Chapter 42

"Okay. Let's go."

Vicky motions to me, after the seminar is over. "What did you think of the speech?" he asks.

"It was great! Especially impressive was the way you tactfully handled that old man, who was trying so hard to prove you wrong."

"Yes. Some of the older generation is wary of new technology and aggressive growth." He looks around, "Where is Purvi?"

"She had to rush home as there was a fire at her apartment complex."

"Oh, that's too bad. I better call to see if she's OK."

"I spoke to her five minutes ago. The fire was in an apartment a few floors above hers, and it has been put out. Luckily no one's hurt and there's some minor damage to the building. Her house is unaffected. There are some officials conducting damage and safety assessment to make sure everything is safe."

"That's good then." Thunder claps across the sky with a boom so loud, that we feel the tremor inside the cocooned space of the conference room.

"Looks like it's raining pretty heavily outside. You should leave now, before it gets worse. Go home, don't bother going back to office."

I nod in agreement. I definitely don't want my first experience of Mumbai rains to be a bad one, stuck on the road.

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"Please is there any way I can get a cab or autorickshaw? I have been waiting here for the last hour and a half. Five rides have cancelled on me. I can't get any cabs to pick me up." I plead with the concierge.

He shakes his head again, for what seems the tenth time with an air of frustration. "I told you madam, in such rains, there are no taxis available in this area, forget autos."

"I don't care if I have to pay double or even three times the amount. I just want to reach home."

"I am so sorry, but there is nothing available."

"What about your hotel cars? Can I rent one of those?"

"Sorry! those are exclusively for in-house guests and only for transportation to the airport."

"What should I do now?" I wring my hands in frustration.

"You could try walking up to the highway and take a bus or taxi from there," he offers.

"How far is that?"

"Approximately a kilometer from here. About fifteen, maybe twenty minutes by walk in this rain," he replies with a well-practiced blank face.

"A kilometer?" I squeal looking out the glass door, the rain is pouring incessantly and as far as I can see, the ground is covered with at least half a foot of water.

"Can I at least wait in the lobby till the rain subsides?"

"You could. But according to the weather forecast, the rains will continue till tomorrow and heavier rains are predicted later this evening. It's best if you leave now. You have better chances of getting transportation sooner rather than later."

"How about I take a room in your hotel for a night? What is the cheapest available room you have?" I ask, thinking perhaps that would be the better solution.

He makes some quick entries into his computer. "The best offer we have today for room only, without breakfast for one night, will be fifteen thousand seven hundred rupees with taxes. I can give you a free upgrade to the executive room with free tea and coffee service and complimentary fruit basket." He smiles at me, as if I just won a jackpot.

I think my jaw just dropped to the floor. "Fif.. fifteen thousand?" although inner voice wants me shut up, I cannot help asking, "And how much will breakfast cost?"

"That would be additional two thousand one hundred without taxes."

Oh wow. I had no idea it cost that much for a night's stay in a five-star hotel. Well on the bright side, that made the decision for me.

A few minutes later, I am doubtful if it was the best decision.

Although I bravely ventured out in the pouring rain, I cannot see anything beyond a few inches ahead of me.

I am wading in calf deep water, trudging against the angry flood gushing in the opposite direction.

The umbrella I have, is ineffective in protecting me from the lashing wind and rain. I am now a soaking, wet mess.

I have been walking for fifteen minutes with no sign of a highway anywhere in sight. This is an empty stretch of road with no shops or people in sight to guide me to the highway. I should have asked for directions at one of the row of small shops I passed by earlier.

My insides are churning with panic. What if I have taken a wrong route and lost my way. I hope I can find someone to direct me towards the highway.

I can hear a car coming this way. Perhaps the people in the car can help me. I wave my hand at the passing car, motioning for it to stop. However, the car whizzes past, spraying me with more water from the street.

I let out a string of expletives at being drenched, trying my best to squeeze the water from my kameez and dupatta.

A black Audi SUV, following the car screeches to halt and I have to jump sideways to avoid getting splashed again. Finally, a good Samaritan! I hope the driver can direct me to the highway. The electric window slides down smoothly and Vicky's head pokes out.

"Tarana, why are you still here?"

I bend down to reach Vicky's eye level, wiping the water splashing across my face. "I am going to the highway to catch a bus or taxi. Can you tell me if it is this way?"

"Get in the car."

"If you can just tell me where the highway is, I will get a bus from there."

"Get in the car Tarana!" Vicky insists forcefully, opening the passenger side door.

Seeing no point in arguing in the rain I get inside. The electric window slides up noiselessly and the car moves forward in a smooth movement.

"Here," he hands me a box of tissues.

"Thank you and sorry for getting your car wet," I say, looking down at the water from my clothes creating a puddle on the floor of the car.

"Don't worry about it. Are you cold? do you want me to turn up the heat?" he pushes a button on the dashboard and a burst of warm air hits my face. I did not even realize I was cold till this point.

"Uh, if you could drop me to the nearest bus stop, I can take a bus from there."

"I will drop you home, I doubt you will be able to get any transport in this weather."

"It's a long way back."

"I don't mind, but looking at the traffic jam, it may take some time." The swishing wipers clear the windscreen for a couple of seconds, giving a brief glimpse of a serpentine line of cars inching ahead arduously, before the downpour blurs the view again.

I realize this is the first time I am sitting in the passenger seat next to J... Vicky.

The slow jazz playing on the radio is calming. The warm comfort of the car coupled with lack of adequate sleep is lulling my senses. My eyes slowly start to droop and before I know it, I am in deep slumber.

"Tarana, wake up," someone is shaking my shoulder. I open my eyes with a wide yawn, my brain slowly calibrating itself awake to realize I am in a car, with Vicky.

I sit upright, wiping the trickle of drool from the corner of my mouth looking out the window. The rain has gotten worse, making it impossible to see anything outside. The car is at a standstill.

"Have we reached?"

"Not even close. We have barely covered 5 kilometers in the last hour and by the look of it, the traffic situation isn't going to improve."

Vicky taps the screen on the dashboard, bringing up the maps application. He zooms on the route we are taking. Almost the entire route is marked red, indicating extremely heavy traffic. He zooms further, some of the roads are marked blocked due high level of water logging. There are warnings not to use certain roads.

Jeet twists to look at me, "It looks extremely difficult to reach Bandra at this time," he states seriously.

"So, what do I do now?" I ask.

"I have a suggestion. My house is close by, you can wait there till the rain subsides."

I shift uncomfortably in my seat. "I really don't want to cause any inconvenience, with your family."

"There's no one at home besides me. My parents and brother are out of town. I really don't mind if you want to wait out this rain at my place."

"Oh?" I utter, both as a question and in surprise.

It's raining cats and dogs outside. Seems like there is no other choice.

"Okay let's go."