Love by Deception

Chapter 1

“O h my God! How heavy your bag is! Are you stashing something in there that I don’t know of?” Rachanna asked, going through her daughter’s school bag.

Asmee, dressed in her white and dark blue school uniform, looked at her mother in pity. Then, she shook her head and replied, “I am in third grade. We need a lot of books.”

“Are you sure you are not stashing in a few rocks or something?” Rachanna asked. There was nothing but books in her bag. Rachanna sighed as she zipped up Asmee’s school bag.

Rachanna was tall, slender and curvy. She had thick, luxurious hair that fell in waves around her round face. She was dressed in a simple yellow kurta over dark blue jeans. In her early thirties, she still had a youthfulness that led many to believe she was still in her twenties. Maybe it was her glowing skin or her eyes that sparkled every time she laughed. Or maybe it was just the energy that radiated from her. It was hard for anyone to believe she was mother to a child in the third grade.

As Asmee washed her hands after finishing her breakfast, she retorted, “Mom, times have changed. These days, we have a lot to study. Not like how you had it in your time.”

Rachanna rolled her eyes as she cramped a napkin and spoon into Asmee’s lunch bag and closed it shut. “We had the same subjects.”

“We have three additional decades to study too…it’s a lot!” Asmee said as she put on her socks.

Asmee, with her round face and large eyes, looked a lot like Rachanna. She even had the same luxurious hair, although Asmee wore it much shorter. She had clipped her hair on either side with blue hairclips that matched the colour of her uniform. She also had her mother’s beautiful eyes. Even the way Asmee wrinkled her nose and pouted was exactly like her mother’s.

However, Asmee had a twinkle in her eyes that was unlike her mother’s. A twinkle that betrayed her naughtiness. A twinkle that constantly kept her mother on her toes.

Asmee was tall for her age. She was also very thin and it attracted a lot of criticism from her classmates’ mothers. They were constantly remarking over it to Rachanna. But Rachanna did not bother. She knew her daughter. Asmee was always bursting with vitality and energy. She was always on the move. She was outgoing and had too many friends that left her swamped. There was nothing wrong with the kid’s appetite. She just preferred playing over eating. Actually, she preferred playing over every other activity. She was bound to be thin.

Rachanna said, “Fine, fine. You know what I am going to do? Next year, I am not going to buy you a school bag. I am going to get you a shopping cart. You can load your books into that cart and walk into school, wheeling the cart. At least then your teachers will realise how heavy your bags are.”

“Hmm… My class is on the third floor. How will I carry the cart up the stairs?” Asmee asked, knotting her shoelace.

Rachanna was taken aback. And then she chuckled. “Yes, that is the only part that is wrong with that idea. Come on! Quick! Your van will be here in two minutes.”

“Don’t rush me!” Asmee cried out. “Tomorrow, can you please get up a little earlier and prepare breakfast on time?”

“Alright, alright,” replied Rachanna, as she picked up the bags and locked the door behind them. They ran to the elevator on their floor. “Sometimes I don’t understand who is the mother of who.”

“Who is the mother of whom!” Asmee repeated, shaking her head. “I told you…you did not have that much to study!”

Rachanna glared at her daughter as she pressed the elevator button. “Kids these days!”

Asmee looked at her mother. She then shook her head exactly as Rachanna had done. “Moms these days!” She grumbled, as they entered the elevator.

Rachanna felt a slight surge of irritation. She took a deep breath to control herself. She then said dryly, “Let’s play a game. Let’s see if we can reach the van without saying a word to each other.”

“Fine by me. However, if you are finding it so difficult to handle me now, how are you going to manage me when I am a teenager?” Asmee asked, shaking her head. Her hair danced as she shook her head.

“The time starts now!” Rachanna snapped. They both remained silent as the elevator reached the ground floor. They ran to the main gate of their apartment and reached the stop just in time. The van arrived and Rachanna kissed Asmee before she helped her get into the van. Asmee took her seat and looked at Rachanna through the window. She looked grim.

Unable to bear the look on her daughter’s face, Rachanna smiled at her. But there was no response from the girl.

Rachanna then waved at her. “Bye, Asmee! Have a nice day at school.”

