Malathi charitham (The history of Malathi) (Kalarikkal series - 2)

10. The admirer

Malathi found his file and went through it.

"See you have to submit these documents and then only the bill can be sent to the main office to get sanctioned", she said to him, showing the note on the file.

Pranav went through the list and quickly wrote it down, then he said to her, "Thank you Madam. I will and come see you after the bill has been passed".  He got up and left.

Malathi did not think about it and in a few days even forgot about the encounter. One day when she came to the office, she found a suspicious envelop on her table. Without touching it, she called the Peon.

"What is this?" she asked him.

"Madam, the contractor who built the bridge, Pranav Kalarikkal left it for you", he said to her.

"Money?" she asked him.

"Yes", he replied.

"Is he nearby?" she asked him.

"He is outside talking to another contractor", he replied.

"Call him", she said.

After a few minutes Pranav came into her office. "What's the matter Madam? Is it less than expected?" he asked her.

"Please take that back, I don't need a single rupee for this job, except for my salary", she replied.

Pranav took the envelope and kept it in his pocket and smiled at her. "I am sorry, here I will have to give money at every point and I thought you might also..."

"I am not that much high on principles. I do not take it, and I can only ask others not to take such things, but it is entirely up to the person to do their job with honesty and dedication", she said and went back to her files.

Pranav was intrigued by the honest engineer and he said thanked her and left.

He had to come a couple of times to the office in the next few months and each time he saw her, he found her a little more interesting.

A few months after their initial encounter he had won a contract for a road and she had come to inspect the work. Though she had never showed it, the break up and eventual marriage of Vishnu had taken a heavy toll on her. A few days back Appukuttan had told her that he had children as well. Though she tried to be happy for him, still it hurt to know that. She ate whenever she was home, but out of house, she rarely took care of herself. The inspection was at noon and to come early to the office she had skipped breakfast and while inspecting the road she felt dizzy and had to hold onto a nearby car for support.

"Madam, are you OK?" asked Pranav.

Malathi tried to nod a yes in reply.

"Come, lets go to that restaurant and have something", he said to her and gently led the way to a restaurant nearby. Inside, he ordered a ginger lime juice and food for her while she sat with her head in-between her hands.

"Keep your head down to increase blood-flow", he advised. When the food came, she tried to open her purse to get money which he immediately snatched away from her and said in exasperation, "Madam, its just some food. If you insist, pay me back later". He sat with her and patiently made her eat the food. Finally after she finished the food they went back to the construction site, but she felt too weak.

"I don't think I can do this today. I will come tomorrow", she said as she walked back to her car.

"Madam, you are not fit to drive" Pranav said in concern.

"I think so too, I shall get an auto-rickshaw" she said.

"Don't worry, I will drive you to your office, give me the keys" said Pranav and got it from her. All through the drive, he kept glancing at the lady sitting next to him who looked sick. As he came to stop at the parking spot; the workload at the understaffed office, Vishnu, and her own failings at work had overwhelmed her and she burst out sobbing. Pranav waited patiently for her sobbing to end and took a bottle of water from the car and gave it to her. She drank it, then carefully wiped her eyes and face and got out of the car. By the time Pranav got out of the car and handed her keys, she looked composed and normal, she thanked him and walked off to her office in her normal regal way. On his way back to the road construction site in an auto-rickshaw, Pranav could only help, but admire the woman.