Anu started the class. Despite her many protests, it had become her class and she a teacher. As they started slowly rotating arms by way of warm-up, Anu noticed an elegant woman walk up to the gazebo.

‘Can I please speak with Miss Anu here?’

Anu recognized her by the saree. She was an employee of the Karma Yoga studio. What did she want? Collaborate with me? Ask me to give a talk?

Anu walked down the gazebo smiling proudly. But the moment she saw a murderous expression on that pretty woman, her smile vanished. That woman was pretty in an evil way, like Cruella de Vil in 101 Dalmations.

The woman’s nostrils (she had a very pointed nose like Cleopatra) flared. ‘Miss Anu, I am Rajani. I own the Karma franchise here.’

‘Okay …’ Anu trailed and noticed the woman. She felt very underdressed before that woman who had a diamond shining off her nose and two more from her ears. Her saree, though the same uniform as the others, was of superior silk. She oozed money and attitude.

‘Do you know how much I have to pay this complex to run Karma here?’ Wow! Anu smelled blood and heard battle cries. The woman was there for war.

‘I don’t know. Should I?’ Anu asked suspiciously.

‘You should. I have paid twenty lakhs as a franchise fee. And every month—’ The woman stopped. ‘You need not know. But what you are doing here is illegal.’

‘What?’ Anu was now honestly horrified. ‘What is illegal? Yoga? Then Ramdev is illegal too.’

‘Look, abandon this class. Or, I will escalate the issue and have you evicted from your house. You cannot run a cheap class and take my clients.’

Anu felt a rage rise through her. ‘It is not a class. I am not a teacher. We are a group of people—’

‘Oh, cut the crap.’ The woman now looked ready to punch Anu with her toned arms.

Anu backed up a little. She was not the brave sort. Even in school, Sameer fought all her battles. The woman wagged her manicured finger at Anu. ‘Stop this right now. Ask these people to go home or join Karma.’

Anu, to her shame, actually got scared. Angry people scared the daylight out of her. When she was still handling the blood rush to her head, she heard a voice.

‘Madam, you are very rude. You cannot speak to Madam Anu in this manner. She hasn’t done anything wrong.’ Mr Ranganath! He looked sterner than Miss Karma.

Now, the warrior queen looked taken aback. Way to go, Mr Ranganath! He continued. ‘As Madam Anu pointed out, we are all gathered here for a friendly chitchat and some exercises. By the way, none of us is your clientele. Our households run with the fees you charge.’

Now Menaka aunty, a retired teacher, spoke. ‘If you object to us being here, we will report you to the management. I am a long-time resident.’