Chapter 10 #2
“Oh my sweet man. You shouldn’t worry if your intention is not to hurt anyone on purpose. Jimmy will give you some basic rules we follow, but you can ask any of us any question,” Kiron reassures Aditya.
This is what I appreciate about my people.
They are frank, kindred spirits. We look out for one another in this harsh world.
We are a tight group, and we make sure nothing leaves these meetings.
Only queer folk who live in and around Almora and whom we all agree on are allowed to the meets.
I can count on my fingers the number of people who have been let in, one of them being me. None have lasted except us five.
I surprised everyone with my request to have Aditya join us tonight, but after an hour of grilling and ribbing, they allowed me to bring him. I hope he becomes a permanent part of our group one day.
“So, a birdy told me our Jimmy dear has got mail.” Sudhanshu pulls the reins to the runaway horses of my imagination.
“Ah. I will kill Sahil.” I mutter. Sudhanshu must have spoken to Sahil when he went to deposit the cheques. “Don’t bother about it. It is just an email out of the blue from some agency in Delhi asking me to meet them next week for a potential acting assignment. I doubt I will go.”
Aditya spits his juice.
“Hey, easy now.” I rub his back.
He wipes his face with tissues. “Ignore me.”
“Which agency?” Brian enquires.
“Some Ms Priya, from Zappster Agency based out of Rajiv Chowk, Delhi.”
Aditya sputters and goes into a hacking cough when I utter the name. He waves my concern off and settles on a stool away from me.
“Why won’t you go? This is your dream.” Brian is the eldest and a go-getter, so I am not surprised he wants me to grab the chance.
“Umm. Don’t you smell a scam? I have never acted. I have never done a portfolio shoot. Almora is not a tinsel town. And, I only have six hundred followers on my Instagram account. How do you suppose this agent found me?” I list the points by counting the tips of my fingers.
“Maybe.” Kenny taps his chin. “You did a photo shoot for the guy from Mumbai. What is his name?” Kenny nudges Brian to help him remember.
Aditya watches me. I cringe. Shit, how did I forget?
Last year, a few nights of fun between the sheets with Daljit led to an impromptu photoshoot on our trip to Nainital.
Nothing sophisticated, but Daljit carried a DSLR.
He had a photo boutique in Mumbai and chattered about some film stars who visited his studio.
Daljit promised the world and delivered not even a grain of sand.
I still hang my head in shame at the whole incident and my naivety.
He left me with an ache of hurt and abuse.
“Are you talking about Daljit? I chased him for a month by email and even sent a few queries to modelling agents on my own, but nothing came of my efforts.”
From the corner of my eye, I watch Aditya. His hacking has settled.
“Nah, this has nothing to do with Daljit. The big question itching my mind is why this lady did not even ask for a portfolio and went straight to a meeting. I am not going to walk into a scam.” I lay out my concerns before my friends.
“Hmm, you are right. We should first determine whether the agency is not an escort service or a money swindler. But who can help us?” Kiron wonders aloud.
“You said the agency is Delhi-based. What if we ask someone who lives in those parts to check them out?” Kenny adds his two bits.
All our eyes turn to Aditya. The glass with the orange juice stops mid-way to his mouth. “I—I—” He clears his throat and places the glass on the table. “Yeah, sure. I can ask a friend or an ex-student to scout the place.”
***
ADITYA
There is the devil, the deep sea, but above them is the life of one Aditya Hirani. Oh God, what a pickle. I hate Priya. And Sir Wilfred.
What about yourself, the inner beast admonishes? Damn, how do I climb out of this ditch? I had called Priya only to run the idea by her. She jumped the gun. But how did she find Jimmy's email? Shit, I did mention the gym.
“Give me the details.” I have no choice but to play innocent under five pairs of scrutinising eyes. “Did you get the message on your personal email?” Priya’s name, uttered from Jimmy’s mouth, confirmed my worst fears. I will kill her.
“No, on the gym email. Have you ever heard about the agency?” Jimmy’s innocent eyes drive the nail of guilt deeper.
“Who, me?” I squeak. “How will I? I taught history at a college. What would I have to do with them?” I am going to hell, speaking lies through the nose.
“Are you all right? You are sweating.” Jimmy sweeps the hair falling over my forehead.
“Oh, dear. Stop focusing on Aditya with your glares.” Kiron comes to my rescue and pats my back.
“You can go to the porch if you want a break from this crazy bunch. I understand we can be a bit overwhelming the first time.” They usher me outside and place a glass of cold water in my hands.
“Sit and relax. I will send Jimmy over in a while.
You are a nice person. Don't let our loudness overwhelm you.”
Nice person? I sense the stars in the night glaring at me. Not nice. I am a stupid, conniving devil in a school teacher's clothing. Kiron moves inside, leaving the door ajar. My ears pick up the soft voices from the living room as the group fusses over me. What will they think once they find out?
“Sorry for being a bad host. You must be hungry.” Jimmy walks in with a light blanket and a plate full of pakodas.
After adjusting the cushions, he hands over the plate to me and settles beside me on the bamboo sofa.
Jimmy spreads the shawl on our knees. The warmth doesn’t stop the shiver. He tucks in closer.
Before offering me a bite, he dips the savoury snack in ketchup and mint chutney.
Jimmy is developing a habit, or does he feed others in his close circle?
As a thirty-seven-year-old man, I find his gesture endearing.
The adult me wants to protest, but his soft, caring eyes and the fond smile below his moustache are hypnotic.
Despite what unfolded and the lurking drama of the future, I give in.
We munch on the snack, silent and cosy in our cocoon, with the crickets playing their orchestra in the dark forest. The only light comes from the windows and the zero-watt light bulb over our heads. The yellow light casts a soft glow on the ground.
“What will you do?” I break the eerie silence.
“About what?” Jimmy turns to face me. He adjusts my glasses and tucks a strand of hair to the side.
“About the agency.” I gulp down my guilt with a sip of water.
He sighs, “I am still undecided. The opportunity is a godsend if the agency is genuine. I have been waiting to save enough money for a professional portfolio shoot.”
“What if their antecedents are confirmed? Will you go to Delhi to meet them?” I study his reaction.
He shifts and moves closer to me, his eyes filled with a mixture of plea and need.
“Will you ask your friends in Delhi to find out?
Any information will help and maybe save me from wasting my time.
If the agency is genuine, this assignment can be my ticket to some money.
I can build something for myself. The gym job doesn't pay much, and personal training is not a steady income in these parts.”
Lost in Jimmy's evident yearning, I commit to the plan.
This may blow up in my face and destroy the connections he and I are building, but the money will give him a platform in life.
He is young and needs a cushion to move forward.
He will have a safe and secure life, even if I may never be a part of it.
“Yes. I will do anything for you.”
The gates of Pataal Lok await me.