Close encounters of the fourth kind
PAVITHRA SRINIVASAN
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Minu was upset at the way the normally friendly watchman had suddenly turned hostile. What was she to do?
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It was raining heavily. Minu walked through the gate to her flat. She looked back to see the watchman glowering at her. She sighed. Thrice had passed watchman Sivaram’s path and thrice he had ignored her. The usually friendly watchman now seemed to go out of his way to snub her, mumbling thinly veiled insults. He had even called her an idiot! When she looked at him, aghast, he turned red and looked away.
Tears and shame
Minu walked up the stairs. to her first floor home, face burning with shame. Her friend Anand, asked, “Why is he being mean to you?” Minu said, “I don’t know.” Until now, no one had been unkind to her. She was a cheerful, polite young person. And she had genuinely liked the watchman. He helped her across the road, and had usually wished her a cheerful “Good Morning” each day. What had she done to offend him?
She hovered around the next morning, trying to find out why he had taken a dislike to her. He sneered at her, made a rude gesture and said, “Wicked wretch!”
Minu was horrified. During lunch-break, Anand found her crying. “I don’t know why he’s so angry,” she whimpered, half ashamed. “I’ve done nothing. But he – he swatted me away!” “How am I going to make this right?”
Anand nodded. He always seemed to know her best. “This will be the most difficult thing you’ve ever done,” he warned her. “But I have an idea.”
“I can’t!” Minu protested, when he finished. “I’m scared stiff. What if he beats me?”
It was raining again. That evening, Minu stopped short just before she walked into her compound. Watchman Sivaram stood there, scowling when he saw her. “What’re you staring at?”
She tried to still her trembling fingers, trying to look calm and collected. “I want to know why you’re angry with me, Watchman Sir,” she asked. “What have I done?”
“Get lost, little brat!”
“I can’t. I deserve to know why you’re treating me so unfairly.”
“Unfair!” he choked. “Unfair, when your wretched father …” And then the whole story came tumbling out. He wanted to ask Minu’s father for a bonus, but was too nervous. The frustration grew — for Sivaram had a sick daughter at home
“And I took it out on you,” he finished, looking defeated.
“Sorry. It was…wrong. But I was too scared.”
“Don’t be,” Minu said, feeling sudden pity. “I was afraid to ask you what was wrong. But I did. I’m sure if you speak to father, he’ll listen.” She smiled. “When you’re afraid, take the bull by the horns. It usually works.”
Sivaram grinned, and the sun broke through the clouds.
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