C14 Dinner

“Ma’am?” Sri Latha looked at Sarala and blinked her eyes twice to remove the memories of the past that were painful to relive.

“I was both afraid and also happy to see my mom like that that day.” She said slowly as she allowed the older woman to dry her off. “You should have seen the faces of the girls when they saw me driving home with her. They were so shocked.” Sarala helped her drape a towel and led her into the room making sure that there was no one else there.

As Sri Latha got dressed, she asked. “What happened to the girls?”

“No one went to school for a month. I – dad died in an accident three months later. So, I stopped going to school. None of my relatives bothered to visit us. We were alone – me and my mom. Five months later, mom suddenly fell ill. I didn’t know what to do and called the first number I found in mom’s phone. Uncle came and took us to the hospital. Within a year, I became an orphan. I don’t remember much after that.”

“How did you meet Professor sir?”

“He was our history professor in college. He was always in touch and would guide me in my studies. He would give me treats on special days, but this is the first time he brought me here.”

“He must have had a very strong reason then. Trust me, he is a very powerful man, and he can protect you always. Just, don’t make him angry.”

“Why, will what happen if he’s angry?”

“Why place your head in the tiger’s mouth unnecessarily? It’s almost time for dinner. Professor sir might be waiting. If you are ready, I will take you to the dining hall.”

“I am ready.”

Both the ladies went past the sixth-floor corridors. Sri Latha noticed that each room had a number just like those in a hotel. Each number had been written in Telugu and she wondered why anyone would do that? Was the professor fond of the Telugu language? Perhaps.

She also noticed the peculiar designs of the doors to each room. The first room had a door that had been carved like a fish – a person entering that room might feel like he was being gobbled up by the fish. The second room had a tortoise entrance while the third had a wild boar welcoming the occupant. Her room, which was the fifth, had a Vamana Dwaram – the Vamana Entrance.

So, the ten rooms on this floor had doors that reflected the ten avatars of Lord Vishnu. She made a mental note to see what the other floors had. It seemed the professor had a creative way of designing doors to rooms though why he did that had to be found out. “This is going to be fun”. She thought.

Professor Kumar was sitting at the dining table waiting for them. He was browsing through his phone and did not notice them.

“Good evening, uncle.”

“Ah! A very good evening, dear daughter.” He looked up with a smile. “Come sit.” He indicated the chair beside him. She sat down.

“Are you comfortable? Do you like my house?”

“It’s really wonderful uncle. Can I go explore it?”

“Sure. It’s yours. You can go wherever you want to in this house. No need to seek my permission.”

“Thank you so much uncle.” The wait staff was waiting patiently for an indication to serve the food.

“Let’s eat first. Then we can talk.”

Dinner was an almost silent affair in stark contrast to the lunch that day. The professor seemed to be engrossed in his phone as he ate. Sri Latha on the other hand was impressed by the variety of dishes to choose from.

Every dish seemed to entice her to eat; they looked so lovely and delicious. The food melted in her mouth, and she never realized how much she had eaten till she felt a heavy tummy and a sleepy head. She was a bit embarrassed for her gluttony.

“You have a wonderful appetite, Srilu. And I am very happy.” He turned towards an aged man in a chef’s uniform. “Arindam ji, make sure she has enough food.”

“Sure sir. No problem.”

“Uncle, if I eat like this, I will become fat!”

“No dear. You will become chubby and cute.” He said smiling at her fondly. “It is my right as your uncle to spoil you as much as I can. You are the only child and heir to my empire. I couldn’t take care of you as much as I wanted you but now, I will compensate for all those lost years. Here, have this butterscotch with chocolate topping.”

“Uncle, I am already full!” she protested.

He looked disappointed. “Poor butterscotch!” he said addressing the ice-cream in a dramatic way. “See! Even your favorite patron is shying away from you. Who will you eat you now dear? What a tragedy! It seems you will be discarded today. How sad!”

Sri Latha giggled at his antics. “You are so like my dad uncle! He also used to do the same thing; you know.” She grabbed the bowl of ice-cream scooping up her favorite sweet.

He just looked at her, his eyes showering mountains of affection that surprised even the staff who had till then not seen this soft side of their boss. For them, he had always been the hard task master who was generous as well as benevolent. He was terror to those who offended him or managed to make him angry. They just hoped things would turn for the better with a lady and an heir in the house.

But then, if wishes were horses, would it be possible to keep things in order? If every wish was granted, would the world still be organized as it was at present? What changes would occur with Sri Latha’s presence in this vast, strange mansion that was home to one of the most learned professors and business tycoons in the empire?

Will it be good or bad? Only time could tell.