she had a few scenarios in her mind.

She noticed that someone was coming to her gate. It was Tashi Dorjee, the woman who collected her rent each month. Strange, the rent wasn’t due, and she didn’t recall telling her there was anything that needed fixing.

“Good day, Tashi,” she said. “What brings you here on a Sunday morning? Can I offer you some tea or coffee?”

‘No, thank you,” Tashi said. “No need. I have relatives visiting and need to get back to them. But I have news for you that I wanted to tell you personally.”

“I paid my rent on time. I know I did. What is it?” Prava said, beginning to get nervous.

“I have a message for you from your landlord, who is my uncle. You’ve never met him. But it seems he’s going to need this house back. I’m so sorry. I know how much you love it and how long you’ve lived here. You’ve been a perfect tenant, and I promise to find you something else. But rents have gone up considerably. Houses are hard to find these days, so it may have to be a flat somewhere or a house in Ghoom.”

Prava was speechless. Ghoom! A flat! She could think of nothing worse. Leave this house where she had lived for almost twenty-five years? Impossible! What about her lease, she asked. Apparently, it was coming up for renewal in a couple of months, the period of notice the landlord was willing to allow her. He was really a kind person. He was a big businessman in town and wanted the house for his old aunt who was moving to Darjeeling from Sikkim. He wanted to come and see the cottage and would be stopping by next week. Tashi said she was truly sorry and promised to do everything she could to find something suitable for Prava.

She went on her way, leaving Prava shocked and stunned. This was something she’d never envisioned. She could not bear to think of leaving her cottage. It had been her home for so long. It was small, but it suited her perfectly. What was she going to do? She couldn’t conceive of living anywhere else.

Meanwhile, Justin and Samira were shopping on Chowrasta. First, they visited some of the old curiosity shops that so captivated him. He picked out a silver pendant to take back to his mother and when he saw that Samira liked a topaz bracelet, he went surreptitiously back to the shop and bought it. He found a cap of yak’s wool he knew his father would like and asked Samira to pick out some ornaments for his bungalow. Everyone seemed to know her. She spoke to them in Nepalese, haggling for the best possible price.

Next, she took him to a fabric store and said she needed to order some clothes.

“Probably not today but I just need to start planning what to buy. I’ve decided to visit my Aunt Pauline in Ireland,” she told him. “She lives in Bray with her husband, Sean. I also want to go to Europe.”

“When are you going?” he asked, surprised.

“As soon as I can arrange it, Justin.”

“Is this a sudden decision?”

“It is and it isn’t. I’ve always known I’d be going. I was just waiting for the time to be right.”

He looked thoughtful. Things were not going as planned, or were they? He didn’t want their relationship to lose momentum. He’d thought he had more time to allow it to develop, not that he needed it for himself. His mind was made up. He knew that he wanted her in his life and could not bear the thought of losing her.

“And what makes it right now?” he asked, needing to know.

“It’s… summertime. I graduated from college over a year ago. I need to make some concrete plans for my future.” She couldn’t tell him her heart had just been broken, and she needed to escape as far away as she could to avoid running into the person who’d caused her so much pain.

“Yes, I’m sure it is,” he agreed. This was hardly the time to extract any kind of promise from her. But later, as he delivered her back to her grandmother’s front gate in the afternoon, he took her hand and said,

“Sammy, I need you to know that I’m crazy about you. I’d like you to think about whether we might have a future together. I don’t want to rush things, but the fact that you’re going away soon means that we don’t have much time. I never…I thought I would never feel for anyone again, but I know I couldn’t bear to lose you.”

Samira looked at him, surprised and flattered. As usual, she didn’t know what to say and struggled for the right words. It had been an emotional roller coaster of a day.

“Thanks, Justin. I will. I’m a little surprised but very flattered. I’ve had a lovely time. You’re sure you won’t come in?”

“Unfortunately, I need to get going. But I’ve had a wonderful weekend. Please say good-bye to your grandmother for me.”

Chapter 20

Darjeeling, India, 1978

It seemed odd that Prava was not at her usual post on the verandah. Samira called to her as she entered the house and found her in the kitchen vigorously stirring things in a pot. She wore a length of cloth around her waist like an apron and a bandana over her hair. She looked like she’d been crying. Samira had never seen her grandmother cry.

“What’s wrong, Gran? Why are you crying?”

It had been a day of tears.

“I have terrible news,” said Prava. “I had a visitor while you were out, the woman who collects my rent. She told me that I have to move out of my cottage because the new owner wants it back. I have two months to find another place.”

“You mean it doesn’t belong to you?” It was also a day of surprises. “But you’ve lived here ever since I was born and before that, too.”

“We’ve lived here ever since we moved from Kalimpong when your mother was twenty- one, a little younger than you are now. I’ve always loved this house. It never occurred to me that they would ever want it back. I realize I should have at least considered it might happen.”

“Maybe you can reason with them?”

“No, the owner wants it for a relative. I don’t even know him. Tashi has taken care of everything during the last few years. She’s his granddaughter or niece, I think she said. What am I going to do?”

Samira lit the stove and put the kettle on. “I’m so sorry Gran, but we’ll find another house. I’ll help you.”

“It’s not that easy. Tashi said rents have gone up a lot, and I might have to move into a flat or even to Ghoom.”

Ghoom was like its name, a gloomy town just outside Darjeeling, perpetually smothered in fog.

“But listen to me going on as if I’m the only one with problems! What about your news? I’m sorry, my girl, I should have asked you sooner. I saw Ravi on his way back to his motorcycle. He didn’t look at all happy.”

“Gran, it’s finally over between us. He’s going to have an arranged marriage.” Samira started to cry, as she’d known she would. “His family doesn’t want him to marry me because they think I won’t fit in with their customs. They don’t approve of mixed marriages.”

“Yes, I thought that might be the case with those Punjabis.” Prava spoke scathingly. This just reaffirmed her bigotry against plainspeople. She added two spoons of sugar to her tea. But there was no point going into that now.