In the wee hours of morning, it was still dark and the Sun was yet to start throwing up its morning colours into the sky. Amar was awakened by some noise at the main door to his outhouse. He got out of his bed and groped his way to the main door of his house. He picked up a flash light and walked toward his outhouse. He saw a stout man in his forties struggling with the lock and key to the main door to his outhouse.
“Welcome, Mr. Sajjan” he called out in a warm voice, “I thought you would arrive in the afternoon”.
The man looked at him and gave a warm smile, “My work there finished early. So I travelled by the overnight passenger train, I hope, I didn’t disturb you.” he was still struggling with the lock and the key.
“Here, let me help you” Amar turned the key easily. He pushed the main door to his outhouse open, “Welcome, Mr. Sajjan…”
Sajjan picked up his huge and heavy duck bag and entered the outhouse even as Amar put on the lights illuminating the main room of the outhouse. His glance was arrested by someone who stood outside in the dark. He guessed her to be in her late teens or early twenties.
She was in a dirty short sari which normally was the attire of adivasis who stayed in the jungle which spanned in about 300 sq. km. away in the neighbourhood.
Sajjan looked at the curious Amar and then at the adivasi girl who stood outside. She looked scared and confused. He smiled at her and gently asked her to enter the outhouse. She nodded and picked up her gathari made of patched up cloth.
She entered and her eyes started to explore the places within, looking into every nook and corner, studying the room and its furniture in detail.
Sajjan looked at her, “There’s one more room in there. Go and take some rest. You must be tired.”
There was a smile of relief in her expression as she looked and smiled at Sajjan. She picked up Sajjan’s shoes and kept them on the shelf next to the main door. On her way to the room within, she struggled with her gathari but managed to step into that room.
“Mr.Sajjan, I have placed everything you need including the soap bars in the bathroom to the array of utensils you may need in the kitchen. I’m lucky to host an esteemed tenant like you and I hope you’ll enjoy your stay here.”
“I definitely hope to,” they moved from the main room to the kitchen, “well – looking at the arrangement and your hospitality, I’m certain; we are going to like our stay here.”
Amar had forgotten about the adivasi girl who had arrived with Sajjan. He glanced at the closed door to the inner room on their way out to the main room and looked at Sajjan.
“I welcome you to lunch with my family today. That should allow you to rest as well get enough time to arrange for the groceries you may need. I’ll send you a jug of milk after I finish milking my cows. Till you are here, you don’t have to worry about milk. I have quite a few cows in the shed and you will get a jug of milk everyday – complimentary…”
“Thank you. This is so kind of you”
“Oh! Please don’t mention at all” he waived his hand, “I rarely get people like you as my tenants. People like you normally seek big cities to stay and earn big money and they don’t bother about small towns like ours” he stopped as the door to the inner room opened. She now was draped in a cleaner knee length short sari on a patchy blouse. She crossed over into the kitchen and started to inspect the utensils.
“Don’t mind me saying this Mr.Sajjan,” he said in a low voice, “for a man of your age, you are lucky to be married to such a young girl.”
Sajjan smiled in amusement, “How do you know that she is my wife?”
Amar smiled in pride, “Mr.Sajjan, though I’ve lived in this town since my birth, I‘ve managed to grow and spread my business around hundreds of miles in each direction. I’ve met all kinds of people and you got to give me that credit – I can read people.”
He laughed at his own achievement and moved out reminding Sajjan about his invitation to lunch with his family.