Patience is a virtue - Part II

Krishna reached home in a fit of rage and a headache that had worsened during his victorious rendezvous on Bowring Road.

"Are you going to eat?". That was Vasudha Veeraraghavan.

Vasudha was Veeraraghavan's wife of 32 years. Vasudha and Veeraraghavan were always the envy of neighbors. Veeraraghavan was employed at the `Central Bank of India' for latter 40 years of his life, always avoiding promotions and the transfers that came with it. Raghavan had doted on his wife and only son - Krishna. Raghavan was as proud of Krishna as Krishna was of his father. Vasudha watched them grow older, adoring the two men in her life.

"Dont you want me to...?", shouted back Krishna.
"No... just that its 4pm, and was wondering if you already had lunch somewhere...", Vasudha said, stretching, getting up from her afternoon nap. "Its almost coffee time."
"I'd sure like a coffee...", That was Raghavan.
"Like I didn't know you would... could you wait for 10 minutes more? I got to make dikakshen now..." It was more of a statement than a question.
"Sure, take your time, Vasu. You know, one should enjoy the time at the kitchen, don't hurry yourself... meanwhile, I'll munch on the murukku that Asif-bai brought.. damn, can't believe he can make a brahmin specialty like he was one. Could I help you with the dishes... or would you rather...", Raghavan ranted on endlessly. One could see the love of life and his wife in his words.


"Where the hell is Saridon, Amma? Dont you refill the first-aid box every month?". That was Krishna, interrupting his father's not-so-useful monologue.

Veeraraghavan, looked up from his book through his bifocal, staring at the impatient Krishna. Said nothing.

"It must be right over there, in the horlicks bottle beside the old first-aid box...", Vasudha came out of the kitchen, wiping the sweat of her forehead, with her saree.

"Can you beleive this is Bangalore, its so hot...", she smiled as she passed Raghavan in the hall. Raghavan smiled understandingly and went back to his book.

Crash... rattle... "Dang your reorganization, why don't you label the new containers? AMMA, WHERE ARE YOU?", shouted Krishna as he threw down the strip of medicine in his hand. His heache was splitting now.

"... hold on, hold on, was right on the way... relax, Kicha... Look... here it is..", she said, as she pulled out the strip of saridon from the other lot of medicine.
"Give it to me", said Krishna, as he snatched the strip from her hands.

Raghavan was watching the commotion added...
"Why dont you eat first, that should fix your headache... it must be the sun... eat and relax. Its not good to swallow medicines everytime you have an ache or pain. Use it if you still have the headache after eating... why am telling you all this is...", Raghavan stopped on the tracks, when he noticed that Krishna wasn't paying attention. He went over to the kitchen munching Asif-bai's kai-murukku.

"Be easy on him. He seems to be in some kinda of tension..."
"Okay, Mr.Daddy. Dont tell me how to deal with my son... you better tell him to leave his office woes at office... ", Vasudha was the one short-tempered among the two of them.

Raghavan gently went on into boasting about Asif-bai's culinary skills, as if he didn't hear what she just said. Vasudha turned around from the stove, and gave an angry stare, twisting her lips to either sides of her face, hands on the hips. Raghavan winked at her.

"Are you going to feed me or not?", shouted Krishna from the dining table. Vasudha hurried to serve him.
------------------------------X------------------------------

"Krishna, Mukunda, murare...", sang Raghavan, animatedly, counting his `thala', as he walked into the dining room, munching Asif bai's kai-murukku.

For a second, Krishna thought that Raghavan was calling out to him.

"uh...?"
"Nothing, Kicha, nothing, was just trying to get you to relax..."
"From what?"
"Aren't you feeling tense? Feeling like everybody else is getting on your nerves?
"Ah, dont bother, Appa.Its just something at office..."

Then, there was silence. But Raghavan had caught Krishna's attention. Raghavan was always `the Buddha' of the house. Krishna was proud of his father and his experiences. More so, of the way he shared worldly wisdom with his son.

"You want to say something, dont you?", Krishna broke the ice, but was calmer.
"Krishna, my boy, letting temper take over is like stepping on the gas of a car, thats speeding over a cliff - no brakes."

Krishna thought long and hard. He knew that his father was right. Anger never helped. He could safely deduce from his near-decade industry experience. But today, everybody seemed to be taking turns driving him crazy. First it was George and Anubhav, then it was Samantha. Later it was the trouble with the cyclist - with no brakes.

