A new series, containing excerpts from the above book. Part 1
PLATONIC IMPRINT
Part 1
The Sun barely opened its eyes on a usually hazy winter morning in Bangalore. Once known as the ‘Garden City’ and ‘Manchester of the East, this capital city of the state of Karnataka, a southern province in India, has attracted people from all parts of the country and even from abroad over the decades’. The migrants settled were largely for white-collar jobs, mostly in information technology, IT-enable industries, and education and medical sectors.
This fast-emerging cosmopolitan city was chosen a couple of centuries ago by the Britons, who were ruling India through the East India Company till 1947, for its cool, dry and clean environment. The city since then is promoting itself as a jewel destination for intellectuals, academicians and educationists.
The city, by the way, also hosts BC, the central characters of our story- Ahana Banerjee and her husband Siddhartha Chatterjee. Unlike a majority of Indian women, Ahana did not change her surname after marriage to Siddhartha.
Ahana is a 50-year-old well-endowed lady with much in excess in terms of grace and intelligence. She is gorgeous, and it appears that God has been extremely benevolent to her. She is
presently the head of the department of Spanish language in an international school. The school claims to be one of the best (and expensive too) in the region. A versatile genius with an appreciation for dance, singing, and painting (in addition to the subjects she teaches in the school), Ahana originally hails from Delhi, and has had her school and college education in Delhi and later at the University of Florida, USA.
Ahana’s husband Siddhartha, 55, is the Vice President of a multinational company and heads its R&D wing. Siddhartha with master’s and doctorate degrees in Chemistry from the University of Florida and an alumnus of the prestigious Indian Institute of Management looks after the company’s interest in South and Southeast Asia. Siddhartha is a well-built person, although off-late the middle portion of the torso has become a little heavier and protruding than expected of a gym-fed body. He is extremely dedicated to his profession and obsessively possessive of his beautiful wife, naturally.
Ahana and Siddhartha are married for 25 years now and are gifted with a daughter Tiya, who came into their life when both were students at the University of Florida. Tiya, not so stunning as her mother, is a vivacious girl. Bubbling with energy, this 22-year lass is presently doing graduation in New York. As this novel revolves around Tiya, we will catch up with her life anytime later. It was a Tuesday morning and both Ahana and Siddhartha are getting ready for their job.
Ahana usually goes out of the house by 6.30 in the morning after grabbing a bite on her light refreshment, as the school bus waits for her downstairs at the gate of their housing complex. Ahana’s toast is normally prepared by Siddhartha, so also he prepares and packs her brunch.
The bus takes close to an hour to reach the school negotiating through the infamous and often unruly Bangalore traffic. This one hour or so remains a precious time for Ahana to organize her thoughts for the teaching she would be making in school as well as planning the instructions to be given over the phone to the maid and cook at home, even amidst the continuous babbling of students from behind the bus.
These days’ students are very smart. They collect information in advance through the internet and YouTube about the topic they are going to learn in school. Ahana remembers that when in school they were never encouraged to ask questions to their teachers so openly and in such an incessant manner. But days have changed. Students now are often quite blunt and upfront. Being adorable, Ahana always gets the extra attention of students and teaching faculties. Sometimes such attention became awkward, and uncomfortable, and makes her vulnerable to receiving more questions during any prolonged discussion.
Siddhartha leaves home by 8.30 am for the office in his chauffeur-driven car. His office has also been an hour’s journey, but he utilizes the travel time well using his Wi-Fi-supported laptop.
But today’s Tuesday was different. It was only 6.20 am. Ahana was late for school and was in haste.
Calling at Siddhartha who was in the kitchen- ‘I cannot eat the burger now, I am late. Please pack this along with my brunch.’
Telling this Ahana swiftly adjusted her sari in a whiff after offering water and batasa sweet (flat spherical sugar meringues) to a host of Gods and Goddesses she worships in her small wooden temple at the far corner in the third bedroom of the house. As she was ready to slip in the shoe, the landline phone rang, and from the ring-tone, both could make out it must be an international call and may be from their daughter Tiya, studying in New York.
It must be around quarter to nine in the evening there in New York on Monday. It is few and far between for Tiya to call now, as she knows that morning few hours are the toughest for her parents, and must not be disturbed. Now both knew today’s phone was unusual.
