"I think we ought to be moving." Dadi, finally says. Following a bit of drama, the girls and Dadi move towards the nearest autorickshaw. After a bit of haggling, they finally get in and drive off to meet the famed Jyotish.
They get down in front of a two-storey building that seems desperate to appear fancy. It is located in an area with very few houses nearby. And among those few houses, it stands out quite distinctly. It had been painted a rather gaudy purple that is utterly mismatched with the bring orange paint on the gate and the hood. There is a huge board kept on the balcony of the house that screams out in big, bold letters:
JYOTISH VEENA. (Astrologer and Crystal Ball reading.)
VERY PRECISE AND ACCURATE READING.
IF YOU HAVE ANY FINANCIAL OR ROMANTIC PROBLEMS, THIS IS THE PLACE FOR YOUR SOLUTIONS.
The place screams fraudulent to both Riddhi and Shweta wonder how the latter's extra aware grandmother is unable to see through this.
"Seriously Dadi, haven't you been watching the news lately?" Shweta cannot help but say.
"What about the news? Was there another cyclone in Odisha?" Her grandmother asks.
"No, I'm talking about all those fraud babas and fake astrologers." Shweta says, rather bluntly and Riddhi's eyes widen.
"No, no. Jyotish Veena is not like those. She's very, very accurate." Dadi, insists, turning around to look at her.
"But Dadi, that's how people end up getting duped." Riddhi asserts as well.
"Nonsense. Seventy-one years of my life and never has a street vendor even sold me vegetables at a higher price. You, young people afraid of everyone." Dadi snorts as she walks towards the house and pushes the hefty gate, which creaks open.
"We don't have a choice but fear," Riddhi says, under her breath.
They stand at the plastic door in front of the house as Dadi rings the bell. A few minutes later, they hear clinking of anklets as a woman opens the door. "You've come here to meet Veenaji?" She asks, rather snottily.
"Yes, I have. I'm a very old client. How long shall I have to wait?" Dadi asks, quite politely.
"Well, there are three people waiting for a consultation but since you're an old client, I'll push you up. Also, we have a special Dakshina box for old clients. You can offer your prayers there." She says, pointing to a large box with a hole sitting in front of an idol of a goddess. (Dakshina: money, gifts offered normally to priests to thank them for their service or to the temple as a whole.)
"Prayers, my ass. This is so very fraudulent. I can smell cheating in the air." Shweta whispers.
"Exactly. I don't understand how this place has not been busted yet." Riddhi whispers back.
Superstition is perhaps one of the greatest flaws among Indians. The long list of don't-do-things-because, never really seems to end. Don't eat meat cause it's Friday. Don't cut nails after sundown because it's inauspicious. Don't whistle at night. Don't use the term 'snake' because it's a summer month. Blind faith binds one to perform activities that one would normally not perform. Faith, trust and beliefs form an integral part of an individual's life; no matter what you believe in or what you don't. Playing on the greatest fears of the Indian population is perhaps among the biggest, hidden industries in India. What began thousands of years ago as practical knowledge with deep wisdom has now been reduced to mere customs. The insight and the reason have been left behind and people have only cherry-picked rituals from the surface. This is perhaps why certain rules and customs appear so ridiculous- because they've been taken out of context and implemented like some odd, fastidious rule.
They wait for a little while outside the room and when the previous customer comes out, they enter. The lady in question- Veena has orange, henna dyed hair. She has a thick set of eyebrows and deeply tanned skin with moles and some warts. Her eyes are large, dark brown with slight wrinkles on either side of it. She looks up and smiles at them and both Riddhi and Shweta feel a bit uncomfortable. Though her smile seems kindly and soothing; they cannot help but feel how soon the calculative mind behind would appear. The CID and Savdhaan India shows have made them paranoid and suspicious, expecting hidden skeletons to pop out from random closets.
"Please sit down. Her voice is gravelly. I remember you, Sudarshanaji. You've come here before." She smiles at Dadi.
"Yes, yes. I have. You've got a very good memory." Dadi beams at her.
"Oh no, no. My memory is absolutely poor. It's your energy I can feel. We have been acquainted. This one is your grand-daughter?" She asks pointing to Shweta.
"Why, yes. Yes. You've got it correctly. This is Shweta, my grand-daughter and this is Riddhi, my granddaughter's friend." Dadi says clearly smitten by the woman's skill.
"What brings you here?" She asks, Dadi. Simultaneously she sits down and touches the crystal ball that sits in front of her. The ball is almost opaque with whitish fumes that seem to be sitting on the inside.
An optical illusion, Riddhi observes inside her head.
"Well, my grand-daughter is having a bit of an issue." Dadi, begins in a confidential tone and the woman's ears perk up. "Issues?" She asks.
Shweta, annoyed at the gossip beginning to form about her right in front of her, says quickly, "Period problems. My periods are irregular. I've been to the doctor and she's asked me to wait for a month before taking medicines." Dadi thought that you might be able to say something.
The woman deflates slightly but recovers quickly. "Ah, yes. Of course. I've solved hundreds of such woman issues."
"Gynaecological." Riddhi butts in.
The woman looks at her blankly before continuing, "Just a month ago, a girl came to thank me. She hadn't had a period in four years. I solved it in a jiffy." She boasts of her own prowess.
"Of course. I'm certain you'll do that for my grandchild as well?" Dadi asks, drinking up every word the woman spells out.
"Yes, yes. I'll give you directions for a ring. She needs a ring. To be worn on her pinky finger. It should be made of only silver and should have a topaz on it. Nothing more. Remember, no other metal. Simply silver." The woman says, absolutely confidently.
Shweta whose curious eyes had been darting to the crystal ball asks, "Will you not ask this ball?"
"No, my child. That ball is my old friend. I call her Sitara. She has been a faithful companion and has seen me through all odds. No, I use her only on special occasions. Such trivial matters do not require her expertise and I do not wish to disturb her for this." Veena says, looking gravely at Shweta.
"Of course. My grand-daughter is just curious. Forgive her." Dadi, apologizes even when there is no need to.
"And anything else?" Veena asks, her eyes moving towards Riddhi who squirms in her chair.
"Yes. Actually. My friend wants you to read her granddaughter's fortune. She's rather poorly and could not make it here today. But if you would be kind enough to read her near future, her grand-aunt would be relieved." Dadi requests.
"Of course, of course." The lady says. Then, brandishing her hand inquires, "Is it about further studies?"
"Yes, yes. Something about the ideal career." Dadi says, crinkling her forehead, in an effort to remember what her friend had asked her.
Looking Shweta directly in her eyes, she says, "You wanted to see Sitara working. Here, she has blessed you." Then she softly places her hand on the crystal ball and asks Riddhi to do the same.
Rather dubiously, Riddhi puts her hand on the crystal ball. Her palm is sweaty and as she removes her hand, she can see her imprint on the glass. The hazy swirls inside the ball slowly move away turning a faint beige, then cream, slightly yellow and moving towards tangerine. A tiny swirl of pink with a dash of orange. Then black swirls form which slowly turns dark green and gradually fade into the colourless ball.
"Ah." She says as she gazed at the ball, her eyes widening. The three females look at her, anxiously waiting. The woman closes her eyes almost as though she were feeling the colours and not seeing them.
"Yes." She mutters and opens her eyes, looking rather curiously at Riddhi.
A/n: What do you think will she say about Riddhi?