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Back Bombay Monsoon Save as PDF
Chapters (62)
  1. Cover
  2. Dedication
  3. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  4. PART ONE
  5. CHAPTER ONE
  6. CHAPTER TWO
  7. CHAPTER THREE
  8. CHAPTER FOUR
  9. CHAPTER FIVE
  10. CHAPTER SIX
  11. CHAPTER SEVEN
  12. CHAPTER EIGHT
  13. CHAPTER NINE
  14. CHAPTER TEN
  15. CHAPTER ELEVEN
  16. CHAPTER TWELVE
  17. CHAPTER THIRTEEN
  18. CHAPTER FOURTEEN
  19. CHAPTER FIFTEEN
  20. PART TWO
  21. CHAPTER SIXTEEN
  22. CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
  23. CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
  24. CHAPTER NINETEEN
  25. CHAPTER TWENTY
  26. CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
  27. CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
  28. CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
  29. CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
  30. CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
  31. CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
  32. CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
  33. CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
  34. CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
  35. CHAPTER THIRTY
  36. CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
  37. CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
  38. CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
  39. PART THREE
  40. CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
  41. CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
  42. CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
  43. CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
  44. CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
  45. CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
  46. CHAPTER FORTY
  47. CHAPTER FORTY-ONE
  48. CHAPTER FORTY-TWO
  49. CHAPTER FORTY-THREE
  50. CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR
  51. CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE
  52. CHAPTER FORTY-SIX
  53. CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN
  54. CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT
  55. CHAPTER FORTY-NINE
  56. CHAPTER FIFTY
  57. CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE
  58. CHAPTER FIFTY-TWO
  59. CHAPTER FIFTY-THREE
  60. EPILOGUE
  61. AUTHOR’S NOTE
  62. BOOK CLUB DISCUSSION GUIDE

The cop might well have been reading my mind as he tapped my passport against the palm of his hand. Then he tossed it aside onto the dining table.

“How do you know all that?” I asked. “About her family, I mean.”

“How do I know it? I’m a police inspector,” he barked. “You don’t think I know what goes on in my district? I can tell you everyone who stays on this floor.” He began counting on his fingers as he named them. “Malhotra, Sharma, and Advani the Sindhi across the landing …” Now he was scowling. “So, of course I know about that Deshpande mulgi and her fireng up in the penthouse.”

“Is that her surname?” I asked. “Deshpande?”

Again, no answer. He stared me down. I was sweating under the scrutiny, and not because of the moist heat. I changed the subject and inquired about Ramu instead.

“What will happen to my servant?”

“We’ll have to decide how to deal with the bhoot,” he said at length. “But you, Mr. Jacobs, will require a new servant.”

Since he’d opened the door to names, I asked him his. No evil glares this time. He simply said in his high-pitched voice that he was Inspector Lokhande.

“You will come to the Cuffe Parade police station tomorrow to give a statement,” he said, yanking his hat back onto his head as he made for the door.

CHAPTER THREE

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 25, 1975, 7:13 A.M.

Returning from my morning run, I collected the loaf of bread and the pint of milk at the door, and let myself inside. Even when it rained, I made sure to get my five miles in. The weather had, in fact, forced me to buy two extra pairs of sneakers at the Bata store in Colaba Causeway, since it took two days for the shoes to dry out after a run in the rain. But that wasn’t an excuse to sleep in. Neither was a night’s rest disturbed by a visit from the police.

After my bath, I managed to boil water and make my own instant coffee without the bhoot, Ramu. I’d been doing it myself for the six weeks before he’d shown up for his one-day tenure with me. I really didn’t see the need for a servant. Especially one who climbed drainpipes in the middle of the night.

The Times of India arrived and I sat at the dining table with my breakfast of buttered toast and coffee to read the headlines. An Eastern Airlines flight had crashed on approach to JFK, killing 113. I closed the paper.

A messenger rang the bell a few minutes later and handed me an envelope. My telephone still hadn’t been installed, so this was the only option for off-hours communication from the office. I tipped the man two rupees and returned to the table to read the message. It was a telex from my boss in New York, Kate Erving.

06/25/75