Club You to Death by Anuja Chauhan (books to improve english .TXT) 📕

money! It went from the company’s CSR account. And that nice Father Victor didn’t know that Leo was blackmailing people!’

Pankaj Todi stares at his daughter in disbelief. ‘Obviously that Father Victor must have known! And just calling yourself father-father, and wearing a white robe doesn’t make you holy! The two of them are childhood friends – the orphanage is obviously only a front – a money laundering scheme! But don’t worry – now that this case had become so high profile, they’ll panic and cough up our money quietly enough.’

He goes back to reading. Bambi glares at the raised newspaper in frustration for a while, then slowly goes back to eating her papaya.

Pankaj Todi rereads the article. It is accompanied by two photographs. One of the general looking very smart in his full army regalia, and one of Ganga and her husband on their wedding day. She looks thin and sallow and weighed down by her finery, but the husband seems to be revelling in his, his French beard perfectly manicured, his teeth flashing in a wide smile.

‘It’s really so sad.’ Pankaj Todi sighs. ‘A man with such great distinguished accomplishments, bought down by a weak obsession for a young woman. And what a young woman!’

Bambi puts down her fork and looks up. ‘What d’you mean?’ There is a dangerous edge to her voice.

Todi lowers his paper warily. ‘Hmm? Matlab ki she is not exactly a Playboy centrefold, is she? Just an ordinary sort of girl.’

His daughter glares at him in disgust. ‘And if she did look like a Playboy centrefold? Would it have been okay to kill two people to get with her?’

Pankaj Todi spreads out his hands. ‘Bambi, don’t be difficult. That’s not what I meant!’

Bambi points her fork at him. ‘Ganga is a good, clean sensible girl – and she isn’t having an affair with Mehra uncle!’

‘I really think you should stop calling him Mehra uncle now,’ her father says firmly. ‘And please distance yourself from him at once. No more playing doubles tennis with him!’

Her eyes widen in disbelief. ‘You play doubles tennis with him too!’

‘I used to, but I won’t any more,’ he replies, looking harassed. ‘In fact this is all your fault – you believed that sly Ganga’s stories when she came up to you three years ago, even though your mother and I told you she was talking rubbish! If you hadn’t got her that Daily Needs franchise at the Club in the first place, none of this would have happened!’

‘Oh my God!’ Bambi pushes back her chair violently and gets to her feet. ‘Everything is always the woman’s fault according to you! You make me sick.’

‘Bambi—’

But Bambi has already stalked out of the room.

It takes her precisely seven minutes to walk across the road to the Daily Needs store inside the DTC, where Ganga is taking care of an unusually large number of customers all at once, including, Bambi notes savagely, Pia and Dia, two members of the Ghia-Lauki gang.

Bloody cows! They’re shopping for nothing but gossip – they wouldn’t be seen dead anywhere except at DLF Emporio and La Marche and Nature’s Basket!

They’ve walked into one of the many aisles of the store, whispering and giggling.

‘Babe, look, how strange, did you know there are Indian brands of sunblock too? Here’s something called Lotus!’

‘Chhee, such tacky packaging! And here’s a foundation called MACK, with a K! And it’s only two hundred rupees! Might as well be called MUCK!’

They both laugh.

‘Ohmuhgawd, Indian cream cheese! Haw, such wannabe Philadelphia packaging! Ideal for dips and cheesecakes, it says. Should I pick it up?’

‘Why not – if it’s ghast, just give it to your maids.’

Bambi’s lips tighten. She marches over to the girls and yanks their trolley away.

‘Niklo. Git. Now.’

Their eyes widen. ‘Excuse me?’

‘You heard me,’ Bambi replies, her eyes glittering with anger. ‘The stuff you’re after isn’t available here – so leave now and things will stay pleasant.’

They exchange looks, then turn back to face her.

‘Babe, relax, we just thought we’d shop here for a few weeks because poor Ganga’s going through such a hard time currently! She needs the business, and we need the uh … cream cheese. It’s really none of your biz, Bambi Todi.’

‘Is anybody else waiting for service?’ Ganga’s voice speaks up pleasantly, in her slightly halting English. ‘Do come up to the counter. I’m free now.’

Snatching back their trolley, Pia and Dia move triumphantly to the front of the store. Bambi grabs a packet of sanitary napkins and follows them, glowering at them as they hand over their cards, daring them to utter a word out of place to Ganga.

‘How are you?’ Pia asks.

‘Well,’ Ganga replies serenely.

‘You must be so worried about Mehra uncle,’ ventures Dia.

Ganga smiles blandly. ‘Aren’t we all?’

They nod uncertainly wondering how to proceed. Just then, a tall shadow darkens the doorway and all the women turn around.

Inspector Padam Kumar is standing there, his cherubic face grim.

Pia and Dia gasp in horrified pleasure. Bambi, noticing with a sinking heart that there is a female constable accompanying Padam, moves forward to stand in front of Ganga protectively.

‘Whuh … what do you want, inspector?’

‘I want Ms Ganga,’ Padam Kumar replies steadily. ‘For questioning.’

He nods at the constable, who steps forward, walks around Bambi and inclines her head at the pale-faced girl in the cream sari.

‘Please come with me.’

12

The Ghia-Lauki Gang

TRANSCRIPT OF A RECORDED STATEMENT BY GANGA KUMAR.

‘Your name is Ganga Kumar?’

‘Yes.’

‘Age?’

‘Twenty-three.’

‘Are you married?’

‘Yes, I am married. My husband has abandoned me several times, but as far as I know, he is still alive.’

‘When did he contact you last?’

‘Two years ago. He wanted me to PayTM him some money. I refused.’

‘Who got you this job at the DTC.’

‘Bambi didi. Bambi Todi.’

‘How did you meet her?’

‘She was looking for a maid. She interviewed me for the job, but when she found out I had such good marks in class twelve, she said I was too smart to work as a domestic. She also noticed