"What if you see somebody driving a car at you like that, what if I weren't the one stepping on the gas?", asked Krishna, sure that Raghavan would have an answer.
"You just have to move out of the car's way. Now, how difficult is that?"
"..."
"Its only a matter of time. Let the temper drive the car down the cliff. When you look down from the edge of the cliff, you'll know that the car isn't yours. Neither was the problem, it never was...", Raghavan had deftly linked the metaphor with `the problem'.

"Patience is a virtue, it really is", Raghavan patted his son on the back, and left him to contemplate.

------------------------------X------------------------------

Anubhav didn't say a word, since he walked into the room. Krishna dialed the number to the US office on the speaker phone, as the clock stuck 11 - PM of course.

"Hello", That was Samantha.
"Samantha, Krishna here. Anubhav is here with me..."
"Hi people", Samantha and George shouted in chorus from the other end.
"Hi...", Anubhav chirped in, not so interestedly.

The rest of the conversation wouldn't interest the readers as much it would George. Suffice to say George took over after the status discussion.
"Ram and Nitin must stay with us to get us to Endura... They are great resources!". George made Ram sound like RAM - as in Random Access Memory, and Nitin sound more like a tin-box.
"George, it has been a long time since they both visited their families. Moreover, Anubhav tells me that we are comfortably placed to reach Endura.", Krishna defended.
"Nah, not again, I do not get this point of `visiting family' and `friend's marriage'. How long would they take anyway? We could get resources who would take lesser days off for a friend's marriage out here".

Krishna touched Anubhav's shoulder and indicated him to keep calm.
"I'll take care, Anubhav. Don't worry", Krishna whispered into Anubhav's ears.

They didn't see Samantha glaring unbelievably at George and shaking her head. Neither did George.

"George, its also Diwali - the christmas of the hindus. The first Diwali after marriage has special importance in the hindu family...", Krishna tried to rationalize.
"@#$%, oops, did I just say that...", continued George in mocking apology, "Even today, I had to take Nancy to the doc before I arrived here. Didn't I make it, sharp at 10.30 AM? You folks dialed in 7 minutes late. You guys should try to be more professional...", George continued the rant, in spite of Samantha.

Anubhav was near the edge of his seat, only passified by Krishna who promised to handle the situation. But Krishna wasn't talking.
George had by now crossed the limits of social and professional behavior - indian and american.
Unknown to Krishna and Anubhav, Samantha tried to interfere, but George was unstoppable..

"Sssh!..dont...", whispered Krishna as he motioned to Anubhav, with a finger on his mouth. But Anubhav was about to explode.

"My wife is out there pregnant and all that, would I be here during Endura? you bet I would. I dont understand why personal life should *ever* affect work..."

At this point, the conversation stopped a bit, They heard a rattle around the other end, and then a bit of muted silence.
"uhm,", Samantha cleared her through as the other end came alive again.
"Krish, looks like Nancy is not well, and needs George by her side. George has left to the hospital..."
"..."
"...uh, I guess nothing more needs to be said about the vacations", Samantha paused uneasily. "I leave the decision to you both."

Anubhav was beaming.

"We'll pray for Nancy. Let us know as soon as you hear from them, would you?", Krishna was a confident self.
"Of course", Samantha said smiling, knowing Krishna was in control of the situation.

------------------------------X------------------------------

"Hats off to you, boss! You handled it brilliantly. If it weren't for you, I might have added more trouble. By the way, where do you learn all this soft-skills, Krish? It will take me years to get to where you are...", said Anubhav, mocking a salute as they walked down the corridor.
"oh, con. You are almost there", encouraged Krishna.
"oh, by the way, am sorry for how I behaved to you in the morning... its just that I thought your patience was letting us down... I know better now. Am sorry.".

Krishna paused walking, and turned to face Anubhav.

"Anubhav, patience is a virtue, it really is", that was Krishna, s/o Veeraraghavan talking.
"oh, yes, you are right, but what could I do with somebody like George. Especially on this topic, when just loses his temper, and doesn't listen to anybody else?"

"Its only a matter of time. Let the temper drive the car down the cliff. When you look down from the edge of the cliff, you'll know that the car isn't yours. Neither was the problem, it never was...", said Krishna as he turned and resumed walking down the corridor.

Anubhav stood blinking at Krishna's back, only half-understanding what was just said.

The End.