In the morning Badal da’s phone started ringing. He opened his eyes and found out that Swati was calling. He looked at the wall clock. It was ten past ten. He lazily picked up the phone. His head was still spinning and he did not feel like talking.
"Hello, Swati madam."
“Hello, how are you doing?” Swati chuckled.
“I am good.”
Well, I am going to give you some trouble. Will you help me find out one or two BHK apartment?”
“Where, In Jamshedpur?”
"Yes, of course," Swati replied.
"I will try my best. Who is going to stay …...a bachelor or a family person?"
"Arre baba, I am coming back to Jamshedpur. I will be staying,” Swati laughed at the other end.
Badal da immediately assumed a sitting position on his bed. He was now quite awake. He did not believe Swati was coming to the town to live. He asked eagerly, “Why, what happened?”
“Naren is moving to Wembley, London. He is on a two years’ assignment. I would come to Jamshedpur. I have lived in the city for such a long time. Moreover, I will also get my post-retirement medical benefits in the Company's Hospital."
Badal da got panicked, "What happened to your health? Are you all right?"
“What will happen to me? I cannot go with them to London. So I am coming back.”
“No, you said something about medical benefit. I thought you were not well,” Badal da took a sigh of relief.
She again laughed at the other end, “And how is your stomach problem? Did you get relief with Dr. Taneja’s medicines? Nivedita is also asking about your health.”
Badal da did not answer. She waited for some time, and then she said further, "I know you are not taking medicines. Let me come. I will see that you take regular medicines."
“When are you coming?” Badal da avoided the topic.
"I have booked my ticket by train. I am coming by Bhubaneswar Rajdhani Express on next Monday. You may receive me at the railway station at around ten in the morning …... I hope by then you will be able to find accommodation for me. Otherwise, you may book Company's guest house for two to three days for me. I will be able to find…."
“You don’t bother about the house. I will somehow manage,” Badal da told her. He thought, I have enough time in hand to search an apartment for her.
He sprang up from his bed and went to the toilet for a wash. He looked quite energetic after hearing that Swati was coming back to the town.
That afternoon Mr. Tanmay found a different person in the house. A man cleaning the house with a broom in his hand could not be Badal da. He beamed with delight and said, "Oh my god. Is it you, Mr. Badol? I am surprised to find you up and about. I am pleased to see you fresh and agile."
Badal da squirmed, "I have not cleaned my house for long. Today I felt a little better. So I thought…."
“Have you done the cleaning before Mr. Badol? You will not be able to do it. Let me send a maidservant to your house. You engage her at only two thousand rupees a month. She will clean the house and wash your clothes.”
"Actually, my wife never liked any maidservant in the house. She did all the cooking and housekeeping herself.”
“But now you need one,” Mr. Tanmay insisted.
"Let me think over it," said Badal da.
After Mr. Tanmay had gone, he again started cleaning. He collected all the dirty linen, including the curtains, and gave them to the laundry for washing. He arranged the furniture properly and found to his surprise that they fitted the rooms nicely.
He then washed and went to the office. He thought he would ask Nitai to search for accommodation for Swati on the Company’s site for ‘hire and sale’, which was only accessed by the employees.
When he reached the office, he received a lukewarm response from all the office staff he worked with for years. Shyamal babu just nodded and gave a brief smile. Others did the same, and even Nitai showed no warmth. He felt he was an unwanted creature in the office. Without saying anything, he came out of the office.
The moment you leave the organization, you become a stranger, he thought. Mr. Dhondi was the most powerful MD of the Company. But after retirement, he was ignored by all the top officials. Badal da did not mind his old colleagues' behavior.
He had to find a house on rent for Swati. But he did not know how to find one? Mr. Tanmay visits lots of apartments. He can help me for sure, he thought. He rang him and enquired whether he could help. Mr. Tanmay said he would look for it and would get back to him in a day or two.
When Mr. Tanmay came with his dinner in the evening, he had come with some information. But to his surprise, Badal da said that now there was no need for the same. He had found an excellent accommodation. Instead, he asked him if he could send somebody to clean and paint the walls of his apartment.
"It's been more than four years since my house was painted last. The walls are all faded and look ugly."
