Chapter Ten #3
Timira gets up quietly and tiptoes her way out of the location through an exit different from the one Haneul had been guarding all this while.
‘Yes, Ma? I’m in the middle of a shoot. Is it urgent? Mm hmm, hyan , okay, calling you when we break for lunch. Should be anytime now. Yes, Ma, korchi [will do]. Bye!’
Emerging from behind the giant standees acting as walls, Timira ducks and in muffled steps walks back to her seat.
Haneul cranes his neck to make himself more visible but Timira doesn’t so much as even glance at him.
Disappointed, he drags his feet back inside and to his seat where Choi has been waiting patiently but curiously all this while.
In hushed tones, he enquires if everything’s all right. But Haneul presses his lips with his index finger and with a mischievous glint in his eyes, gestures to him to keep quiet as he scans the darkness for Timira.
* * *
As the director yells ‘cut’ and signals to break for lunch, Timira skips out, her phone glued to her ear. Haneul tries to follow her out, but is besieged by the production team that wants to show off and show him the rushes.
‘ Hyan , Ma, bolo [tell],’ Timira speaks hurriedly into the phone.
She fishes a pack of her hemp smokes out of her back pocket and proceeds to light a cigarette. Her brows, that had been bunched together to form a frown until now, relax and return to their original neat arch. Stomach still rumbling, she is in a hurry to finish the conversation.
‘Timmy, Timmy, can you hear me? Shuntey pachchish [Can you hear me]?’
‘Yes, Ma. I can hear you clearly. Bolo !’
‘Oh, okay, okay. Shon na [Listen, dear], you recall meeting Apa’s friend, from the Assam cadre, Singh uncle? When Apa was posted in Guwahati, mone ache [do you recall]? They—he and his wife—used to visit us often.’
Good grief, what is this woman going on about? Why do I have to recall Singh uncle from Guwahati in the middle of a shoot on Jeju Island in South Korea?
‘Ma, I’m really hungry and I only have a few minutes to grab a bite …’
Timira tries to cut in but her mum brushes aside her feeble attempt.
‘They have a son, Sameer. I think he’s your age or maybe a year or two younger. You both were such good friends and loved playing board games together!’
The only board game that Timira has ever been good at is Ludo. She has often punned about board games leaving her bored.
‘This boy, Sameer, he cleared the UPSC exam a few years back and has joined the Foreign Service. He was posted in DC but is back in India now, for exactly what Mrs Singh didn’t elaborate—I wonder why he’s suddenly moved here.’
Maybe he’s a spy and he’s been thrown out of his job and is being grilled by the IB as we speak. Timira doesn’t speak her mind while her mother prattles on.
‘Well, anyway, he is in Delhi right now. I bumped into his mother quite accidentally at Patel last evening. I was picking up paranthas and she was getting sprouts. They, Mrs and Mr Singh, are now living in Bombay. We got talking, naturally. She showed me her son’s photo on her phone. Baba, ki shundor ! Kotto lomba !’
Timira has not paid much attention to most of what her mother has said, but the last bit reaches her ears. Why should I care if he’s handsome and tall?
‘Ma, how can you tell he is lomba by just looking at his photo? Even you look tall in photos. You are 5’1”.’
By now, Timira is ravenously hungry and contemplating whether she should hang up on her mum and get lunch. Right then, she spots Hanee stepping out of the set. Waving frantically, she gestures for her to grab her something to eat.
‘Mrs Singh towers over me. And don’t even get me started on Mr Singh. Not puny like your father.’
Puny? Apa? He’s 5’9” for chrissakes! I mean, look at yourself, woman! YOU are puny!
‘Ma, if this is about the son, I’m not interested. I don’t even like board games. Never have, never will.’
‘Don’t sass me, young lady! I’m only looking out for you!’
‘Ma, listen to me. I’m not interested, thik ache [all right]?’
‘Of course, why would a bhodro, bhalo chhele [decent, nice guy] interest you? You like all the flunkies, flirts, fools in the world!’
Timira knows her mother isn’t entirely wrong. She does have a penchant for picking gems! But she isn’t about to admit to it and let her mother win.
‘Ma, I really don’t have the time f—hang on! Hold koro. ’
Hanee is back with a sarnie. Timira stubs her cigarette out as Hanee carefully places the plate in Timira’s hands. Timira smiles and wordlessly thanks Hanee.
‘Yes, Ma, hi. Sorry, I was grabbing something to eat. Yeah, so like I was saying, I don’t have the time for this. Do you realize that I’m in a foreign country trying to make things work even as nothing seems to be going right?’
Shoot! I shouldn’t have said that. Ma is not going to let this go.