In a scary move, Siddhartha picked up the phone ‘hello Tiya, my little girl, how you are?
It was not Tiya, Cleta answered, ‘Siddhartha, it is Cleta here. Tiya is not well.’ Cleta’s voice broke. Cleta has been Tiya’s roommate for years now.
‘What happened to Tiya, where she is now?’ Siddhartha almost screamed.
Ahana in despair came close to the phone- ‘as you know Tiya goes for dance classes at Willoughby Avenue in the evening twice a week’, Cleta continued
‘Yes, yes, we know. Siddhartha interrupted Cleta. ‘…and then what happened?’
About 20 minutes ago I received a call from our University’s Langone Medical Centre. And now I am here already. I spoke to Doctor and now reporting to you on their advice’. Cleta stopped to catch up with her gasp.
On the other side of the phone in Bangalore it was all quiet, one could hear only the sound of the breath of Siddhartha, with Ahana standing beside him.
‘Are you hearing me’, Cleta wanted to confirm.
‘Yes, please continue’, was the only thing that Siddhartha could murmur. ‘Tiya had a nasty fall on her back roughly an hour ago while practising dance in Ms Batiza’s school in Willoughby Avenue. They immediately sent her to this medical centre. After providing first-aid and administering anaesthesia, the doctors at this Centre are shifting her to University Spine Centre’.
‘Is she in her senses?’
‘Yes, very much Siddhartha, but she is in great pain that got reduced after administering tranquiliser and anaesthesia. I am with Tiya in the ambulance now taking her to the Spine Centre’.
‘Thank you, thank you Cleta, please be with her’
‘No mention, Siddhartha, but it appears to be a major fall probably disturbing her spinal cord. Cleta paused. ‘As it might require a major decision to be made in days to come I shall keep you informed.’
‘Thank you, Cleta, but we shall also try to reach New York as early as possible, say by the next 24 to 36 hours.
‘That would be great. I shall speak to you later’, Cleta puts the phone down.
Siddhartha placed the receiver on the cradle and had a free fall on the sofa.
Ahana was keeping quiet all this time but heard everything. She did not ask Siddhartha anything, and without being panicked did three things. She informed the security watchman deployed at the residential campus gate to inform the school bus to go away and not to wait for her. She is not going to school today.
Next, she picked up her phone and called the Principal of her school. The Father was surprised to receive a call so early in the morning.
‘Father, sorry for disturbing you early at this hour. But it’s an emergency
‘Of course, I am surprised. But no issue. Tell me what the matter is.’
Ahana summarised the entire conversation that went between Siddhartha and Cleta and informed Father Morino of the accident Tiya had in New York. She explained the very complex type of spinal injury that Tiya has received. Tiya would certainly need the presence of her mother beside her at the earliest. Ahana needs to travel immediately to the States to solace her daughter and to support the future medical course of action. She begged for leave, and if permitted, she would email her leave request to the Father. Mr Morino understood the urgency of the situation and reluctantly agreed to receive her leave request over email and consider the same.
Ahana again picked up the phone for the third time. This time she called her dearest friend Payeli, who stays only a few blocks away. Ahana’s close friend and confidante- Payeli, who although younger than Ahana by more than 6 years, has been a strength to BC. Payeli has a spectacular face, pure like a Hindu goddess. She coaches students who intend to appear for professional competitive career examinations, such as GMAT, GRE, and TOEFL in one of the leading coaching centres in Bangalore. Her husband Anirban is a brilliant, warm, social guy, specialising in HR Management, and now serving a private enterprise in the gulf city of Muscat.
Their teenage daughter Rhea and son Rishi are studying- Rhea is doing a bachelor’s degree at Pune University (more than 800 km north of Bangalore), while Rishi is only in the 6th standard. Payeli stays in Bangalore with her son and not-so-friendly parents-in-law. It means Payeli every day had to deal with all possible denominations of family feuds and social troubles, with nobody to look after her biological needs and meandering emotion. The only blessing comes in when Payeli spends time with Ahana.
Rhea and Tiya are of the same age, grew together initially in Bangalore schools, and spend quality time even now when they meet.
‘Hi, Good morning. Sorry for troubling you so early in the morning’- Ahana sounds a little apologetic over the phone.