Mr. Tanmay sent the painter the next day, and in another two days, the house was taking new looks. It took three days to complete the painting.
In the next few days, Badal da became very busy arranging for the things in Swati’s apartment.
Badal da was waiting for Swati's train to arrive on platform No. five. He was well dressed, clean-shaven and looking very excited to receive Swati. Swati could not recognize her for a brief moment when she saw him. When it appeared to her that the slim ill-looking guy wearing a warm smile on his face was none other than Mr. Badal, she almost screamed with surprise, “Oh Mr. Badal, is it you? You have become so weak and thin over the last six months. You were not well of late. Were you?”
After she got down with her luggage, Badal da engaged a porter and they came out of the railway station with the bags. He bargained the fair with an auto-rickshaw driver. The porter loaded the bags on the backside. Swati wanted to pay the porter, but he did not let her do that. He paid the porter and sat on the front seat with the driver. Swati sat on the back seat with her hand baggage.
On the way, Swati asked, "I must thank you for all the pains that you took for me. Where is the apartment? Is the locality good? Have you seen if the grocery shop, vegetable vendors and the laundry are close by?”
“It is a nice locality. No one bothers about the neighbors,” he laughed loudly, “I mean to say as long as they do not disturb you. Other things that you have asked for are perfectly the same as you wanted. You will like the apartment."
"Did the landlord finalize the rent? You said he wanted me first to see the apartment and then he would fix the rent at whatever amount I decide. I don't believe this. Suppose I don't like his apartment, and then what will I do?"
Badal da said as a matter of fact, “He says you can stay there without paying anything as long as you don’t find another apartment of your choice.”
"And you also said that it is fully furnished. I don't have to buy the cooking range or utensils. Where did you find this nice gentleman?"
“There are good people in this world,” Badal da replied while watching the road ahead.
He asked the auto-rickshaw driver to turn left and then take another left turn. He asked him to stop in front of a flat complex. Swati got down and started looking around. Badal da paid the auto-rickshaw driver and carried the bags to a ground floor apartment. He opened the lock and welcomed her in.
Swati was very impressed with the surrounding. When she entered a neatly newly painted two-bedroom apartment, she liked it instantly. She thanked Badal da generously.
Suddenly she realized that most of the furniture was hers. She turned around and exclaimed with joy, “Oh, this was the gentleman who bought my furniture?”
Badal da nodded his head and said, “Welcome back to your own house.”
"Oh, I am so much excited. Thank you …thank you … thank you," she spun on her toes and clapped in excitement.
Then she started peeping into each room. She had a balcony also. She came out into the balcony and looked around, "Nice place with lots of sun. This is the most beautiful house that you have found out for me. Thank you once again."
She came inside and went into the kitchen. All her old kitchenware was there. She touched them with fondness, “How I spent my valuable time with you. Thank you that you all came back to me,” she said this to the utensils and the gas stove.
Badal da was looking smilingly at her. But the moment she noticed an aluminum partition door, his smiles vanished. She tried to open the door bolt. But the door did not open. It was bolted from the other side also. She asked, "What is there on the other side, and why is it locked from both sides?”
Badal da fumbled while he spoke, "Er...There is a room behind this door…. The landlord lives there himself.
"What? I have to live with the landlord? How many rooms are there in this apartment?"
“This is 3 BHK. The landlord has separated two bedrooms and the hall, one toilet and kitchen for you. He stays in that single room with attached toilet,” Badal da said with difficulty.
“The whole family stays in a single room?” Swati asked in astonishment.
“He is alone. He doesn’t need a kitchen. He gets his food from the ‘Falcon Kitchen Services’. One room, one balcony with entrance door to his room and the attached toilet is enough for him.”
“He stays there alone? How can I live with a man in the same house? Didn’t you consider this fact? …… Mr. Badal, you have disappointed me."
Badal da tried to convince her, “You can bolt the house from your side. No one can enter into your portion of the house. ...... Moreover, he is a nice gentleman. He will not disturb you.”
Swati, in her bewilderment, stopped for a while and thought. Then she asked, "How well do you know him?"
"I have known him for long. You also know him quite well."