Asmee grinned triumphantly. “You lost!”

Rachanna laughed as the van drove away.

***

Usha was folding laundry while Rachanna sat at the table, sipping her customary post-breakfast coffee. The newspaper was laid open on the table. Suddenly, Rachanna looked up from the newspaper and asked Usha, “Who has moved into C912? I hear a lot of talk about the newcomer.”

Rachanna worked in the HR department of a leading software company. Her timings were flexible and so, she made it a point to always clock an hour of work from home every morning after Asmee left for school. This was her time to check her emails, draw her to-do lists and schedule her meetings for the day. It was also a time for some much-needed peace and quiet. After an hour of work, she always treated herself to a nice relaxing bath and a leisurely breakfast before she left for work.

It was also during this time that her maid, Usha, finished up with the housework. Cleaning and maintaining a penthouse, in which Rachanna lived, was no easy task. Four large bedrooms, four bathrooms, a large living and dining room along with a terrace to boot came with a lot of need for maintenance. Rachanna was glad for Usha’s help. Not only did she clean, she also did several miscellaneous activities like watering of the many plants on the terrace. Rachanna knew the plants were alive only because of Usha. In a bout of over-enthusiasm, Rachanna had started gardening a few years ago, something that she could not continue to do in her jam-packed daily life. She was glad of Usha’s help.

Usha giggled. “There is a lot of talk, yes. But there is a reason for that. Have you seen him?”

Rachanna shook her head. “No. Not yet. Why?”

“He is young and a bachelor. Lives alone. Has a huge beard. And long hair. He is always dressed in a sleeveless t-shirt and shorts. And in spite of all this, he is very good-looking,” she said, giggling again.

Rachanna looked at Usha, whose face was transformed from a strange happiness as she shared this particular nugget of information. Usha suddenly looked like a teenager instead of a twenty-three-year-old. Rachanna waited patiently, for she knew Usha was far from done.

“He is pretty tall. And looks strong. He has these bulging arms. I think he does a lot of exercise. And he is very rich. He has also moved into a penthouse just like yours. A few people got a look when he moved in, and he has a lot of very posh stuff. A huge TV. They say you can watch movies at home, just like at the cinema. He also has a lot of fancy furniture. Big lights and all that. And his car! You only have to walk into the basement and you will know which car belongs to him. The big and fancy one… It is red in colour…”

“Oh,” replied Rachanna vaguely.

“Yeah. A lot of people are saying he is very famous too. But I don’t know what kind of famous. The only famous people I know are the ones I see in movies and sometimes the ones I vote for.”

Rachanna sipped her coffee as she digested this information. Living in an apartment complex in a close-knit community, it was hard to be aloof to the other residents. Curiosity, after all, was a part of human nature. However, Rachanna also knew that curiosity was a double-edged sword. Just as she was curious about the others, she knew the others were curious about her too.

Though that did pose some serious threat to her peace of mind once in a while, Rachanna knew she could not move out of that apartment. Her life and that of her daughter’s were weaved tightly in this fabric of society. Asmee had too many friends in Supreme Crest, the apartment complex they lived in. Her day-care was in the premises too, along with her tuitions and guitar classes. The apartment, with its many facilities and the right kind of residents, provided them both with just the support system they needed. Rachanna knew it would have been extremely tough to manage otherwise. If Rachanna had to give up a bit of her privacy for that, she was more than happy to do so.

Usha continued, “There are a lot of rumours. Some are saying he is a drug addict. And that he has moved in here to get over his addiction. He does look like it. Mostly unkempt. Some people are saying he has done something wrong and is on the run from the law. That he is hiding out here. But one thing I know. He is the grandson of the old lady in B307.”

“Mrs Swarna Ramakrishnan?” A shocked Rachanna asked. This one piece of information negated everything that she heard until then. What pathetic rumours about Swarna Aunty’s grandson? She was sure they were not true.

“Yes. He has moved to be around her.”

“Oh! But he used to visit her frequently, right? We’ve already seen him…”

“Oh no, no. This is not that grandson. That grandson stopped coming here a couple of months ago. This is another grandson. He has never been here before.”