‘No, no, tell me anything serious.’ Payeli replies from the warmness of her bed. Today is the weekly off for Payeli and she always plans to live the day on her terms.
‘Yeah, today is your off-day I know. How much time will it take for you to come to our place?’
‘Why, what happened, so urgent, anything serious? You sound unusually cool and heavy.’
‘Will talk about it when you would be here. Please come soon.’
‘Ok’
Ahana settles down, takes a deep breath down her spine, and removes her laptop from the school bag she was carrying to school. She starts writing the leave letter, completes it, and emails the same to Father Morino, with a cc to her coordinator.
As soon as Ahana presses the send button on her laptop, Siddhartha emerged from the other room to inform her that he has booked two tickets to New York by the earliest available flight. The flight would leave Bangalore this afternoon at 3.20 pm and would take a little less than 24 hours to reach New York, including a halt of about three hours in Heathrow.
‘What time we would reach New York’ Ahana enquired.
‘That would be the early morning there tomorrow at about 5 am. I shall request Alpesh to receive us at the airport. The idea is to reach Tiya as quickly as possible
‘Are you planning to stay with Alpesh?’ Ahana asked
‘At least for the first few days till we arrange a hotel for us’ Siddhartha appears to have completed the planning. Ahana released a sigh of relief. Alpesh and his wife Manisha have been very good and old friends of BC. Alpesh joined the same company a little after Siddhartha started his career but shifted to an American company quickly, and since then they have been in New York.
Siddhartha was surprised to see the change in Ahana, who normally makes a mess of any pressing situation. Today she remained calm and composed.
By the time Ahana could organize her thoughts on how to go about preparing for the journey and making a list of essential items to be carried, the doorbell rang. It was Payeli. Seeing her friend, Ahana broke down for the first time since the morning putting her head on the shoulder of Payeli. Although equally tensed, Payeli pacified her friend and settled her on a sofa nearby. Siddhartha explained to Payeli the situation. By this time Ahana got back to her traits, went to the restroom, flushes her face with a splash of cool water, and then moved to the kitchen to prepare tea for all.
While sipping aromatic Darjeeling tea, Payeli in consultation with Ahana and Siddhartha prepared the list of items to be carried by the couple to the USA.
‘For how many days you are thinking of being away’
‘No idea’ Siddhartha answered, ‘at least till the time she is back to her apartment.’
‘No, I think we must bring her back here, if of course doctor permits.’
‘Ok then… it must be for three weeks’, laments Payeli.
While they discuss, Siddhartha received some photo messages on his WhatsApp from Cleta, These were the preliminary diagnosis made by the doctors and the medicines prescribed. Cleta added, ‘Tiya is under great pain and should remain at the Spine Centre hospital at least for some time now. Later doctors will decide when to undertake surgery.’
‘What the images say’- an anxious Ahana enquires.
Siddhartha told the two ladies all that he could gather from the texts and images received from Cleta. Siddhartha thanked Cleta and informs her of their reaching New York in the next 30 odd hours.
Giving little background, Siddhartha forwarded all the images received from Cleta to Dr. Karisiddaiah, one of his top doctor-friends in Bangalore, with a request to examine it quickly and thoroughly.
About the Author :
Dr. Ranadhir Mukhopadhyay is a Marine Geoscientist. He had retired from NIO, Goa as a Deputy Director. He now lives at Goa.
He had authored/co-authored 5 books on scientific subjects covering Climate Change, Marine Resources and Blue Economy He is also a writer of fiction and has 3 novels to his credit.
He is a founder-member of GZA.
AUTHOR’s NOTE
My book Walking into the Gale was originally published by White Falcon Publishing in 2021. This 202-page fiction (ISBN 978-1-63640-111-9) comprises two stories- Platonic Imprint and Walking into the Gale.
The book is priced at Rs. 299/- (print version) and Rs. 199/- (electronic edition) and is available with the publisher (www.whitefalconpublishing.com), Amazon, Flipkart, and Google.
Working on the request of the Editor of this Blog and without attracting the copyright-related legal provisions, I present here the excerpts from the first story Platonic Imprint in parts to the readers of the GZA Blog.
Ranadhir Mukhopadhyay