“Who is he? I want to meet him before I decide whether I am going to stay here or not,” Swati demanded firmly.
“I would suggest you to please take some rest after the long journey. I have arranged food for you. We can talk again in the evening,” Badal da tried to escape from there.
But Swati stood on his way and said, "I am not living here. And this is my final decision. Please call a taxi and shift me to a hotel."
Badal da's face became pale. He said through his nose, hesitatingly, “I live …… on the other side. It is my apartment.”
Swati was looking intently at his face. She tried to figure out if he was telling a lie. Then she turned and fell into the sofa. She did not speak a word and kept staring at him.
Badal da felt very uncomfortable. He could not decide what to say or do next. At this moment, Mr. Tanmay knocked at the door and bailed him out of this situation. He had brought lunch for both of them.
Badal da received the packets from him and kept one on the dining table. Without looking at her, he said, "First, you wash and eat your food. We will talk again in the evening."
He picked up his packet of food and rushed out of her room. Swati kept sitting for a long while. She rang Nivedita and informed her that she had reached safely.
She also discussed the situation with her and asked what she should do. Swati told her, "Relax and do not take any decision in a hurry. If you don't want to stay in this house, then you should say no in a decent manner. Otherwise, uncle will feel bad. It could be a poorly thought plan on his part, but we must honor his gesture.
She got up, washed and changed her clothes. Then she knocked at the partition door, “Mr. Badal, please open the door.”
Badal da did not open the door. He answered in a loud voice, “I am just coming.”
He came through the front door. She asked him to bring his food and said that he could come through the partition door with the food.
She served the food nicely on plates. She poured a glass of water for him and sat down to take her food. Both of them ate food without talking much. After finishing she cleaned the table and sat on the sofa. Badal da wanted to go out, but she asked him to sit down.
He sat down on another sofa like a culprit waiting for the announcement of his punishment.
Swati hesitated a bit before starting. She began by asking about his health.
“You have reduced so much. How is your health now?”
“Same as before.”
“Why, you did not start the medicine?”
“I will start in a day or two,” Badal da avoided the question.
"Hmm……. Well, can I ask you how you could imagine that I can stay at your house?"
After a short while, Badal da answered, keeping his gaze on his feet, "I had already planned that after retirement, I would let out two rooms. It was a coincidence that you asked for a rented house."
“But do you think it is proper for two of us to live under one roof? What will people think?”
“What is there to think about?”
“You don’t understand,” Swati shifted her posture, “No one knows that there is a partition door between the two portions of the house.”
Badal da remained silent. Then he stood up and said, “I never thought from this angle. If you don’t think it is proper to live in my apartment, then I will find another house for you in a day or two.”
He was about to go when Swati again requested him to sit down. She could see that Badal da was hurt. She didn't want to hurt him. She said, "Please don't be cross with me. I didn't mean anything. But I am afraid of the people.”
Badal da didn't sit down. He said plainly, "I can understand your point of view. I am sorry that I did not discuss this matter with you before. I thought of giving you a surprise. You will be happy to get your things back and feel at home at my house. I didn't think too far. But you are right. I will ask Mr. Tanmay to find another house for you. But it is my request to please stay here as my guest till then. If you want, you can cook your food. Otherwise, Mr. Tanmay will bring food also for you."
He did not wait to get a response from Swati and walked out. Swati felt very bad that she did not handle the matter a bit more carefully. She should not have hurt him. His intention was not bad.
In the evening, when Mr. Tanmay came with the food, Badal da knocked at the main door of Swati’s portion and introduced both of them to each other while standing on the doorway. He told him that she would be staying here as his guest until she finds a house. He has to bring food to both of them.
Swati requested, “Mr. Tanmay, can I request you to please find a house for me and preferably in this same colony. I liked the ambiance very much."
“I will try my best Madam,” said Mr. Tanmay
When Mr. Tanmay went away, Badal da called the security guard of the colony and told him about Swati, “Madam will be staying here for some days. She is looking for a two BHK accommodation. Please try to find if someone in this colony wants to let out his apartment …… and by the way, I have also divided my house into two portions. I have separated a two-bedroom section for rent purpose, which has a kitchen, a toilet and the dining cum drawing hall. If you find someone who could be interested in hiring this portion, then please let me know.”
