Part 17 Encounters

January 14 2011
11:12 AM
Kanpur
State Indl Dev Corp

Radhika is on the phone, Umesh and Poonam are arranging documents spread over three chairs. The office is unsually busy today, netas and babus come and go at random. Radhika is wearing a magenta jaipuri kurta with a pink churidar and a green dupatta. Known to dress randomly and carelessly today was no different. Her thongs, her phone her diamond hoops and her watch were lavish though............
She wore eye make up today to make them appear well rested. She had already downed three cups of the canteen chai. Sachin was acting like he didnt know them today
"Thats prolly a good idea for his life" Rad thought as she barked into the phone.
KITNE der mujhe phone par rakhoge aap?"
Poonam: Yeh bhi lekar chalen?
Rad: SAB lekar chalo, mujhe lagta hai retirement tak main yahi rahoongi. Aur isi Babu se argue karte hue mere pran niklenge
Realizes she is on the phone, all her over dramatization is heard at the other end " I am NOT kidding!" she says and continues to speak a tome........
Umesh and Poonam mumble and giggle, she steps on Umesh's foot, he yelps.......
"Kal main apne pumps pehankar aaoogi"
January 12th was mighty unsuccessful, Sharmaji had barely 15 minutes for them after his late LENCH
.
No water samples were shown NO pitch was made about polluting corporations, no licenses were seized.
She could feel a lump form in her throat. They carried two bottles of water with them, Dubey Aunty had given them those when they left home.

In the auto, she pretended to act Swades's SRK like sending Poonam and Umesh to splits, later they all collectively agreed that this issue seemed like a tough nut to crack, much to their chagrin

Poonam: Phone rakh de Radz, tera gala nahi sookhta kabhi?
Rad: I drink oil before I go to bed.
Poonam: We need to sew our ears shut yaar (shakes her head)
Umesh: Shaadi kabhi mat karna Rad, tera pati bhaag jaayega
Rad, on the phone and talking in person a thing only a rare few like HER can manage to do " He will learn to speak as much as I do and enjoy my speaking and encourage me to speak some more, maloom?"
Poonam: Some MORE, kahin hai nahi, sab toone hadap liya (giggles)
A shadow falls on the reception area, its long and squiggly...... she follows it and stops at the two shoe clad feet in suede.
Traces its path, cotton trousers in tan and maroon and tan check shirt, glasses and the tuft of her under his lower lip "what ever thats called"
Their eyes meet.
His sparkles in recognition. Hers smile

Poonam: AAJ usko chhod de please Rad. Bechara Kanpur chhodke bhaag jaayega
Radhika on the phone: Dia, yes, tell Arindam the Delhi lab and the Kanpur lab speak two diff languages.
Dubey aunty ke ghar par fax nahi hai, tum mujhe shaam ko cyber cafe mein fax karo.
The man approaches the wait area
Sharmaji's assistant Lalit arrives also

Poonam: Radhika baat kar lo inse, aaj please koi panga nahi yaar
Radhika hangs up, as the tall blase' chap takes his seat
The waiting area looks worse than Nayi Dilli Railway station Radhika had said
Lalit: Maam 12 baje ka fix ho chuka hai aapka, aap tanson mat lena
Rad: Bilkul nahi, kyon ki agar aaj Sharma ji parasnal kaam se gaye to hum bhi unki Sentro mein unke saath.
Lalit: Zaroor madam, kya baat kar rahi hai. Waise woh pul ke paas woh kachauri milti hai na wahan lench par jaate hain
Rad: Aaj unka lench yahi (and starts to ramble)
Lalit starts walking backwards stunned at the speed she speaks. Poonam pulls her hand, her dupatta slides off her shoulder, revealing fully bare arms.............. and a plunging neckline
Raghav thinks " This leather thing is not so bad afterall" checks her out slowly
Rad turns around at that moment catches him staring and says "What (do you want)?
He just looks
Poonam: Hi! (polite)
He nods
Umesh: Did it take you this long? (to Raghav)
Raghav: Hmm..
Rad: You can tell us who you met and what they said, we could use your info to better build our case, though not sure how much more prepared we could all be you know. 5 days here? God knows how many more. I should just ask Sharmaji to host me you know. Endless hours of waiting and anticipation, thats what this is. I am sure child birth must be like this, I am told........... I bet its not half as painful as this.......
Umesh and Poonam arent shocked anymore
Raghav: I wouldnt know! (softly)
Rad: Oh! you dont have kids?
Raghav: As far as I know.....