“Hmm…”

“But I don’t know…a lot of people are saying a lot of things. But Madam should meet him. He is very, very handsome,” declared Usha.

Rachanna brushed her suggestion away without as much as a nod. She simply stated, “Hmm…good. Now, at least Swarna Aunty won’t be so helpless. She will have someone around her at all times.”

“That is true. But I have also heard he is very rude. So, I don’t know how much of a help he will be to her.”

“He may be rude to others. But I don’t think he will be rude to Swarna Aunty. After all, if he has moved to be near her…” replied Rachanna, as she closed the newspaper and got up from the table.

“Yeah. Maybe. But he is rude to everyone else. Let us see. Maybe his grandmother will tell us more about him.”

“I will ask her the next time I meet her.”

Usha’s face brightened up. “Ooo! If you do get some information, do let me know, Ma’am,” she replied, grinning as she picked up the garbage bag.

“Hmm…” replied Rachanna, mentally making a note to never tell Usha anything about him even if she did learn a thing or two. Telling Usha something was quite akin to taking a mic, going on stage and announcing the information to the entire complex. Even as she made the comparison in her mind, Rachanna knew that was not all that true. Telling Usha was a far more effective way of making sure everyone knew about it.

The mic thing…nah! Not half as effective as the Supreme Crest’s gossip network of the household help. The grapevine had too many tentacles and spread in too many directions for anyone to even begin to comprehend its effectiveness and its accompanying viciousness.

***

It was late at night when Rachanna pressed the button for the elevator. It had been a long day for her. The day-long hiring drive had exhausted her completely. But thankfully, Asmee was spending the weekend with her grandparents. So, Rachanna excitedly looked forward to relaxing that night. And nothing relaxed her as much as Netflix and Chinese food on a Friday night.

As she entered the elevator, she was joined by a middle-aged lady who lived on the same floor as her.

“Hello, Jhansi.”

“Hello, Rachanna. Where is Asmee?”

“She is with her grandparents.”

“Oh! Does she go every weekend?” She asked, a mild curiosity evident in her voice. Rachanna thought she even detected a slight disapproval.

“Every other weekend.”

“Oh, okay okay,” said Jhansi dismissively. Then, with a slight hesitancy, she continued, “Look, Rachanna, I wanted to talk to you about something important.”

“Yes?”

“Do you know that a new person has moved into C912?”

Rachanna had forgotten all about the mystery man. But it looked like the rest of the residents had not. The ferocity of their research only seemed to be increasing.

“Yes, I have heard about him.”

“Have you not met him?”

“No. Not yet.”

“He looks dangerous.”

Rachanna looked at Jhansi, narrowing her eyes slightly. What new tale was she cooking? “Dangerous? How so? You know he is the grandson of Mrs Ramakrishnan, right?”

“Oh, I know. I know. But he is nothing like her. Nothing! He looks so…so…”

As Jhansi struggled to get the right word, Rachanna, a faint smile on her lips, prompted, “Dangerous?”

“Yes! Dangerous!”

Rachanna fought hard to not smile.

As they stepped out of the elevator, Rachanna asked, “What makes you think he is dangerous?”

“He had a gun in his pocket.”

“A gun?” Rachanna asked. She quietly congratulated the entire society for their wild imagination. Was he worth it, though? A mild curiosity to meet him reared its head in Rachanna’s heart. Who was he, making so many tongues wag and so many imaginations take flight?

“Yes. I saw him the other day. He was wearing a long coat-like thing and I saw a distinctive bulge.”

Rachanna laughed as she imagined the scene. She laughed so hard that her eyes started to water.

Jhansi, however, was offended. “I know what I saw!” She insisted.

Rachanna controlled her laughter. “Okay…” she replied, and then burst into laughter again. However, looking at Jhansi’s stern face, she controlled herself and asked, “How exactly do you know that the bulge was a gun?”

“Look, I know, okay? You don’t have to believe me! I just told you because we keep hearing about gunmen in the United States and how they open fire at school kids. And because you have a school-going kid, I thought I should warn you…”

Rachanna was now irritated. All the humour left her. What a grisly picture the lady painted! “This is not the US. This is India,” shot back Rachanna. She suddenly felt an inane urge to defend the mystery person, whoever he was.