The security guard looked puzzled. He asked, “I don’t understand. Madam is looking for a house and you have a two-bedroom portion, which you want to rent out, then why madam is looking for another house? Madam, let me tell you that you will not find a better house in this colony. There are very few two BHK apartments and all are presently occupied.”
Badal da interrupted, “Madam has seen the apartment and she didn’t like it.”
The security guard was completely confused. He shrugged his shoulder and went away. Badal da also went inside from his door through his balcony. Swati locked the door of her portion and came out of the house. There was a small garden nearby, where two ladies were gossiping.
She went inside the garden and started strolling. She was in deep thoughts when one of the ladies said hello to her. She smiled at her, “Yes?”
“We are seeing you for the first time. Are you someone’s guest here?” asked the lady.
“A…....yes. I am thinking of shifting in Mr. Badal’s apartment.”
"Oh, that's great. But where is he going?" asked the other lady.
“No…actually he has put a partition inside the house and separated a two BHK portion for letting out,” Swati was trying to look at the reactions on their faces.
The ladies reacted in a very natural manner, “Is it? He has done a good thing. His children are away and he lives here alone. His wife died sometimes back. This apartment was too big for his single living.”
"Well, I was just thinking, will it be right to shift in a bachelor’s house?”
"Who is a bachelor?" the other lady asked in astonishment. Then she realized that a bachelor word was used for Mr. Badal. She laughed, “Are you talking about Badol da.... He has been living here since the colony came up, but I don't think he will be able to recognize any of us as his colony member. He is timid and never looks at anyone."
The other lady added, “He doesn’t mix with anyone. He is a gentleman. You can very well shift in his apartment provided you don’t disturb his peace.”
Although Mr. Badal had never talked to them, still women watched him and made such a high opinion about him is something that he doesn't know, Swati thought.
“No-no, there is no one to disturb him. I will be living here alone,” then she told them that she had taken VRS and her daughter and son-in-law had gone abroad.
The ladies welcomed her heartily. Swati said she was still not sure whether she would stay here or not, “Actually I have almost finalized another apartment. I came here from Delhi only today. Mr. Badal asked me to stay here till I shift into that apartment.”
“No-no, you should stay here. It is a magnificent colony. Most of the occupants are Bengali. We celebrate the ‘Pujo' in the colony by holding a four days long cultural activity. Almost all the residents of this colony participate in the celebration of dance, music and drama. We want that you should stay in this colony only,” one lady insisted.
The other also added, “You will not get a better colony than this in the town. This is a gated colony with guards and there is this small garden. We have a temple also within the campus. The grocery and other shops are just outside the gate. You must decide to stay here.”
Even after all this good feedback, Swati was still in a double mind. She thought she would again talk to Nivedita. After having a chat with the ladies when she walked back to the house, she saw that something was thrown out of Badal da's window, and the dogs started fighting among themselves to snatch that thing from one another. She saw it was his food packet that Mr. Tanmay had brought.
Mr. Badal is a spoilt child and needs someone badly, who could take care of him. With this realization, Swati entered the house and closed the door.
Nivedita was very busy packing things for moving abroad. She had said, “Mama, we cannot help you in this matter. You have to decide whether to live there or move out. ……. We don’t see any harm if you stay in his house, provided he doesn't infringe on your privacy. Please watch him by staying there for few more days. If things are OK, then nothing would be better than to stay near someone who can take care of you at the hour of need."
Swati found that the kitchen had nothing except the empty utensils. She bought biscuits, tea leaves and sugar from the nearby shops. She had tea and biscuits in the morning breakfast. When Mr. Tanmay came with the food packet, she would ask him if he found the apartment. She was still indecisive.
Three days passed. Badal da did not come to see her. Every day or the other, she heard dogs fighting over his food that he would throw out of his window. He remained in his portion silently. The only sound that came from Badal da's side was the sound of the toilet flush. The toilet must be close to the partition door, she thought. On some days, the sound of the flush came almost every hour till morning.
By the fourth day evening, she finally made up her mind to stay in this same house.
