‘Next time.’ There's quiet mischief in Ashesh's tone. His quietness tugs Janaki's eyes back to him. ‘Let's go,’ he says. ‘Each one to his own darkness.’

Janaki quickly blurts out what's been on her mind. ‘I’ve recorded what you said back then. I hope you don’t mind.’

‘Recorded? No, why would I?’

‘I might want to quote you later. I’ll call to take your permission.’

‘Good heavens, such conscientiousness! Journalists don’t do that kind of thing.’

Ashesh's eyes shine with mischief. Janaki's eyes respond warmly. Their eyes remain connected for a while.

‘Come on, get up,’ Anima calls. ‘They’ll sweep us out with the crumbs. Udipis are Punekars in spirit. The only difference is they don’t put up signboards saying, “No chatting at tables. Eat and quit.”’

As they rise, Prakash dives unexpectedly at Feroze's feet. Feroze nearly trips as he moves back. ‘Please don’t ever do that.’

Prakash pleads, ‘Please, sir, let me do this much. You are such a big artist but you gave your time to a small man like me. Your advice . . .’

‘Advice? You’re a fellow artist, damn it . . . I was only sharing experiences.’ Feroze is still moving backwards. Anima puts her hand out just in time to save him from falling off the edge of the pavement. ‘Mr Jadhav, please don’t . . .’ Anima begins, but meanwhile Sanjay has brought Feroze's car around and Feroze is making a run for it without pausing to ask, as he normally would, ‘Lift, anybody?’

15

Just as Bachchu Kaka is entering Home on one of his routine visits, Dr Bhaskar is coming out. They greet each other warily. Dr Bhaskar had left India for postgraduate studies in the USA when he was twenty-four and stayed on afterwards. He lived in American style—spacious house, two cars in the garage, front garden, mowing the lawn on Sundays. But he also worshipped his motherland. So, while he made money hand over fist in his adopted country, he sent a percentage of it every month to a volunteer organization in Thane district which was working amongst adivasis, or as his cultural organization preferred to call them, vanavasis. In this he was following his revered guru's orders.

This much of Dr Bhaskar's history is general knowledge. What Bachchu Kaka would like to find out is why he suddenly decided to return to his motherland. His declaration that it was to enable him to take care of his ageing parents and also provide free health care to the poor of the district must be a cover-up. Question two. Why, being an allopath, does he prescribe only roots and herbs to his poor ill brothers? The question etches itself on Bachchu Kaka's face each time he sees the doctor.