And she doesn’t.
‘Wait, what? Is something the matter? Are you unhappy? Are you being bullied? Is everyone giving you a tough time? Why haven’t you told us? Come back! Come right back. You don’t need the money. Baba and I can feed you!’
‘Good grief, Ma. Will you relax? I’m fine, everything’s okay. I’m just really busy and trying to do my best, that’s all. I need to focus on the job right now and would really appreciate it if you understood!’
‘When have I been a distraction? Have I ever caused any sort of disruption in your work? No, tell me! Why are you speaking with me in that tone? Ettoh boro hoye gechish je Ma er mookhey mookhey kotha bolchish [Have you grown up so much that you are going to now talk back to your mum]?’
Timira doesn’t have the patience to deal with this any longer. The lunch break will be over soon. She just wants to eat her sandwich and go back in before any sort of f*** up happens.
‘Ma, look, can we please talk about this when I’m back in Seoul? I’ve really got to go now …’
‘You are not in Seoul? You said you are at work. Where are you? Who are you with? Why don’t you tell me anything?’
Timira has forgotten to tell her parents she would be in Jeju for work. In the midst of the drama that she’s found herself in since coming to Korea, she doesn’t blame herself, though, for forgetting this minor detail. Well, minor for her, but major for her mother.
‘Ma, I am at work. And, I must go back now. I will call you soon. Take care, okay? Bye, bye, bye!’
Timira hangs up before her mother can say more.
She has been walking and talking all this while. She’s near the swimming pool by now and, in classic Timira fashion, has conveniently ignored the wet floor and the cleaning-in-progress warning signage that is staring at her right at the mouth of the pathway heading to the pool.
Trying to balance the phone and plate while attempting to unbox the sarnie, she misses a step, slips and before she knows it has made a giant and loud splash in the pool.
Hanee, who has come back out looking for her, runs in the direction of the pool on hearing the splash.
But she can only stand there rooted, frozen in absolute shock.
There’s a flurry of activity in the next few seconds, and a crowd starts to form near the pool.
She feels a gust of wind brush past her as a hazy figure passes her by, yelling, ‘She can’t swim’, and there’s a second splash.
‘Timira has fallen into the pool,’ somebody yells on set.
Alarmed, Haneul dashes out. By the time he reaches the pool area, a doctor with a first-aid kit has already arrived on the scene.
As has nearly the entire shoot crew. He inches closer to the pool and is about to jump in when he feels a pair of hands holding him back, holding on to his arm so tight that he can feel sharp nails digging into his bicep.
‘Where do you think you are going? Stop! Look, Rodrigo is already in the water. You will only be in his way. Not to mention you’ll end up looking like a fool!’
Haneul is stunned by her words and sudden appearance.
He knew Mina was arriving today, but he hadn’t expected her to reach this early.
He is seething—whether it’s because of the harsh truth in Mina’s words or at the sight of the drenched, bare-bodied Rodrigo holding Timira in his arms and bringing her out of the water, he can’t quite decide.
But he knows for a fact that he has never been this angry before.
That he can be this jealous is new information for him.
As everybody rushes towards Timira and Rodrigo with blankets and towels, Haneul remains frozen. Mina relaxes her grip on his arm, eventually letting go.
‘Haneul, recall I told you this wasn’t going to be easy? Are you sure you even stand a chance? To my eyes, it doesn’t look like you do. See what happens when you slip? I know what it’s like to get burned by love, and it’s not fun at all.’
Haneul, consumed with concern for Timira, jealousy for Rodrigo, and rage for Mina, doesn’t say a word and only breathes rapidly to try and calm his mind and heart.
Timira silently curses herself for being a klutz and sheepishly looks around the room for Haneul. On spotting Mina next to him, she immediately cowers.
When did she get here? Argh, why didn’t I just drown?
And why of all people did Rod have to jump in to save me?
Uff, this is so embarrassing! Dhabba hoon main on the sisterhood.
Single-handedly botching up the feminist movement.
Always needing men to save me like I’m some abla bechari nari. Tch, shame on me!
Rodrigo, covered in towels, is enjoying all the attention being lavished on him and feeling like a hero. All the while stealing glances at Timira who’s hiding her face behind her hand.
Mina walks up to Rodrigo, wearing a beatific smile and compliments him profusely. Introducing herself, she says, ‘You really are a hero, aren’t you? On the field or off of it. We are really lucky that you signed with our club!’
‘I remember you. You were at the stadium the other day, weren’t you? When we met Timira’s team.’
Timira’s team, is it? Mina hisses under her breath but manages to retain her composure.