“We have guns here. Do you think I should talk to Mr Ramesh about this?” Jhansi asked.

“No! You cannot complain to the secretary of this society just because you saw a bulge, okay? You know what, Jhansi? I am going to meet Mrs Ramakrishnan this weekend. I will ask her,” Rachanna replied curtly.

The lady nodded. “Yes, yes. You do that. We cannot have men roaming around with guns here.”

Rachanna could not help saying, “Maybe he is a policeman.”

“Don’t policemen have uniforms? I tell you…this guy…he is either a hitman or a spy. Or a gunman who…”

Rachanna put up a hand to stop her. “I got it. I got it. I will figure it out this weekend. Thanks for letting me know.”

The lady looked gratified and forgot all about Rachanna laughing in her face a few moments ago.

***

It was the next Thursday. After a particularly hard day at work, Rachanna was just returning home along with Asmee. As she had just picked up Asmee from her day-care, she was balancing a lot of bags—the school bag, Asmee’s lunch bag, day-care bag, her laptop bag and her lunch bag.

Rachanna and Asmee were about to enter the elevator when a couple of Asmee’s friends called her, “Asmee! Do you want to play?”

Even though it was late, Asmee’s face lit up. She nodded gleefully, shot a hasty ‘I am going to play’ at Rachanna before running off with her friends.

Rachanna’s remonstrations fell on deaf ears. She shook her head and entered the elevator. Balancing so many bags put a severe strain on her shoulders and arms. She placed a few bags down, glad for the temporary but much-needed respite.

She had hardly kept the bags down, when two old ladies entered the elevator. It was Mrs Raji and Mrs Kalpana. The two women, always fashionably dressed, were always sighted together. And they always had perfect make-up on even if they were only taking a walk inside the society.

“Hello,” greeted Rachanna, throwing them a big smile. She did not feel inside what she was showing on the outside. She did not like them. And it was because she knew them very well. They talked to anyone and everyone in the society. However, they mostly only gossiped. They had a perpetual, morbid interest in other people’s affairs. They simply had to know everything about everyone. They had to know what people were doing, their jobs, their families, their comings and goings and if possible, even what they ate for dinner.

They were extremely well-driven to be aware of exactly the things that other people took enormous pains to hide. They acted as if they had a right to other people’s secrets. They behaved as if people were doing them a great disservice by refusing to keep them informed about their lives.

And they hated Rachanna. Almost as much as Rachanna hated this pair of gossipmongers.

“Hello Rachanna! Looking good. Got your eyebrows done recently?” Raji looked intently at Rachanna’s face.

“Er…yes. A couple of days back.”

“Yeah. Young people should look their best always,” said Kalpana, looking meaningfully at Raji who returned her glance. They smiled slightly at each other.

Rachanna’s cheeks burned as she saw the exchange between them. She did not know what they were thinking. She just knew that it was not something good. She glanced down. An uncomfortable feeling swept over her as it usually did when talking to them.

“Speaking of young people… There is a new guy in our apartment. Heard of him?”

Rachanna shook her head. “No. Not really.”

“Mrs Ramakrishnan’s grandson, it seems,” said Kalpana, a hint of excitement in her voice.

“Looks extremely good. You should introduce yourself to him,” said Raji, looking suggestively at Kalpana.

“Er…yeah. If time permits. You know how busy I am…” mumbled Rachanna, growing more uncomfortable by the second.

“Of course! Of course. Only if time permits.”

“Anyway…” said Raji, sighing. “He already has a girl visiting him at odd hours.”

Rachanna’s cheeks burned again. “Er… is it?” She asked, trying to sound as vague as she could, even as the urge to protect the mystery man began to overwhelm her again. Thankfully, she quelled it down.

“Yeah. She looks very good too. Last week, she was at his house for a solid two hours. Why they need two hours…God only knows!” Kalpana said mockingly.

Raji and Kalpana started to laugh aloud. The elevator door opened. Rachanna picked up her bags in a hurry, whispered a hasty goodbye and almost ran out of the elevator, freeing herself from the suffocation she felt inside the elevator.