Helen Goes for Mr. Sunday

Who is Mr. Sunday?: Part 2

After paying the auto-rickshaw driver, Helen walked in the direction of a two-storied bungalow. The gate was closed but not locked. The watchman's cabin appeared vacant. Helen pushed the gate open and entered the premise. She continued along the walk onto the large veranda. Reaching the door, she pressed the doorbell button, but there was no sound of the doorbell ringing from inside the house.

Helen looked on confused. She pressed the button again and strained her ears. There was no sound of the doorbell.

"Anybody home?" she said, knocking at the door.

There was no response.

Helen knocked again, this time rather loudly.

"Listen, I'm the landlady, and I have come here to collect rent. It was due several days ago. I think there's a power failure, and the doorbell's not ringing. If you can't hear me, I'm going to have to just walkin and wake you up!" said Helen at the top of her voice.

There was no response.

Helen heaved a sigh and plucked out a bundle of keysfrom her purse. Then she put a key in the lock and tried to turn it. It didn't budge. She tried again. The lock didn't open. Helen's gaze clouded. She rapped on the door in frustration. The door creaked open a little. There was a sound of fast-approaching footsteps from outside the house, and before Helen could turn around, someone grabbed her wrist from behind.

Helen recoiled with a start.

It was a sari-clad housemaid, holding Helen's wrist in her left hand and a slender bamboo cane in her right.

"Attempting a burglary in broad daylight! What do you young girls need all this money for? Drugs?"

Helen pulled her hand away.

"What?! Do I look like a thief to you?!" said Helen in irritation.

"It's not what you wear that makes you a thief. It's what you do."

"Oh yeah? And what did I do?"

"Don't act all innocent now. I watched you all the way. I saw how you observed that the main gate is open, the watchman's cabin is vacant, and there is no activity around the veranda."

"Excuse me, I rang the doorbell. How about that?"

"Don't try to act too smart. That's part of your procedure. If someone had answered the door, you'd just have asked for a glass of water and left. Seeing there's no one at home, you seized the opportunity and tried to break in using your master key."

"Master key?! Where did you hear that one? And who do you think you are hurling allegations at me?"

"I work here," declared the maid. "I earn a honest living. Unlike you young burglars. Do yourself a favor and find yourself some work after the police lets you go."

"Police?!"

"You think I won't hand you over to the police?" said the maid brandishing the cane.

"Mind your language, or I'll fire you!"

"Watchman!" screamed the maid.

Helen looked at the maid disbelievingly.

"Watchman!" screamed the maid again.

"Shut up, and listen to me! I own this house, and I have just come to collect the rent," said Helen.

"Sharma ji!!" the maid screamed even more loudly, stomping her feet loudly.

Helen suddenly pushed the maid inside and entered the house. The maid almost lost her footing but recovered her balance.

Helen snatched her cane. 

The maid cowered.

"I'm not going to hit you if you cooperate," said Helen.

"Listen, there's nothing left in this house to take," said the maid, exaggeratedly pointing at empty spaces in the hall.

Helen looked around. The hall was completely empty. Helen appeared bewildered.

"So please leave. I won't hand you over to the police," said the maid.

"You idiot, I told you I'm not a burglar. I own this house," said Helen. "I have just come to collect the rent. Where are the tenants? And did the bastards sell off the furniture? It was antique!"

"Listen girl, I told you I won't report you. You can stop pretending to be the owner or whatever and just leave," said the maid.

Helen raised the cane at the maid. The maid let out a short scream.

"If you say that one more time, I'll whip your ass. Once again and the for the last time: I own this house," said Helen. The maid stared at Helen suspiciously.

"Is that so?"

"Yes"

"Pay my wages then. Your boyfriend or husband or whoever he is hasn't paid me a Rupee."

"What?! Whom are you talking about, you idiot?"

"I'm talking about the new owner of this house who drove away the tenants, sold off everything, and hasn't paid me a single Rupee. That's whom I'm talking about," retorted the maid.

"Look. I have no clue whom or what you are talking about. This property is owned by Karishma Karmarkar, and I'm here to collect the rent on her behalf."

The expression of the maid changed.

"How do you know Karishma madam?" said the maid.

"I'm her sister."

"Oh really? I've never seen you around."

"That's because I was studying in a foreign country for four-and-a-half years."

"I don't believe you," said the maid discreetly. "Firstly, you look nothing like her. Secondly, until a few months ago this door bore the nameplate of Karishma madam. You may have read it during one of your earlier burglary attempts and are now pretending to be her sister," said the maid.

"Enough of this shit," said Helen, rapping the cane on the floor very close to the maid's feet with a sharp, loud thwack. "Stop with your detective giri, or I'll whip your ass!"

The maid let out a loud scream.

"What's happening here!?" shouted a squeaky male voice.

"Sharma ji, where on earth were you? I've been calling out for you. This girl was trying to rob the house. Let's hand her over to the police!" said the maid.

"Girl, turn around and drop that cane," growled the man, who stood at the door. He was extremely frail and looked to be in his mid-seventies.

Helen turned around. She had a smile on her face.

"Helen bitiya!" exclaimed the man.

"How are you, watchman uncle?" said Helen, handing over the cane to the watchman.

"Why are you fighting with her, Gajra bai? Do you know who she is?" asked the watchman. "She's our Karishma bitiya's sister."

The maid made a face. "How am I to know who she is? I have never seen her before."

"Ignore her, bitiya. She's been here only for a few months and watches too many Crime Beat episodes," the watchman said to Helen. "Come, we'll sit in my cabin. There's no furniture left in this house."

Helen and the watchman walked toward the watchman's cabin.

"Where's all the furniture gone?"

"The new owner sold it off, bitiya ," said the watchman.

Helen stopped dead in her tracks.

"What!? What new owner? What's going on here?"