One Indian Girl(51)

‘We take a right from here, yes?’ I said, placing my chin on his shoulder.

‘Yeah,’ he said.

As we turned, we passed two cops at a checkpoint. They stopped us.

‘Licence,’ one of the cops said.

Brijesh stood up from the Activa and sifted through his pockets. He took out his wallet and checked inside. He couldn’t find it.

‘Oh, I think I kept it in the hotel safe,’ he said.

‘What?’ the cop said.

‘I have a California licence. From the USA. I left it at the hotel, sorry.’

The cops looked at each other.

‘We have to fine you,’ one cop said. He took out a challan booklet.

The other cop turned to me.

‘Madam, this is not right. You should not drive without a licence.’

‘We are tourists. Sorry.’

We had to pay a fine of 400 rupees. Brijesh took out a 1,000-rupee note from his wallet. The cops gave him the change. As Brijesh put the wallet back in his pocket, a small paper bundle fell out.

‘You dropped something,’ the cop said and picked it up. He held it in his hand and brought it closer to his face. He sniffed at it once, and gave it to his colleague.

Damn.

‘Can both of you step aside, please? Give us the Activa keys.’

‘What’s the matter?’ I said.

He lifted up the paper packet.

‘This is marijuana. It is illegal. We need to take you to the police station.’





21


‘Anjuna police station, mom. Opposite Children’s Park. The driver will know. Please come quietly with dad. Don’t tell any of the relatives.’

‘What are you doing in the police station?’ my mother said, her voice hysterical.

‘Stop shouting, mom. I am here with Brijesh.’

‘Brijesh? Brijesh and you are at the police station? Why?’

‘If you come here I can tell you. Bring dad, okay?’

‘What about Brijesh’s parents?’ mom said.

‘He has called them separately. They are coming too.’

‘Oh God. What is going on? Are you safe?’

‘Yes. Mom, Brijesh didn’t have a licence.’

‘Licence? Why?’

‘We went for a ride on an Activa.’

‘Activa? There are so many cars we have hired.’

‘Mom, just come.’

I hung up the phone. Brijesh sat next to me. Sub-inspector Samuel D’Souza sat in front of us.

‘Where did you buy it?’

‘It’s common in the lanes of Anjuna beach. I am sure you know,’ Brijesh said.

‘Are you suggesting we know and do nothing about it?’

‘No sir,’ I said. ‘Sorry.’

I elbowed Brijesh to be quiet.

‘When is the wedding?’ the sub-inspector said.

‘Friday,’ I said.

‘In two days. And this is how you start your married life. Doing drugs?’

‘It’s not a drug, sir. It’s mild herbal stuff. In fact, in California it is legal,’ Brijesh said.

The sub-inspector gave us a stern look.

‘Is this California?’ he said.

‘No, sir,’ Brijesh said, head down.

‘What is this place?’

‘Goa, sir.’

‘What do people come here to do?’ the sub-inspector said.

‘To party, sir?’ Brijesh said, in a soft voice.

‘No,’ the sub-inspector shouted. ‘People come here to have a good, clean, peaceful holiday. Not to do this nonsense.’

‘Yes, sir,’ Brijesh said, his tone apologetic.

I pressed my teeth tight to prevent a smile. A snigger slipped out. The inspector turned to me.

‘Are you finding this funny?’ Sub-inspector D’Souza said.

‘No, sir,’ I said, keeping a straight face.

Brijesh’s and my parents entered the police station. They saw us, sitting across from the sub-inspector.

‘What happened, inspector?’ my father said.

‘Are you the parents? Come see what your children are up to,’ Sub-inspector D’Souza said.



‘You are too much, Radhika,’ my mother said. I sat in a car with my parents. Brijesh sat in a separate car with his own folks. The naughty kids had to be separated, I guess, as we made our way back to the hotel.

‘I am sorry, mom,’ I said for the seventh time, ‘and thank you, dad.’

My father had finally made the cops thaw. Dad figured out a contact in State Bank of India in Goa, who in turn knew the police commissioner of the state. A few calls, tons of apologies and a wedding invitation to the entire police station was what it took to finally make the sub-inspector melt.

‘Both of you are going to start a life together. Have kids together. Is this how mature adults are expected to behave?’ the sub-inspector said before we left. My father kept quiet as he sat in the front seat of the car. My mother continued to talk. ‘I have never heard of any girl drinking and smoking drugs before her wedding. Never.’

I kept quiet. She continued, ‘If our relatives find out, what will they think? Out-of-control girl.’

I wanted to react. However, I clenched my fists tight to restrain myself. She didn’t stop.