The stock rooms upstairs were emptied that very night. When betel merchants arrived the next morning, Khader acted very polite and agreeable. He threw the key on the table in front of them and said, “Take whatever amount you want.” He made sure he sent two boxes to Dhamu. Then he tried his best to incite the merchants against Dhamu. “Dhamu is acting up because he wants it all for himself. You think he cares about you? If you asked him, ‘Don’t you think you should give at least half the stock to others?’ what would Dhamu say? ‘Give it all to me.’”

All this backbiting was in vain, though. Khader could not shake the faith the betel merchants held in Dhamu.

When coolie Ayyappan was in jail, Dhamu hired a lawyer for him through a friend and secretly backed his case. He decided that it would be good to have Ayyappan on his side, since the man had been Khader’s long-standing worker and enjoyed his confidence. He planned to secure Ayyappan’s loyalty once he was out of jail so that he could learn Khader’s secrets. Ayyappan was already upset that Khader had not bailed him out, so he was planning to join Dhamu as soon as he was released. Then, when he learned that Dhamu had spent money on his defense, he felt even more aligned with him. Since the prosecution had no real evidence, Ayyappan was soon cleared of all charges.

As soon as he was freed, coolie Ayyappan headed straight to Dhamu’s store to pick up a cigarette. Then he walked over to Khader’s store and climbed up the stairs. He stood in front of Khader, cigarette dangling from his lips, and said, “She wants a tin of talcum powder.”

Khader looked up and was stunned to see Ayyappan’s whole new demeanor.

“Who wants?” asked Khader.

“Rani.”

“Rani who?”

“Rani from East Street. The same Rani I brought to the Puliyankurichi Tourist Bungalow the other day.”

Khader’s face turned crimson. Without a word, he lowered his eyes and pretended to go over the accounts.

The shop boys milled around the counter, clueless as to what was going on.

“In fact, Parameswari, Chellammai, Krishnammai, Pankajam, everyone wants a tin of talcum powder each. ‘Your boss drooled all over my face and then he just left! Go get some talcum powder, so I can cover it up.’ That’s what they are all saying,” said Ayyappan.

Khader looked at Ayyappan with cold fury.

“Remember Mary from Mangala Street? Sly one, she is! I warned you not to get mixed up with her. Well, she wants two tins.”

By now, the boys were quietly stepping back.

Khader got up without a word and left, defeated.