Our two year stint in Patna began on a very satisfying note as we settled down in a newly constructed apartment of our choice. We were impressed by the wood furnishings in the house & our landlord seemed very friendly & accommodating.. He was a stickler for neatness and admired the orderliness of our house. However I was troubled by the huge size of the balcony which was divided into two by a single wall.They were living on the other side of the wall in an identical flat. Any time they could enter our space by jumping over the wall,which was only 3 feet in height.So, often I would keep the glass doors of the balcony closed to ensure privacy especially when my husband was away.
It was only a few days later, we realized that there was no lady in their house. They were conservative thakurs and this was all men's den. The parents & sisters were living in a huge mansion in their native village & would visit occasionally. Mr.Babban ( his nick name), our land lord , a man of about 30 & a bachelor, had two of his cousins for company. He himself had done his graduation & was planning to appear for the civil services examinations. But he did not even know where Tamilnadu was in India & he could not even speak english. However, he was very confident of becoming an IAS officer soon! His cousins were studying medicine in Russia, so they said, but they too were in the same boat! What they were doing most of the time in Patna, instead of attending medical college in Russia was a mystery! They too would have become top doctors in Patna, I suppose ! And there was an uncle who was a gentleman to the core. He was quiet ,very soft spoken & would talk and play with my little son. They all liked our family since we all spoke their language, Hindi.
My husband was relieved since he had to travel often & these people seemed trustworthy. So it was a safe apartment for the family while he was away, since Bihar was a state known for its high crime rate. My son was at first thrilled (we were scared) at the sight of two big rifles hung on the wall in their drawing room.But it was owned by them for safety.
A few months later, I was informed that his parents had arrived & auntiji wanted to see us.I went there with my kids & they started chitchatting with the "uncle" who was offering them chocolates. Auntiji was a kind looking lady in traditional attire & greeted us warmly. As she was observing my kids & the man, she told me in a hushed tone that he was her nephew & loved to play with my children, since he was missing his own, who were in the village. Then, very casually she mentioned that he was seeking refuge here since the police were hunting for him in connection with two murders believed to have been committed by him.A shiver snaked along my spine. As she was talking, a silent track of thoughts ran in my head - my God ! My husband trusted these people for our safety while he was away and all along,our custodians have been this family with a criminal among them ! What an irony !Of course we never had any issue with them and they were very friendly but the rest of our days in Patna were spent in constant apprehension of lurking danger. Isn't it so true that appearences are often deceptive?
It was only a few days later, we realized that there was no lady in their house. They were conservative thakurs and this was all men's den. The parents & sisters were living in a huge mansion in their native village & would visit occasionally. Mr.Babban ( his nick name), our land lord , a man of about 30 & a bachelor, had two of his cousins for company. He himself had done his graduation & was planning to appear for the civil services examinations. But he did not even know where Tamilnadu was in India & he could not even speak english. However, he was very confident of becoming an IAS officer soon! His cousins were studying medicine in Russia, so they said, but they too were in the same boat! What they were doing most of the time in Patna, instead of attending medical college in Russia was a mystery! They too would have become top doctors in Patna, I suppose ! And there was an uncle who was a gentleman to the core. He was quiet ,very soft spoken & would talk and play with my little son. They all liked our family since we all spoke their language, Hindi.
My husband was relieved since he had to travel often & these people seemed trustworthy. So it was a safe apartment for the family while he was away, since Bihar was a state known for its high crime rate. My son was at first thrilled (we were scared) at the sight of two big rifles hung on the wall in their drawing room.But it was owned by them for safety.
A few months later, I was informed that his parents had arrived & auntiji wanted to see us.I went there with my kids & they started chitchatting with the "uncle" who was offering them chocolates. Auntiji was a kind looking lady in traditional attire & greeted us warmly. As she was observing my kids & the man, she told me in a hushed tone that he was her nephew & loved to play with my children, since he was missing his own, who were in the village. Then, very casually she mentioned that he was seeking refuge here since the police were hunting for him in connection with two murders believed to have been committed by him.A shiver snaked along my spine. As she was talking, a silent track of thoughts ran in my head - my God ! My husband trusted these people for our safety while he was away and all along,our custodians have been this family with a criminal among them ! What an irony !Of course we never had any issue with them and they were very friendly but the rest of our days in Patna were spent in constant apprehension of lurking danger. Isn't it so true that appearences are often deceptive?
what a real life story so well narrated - keep it up mam
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