— CHAPTER SEVEN —

The Chatterbox

 

At the reception downstairs, a lady was sitting instead of the man who had been there earlier. Nikki stopped and greeted her, ‘Hello.’ The lady smiled back.

Nikki said, ‘Few hours back, there was a gentleman here.’

The woman laughed and replied, ‘What gentleman? That’s Prasad, my husband.’

Nikki stifled her smile. The woman continued, ‘Prasad comes in the evenings and stays the whole night. In the morning when I finish my household chores I take over from him. I stay through the day till he comes back.’ She looked at Nikki and said, ‘Why are you standing? Come, sit here,’ pointing towards an empty chair close to the counter.

Nikki said, ‘I am Asha Sayal’s niece.’

‘Yes, yes, Prasad told me about you. How is she?’ Before Nikki could reply the woman carried on, ‘You see Asha Sayal is our long-term tenant. Other people come for a night or two but she stays with us for months together. From time to time she goes to her hometown but when she returns she always stays with us. She is also very prompt with her payment. You know sometimes our customers run away without paying us the room rent but not Asha. In fact she has already paid the rent for the whole of this month. But tell me,’ the woman continued, ‘you were to take some clothes for her, but your hands are empty.’

‘I have bundled them up. I have come on a holiday and shall be here for a few more days. I will take them on the day I am leaving.’

‘Very good, you can come here any time.’

Nikki found the woman rather chatty. She thought she might get some information from her. She took out the pencil sketch from her pocket and asked her, ‘Do you know this person?’

The woman looked at the sketch and replied without any hesitation, ‘Of course, he is our agent Feroz Khan. He brings customers for us from the bus stand and we pay him commission. You know…Feroz Bhai introduced us to your aunty. We are really obliged to him. Asha Sayal is a good customer.’ Then she asked, ‘But tell me… where did you get this picture?’

Nikki hesitated. ‘I found it in Asha Aunty’s room— she was a good artist, you know,’ Nikki said evasively. ‘Oh, how nice. What is your name?’ the woman asked. ‘Nikki.’

‘I am Lakshmi. My name is supposed to bring a lot of money but I don’t see any!’

Nikki smiled and asked, ‘Does your agent Feroz Khan come here everyday?’ ‘Yes, yes, sometimes two or three times a day, as and when he finds a customer.’

Nikki got up, ‘I will go now.’

The woman said, ‘Why don’t you sit some more? There is no customer and I have no one to talk to.’

Nikki smiled, ‘I will come again.’

‘Yes, yes, you must come. You are such a nice girl.’