Managing the problems of his teen years and being on the threshold of adulthood, Justin graduated from high school and started hunting around for a college. Though not too brilliant in mathematics, majoring in science was his dream. However, the probability of getting into a science college of Delhi was very tough and Justin did not stand a chance. In light of the situation, it was decided that Justin should seek admission in one of the colleges in the city of Jaipur in Rajasthan, where a slightly lower percentage may be acceptable. Arrangements were accordingly made for him to stay with the family of one of their relatives, Mr. and Mrs. David, who were living in that city.
The family of the elderly Mr. and Mrs. David, with three boys and two girls, was simple and unassuming. The three boys slightly older than Justin were still struggling to get through the high school, whereas the two girls in their mid-twenties were pursuing a professional course. The older one, named Poonam, was the younger sister of Mrs. David and the younger girl, named Shelly, was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. David. Fair maidens with long hair, both had petite structures.
Talking endlessly, listening to popular Bollywood songs and feasting on home-cooked mutton curry were the passions indulged into by the family, the order of activity being interchangeable. Earning livelihood was the prime responsibility of the womenfolk. Mr. David, who had taken up early retirement from the job that otherwise also could never sustain the whole family, had his own preference of listening to the world news on the family-owned transistor radio. The verbal bout between the family members over the radio during primetime was always spectacular to listen to for an outsider. It seemed special care was taken to clear the vocal chords of every member of the heptagon family by the midwife during their respective births. Bickering, arguments and cohesiveness—forces otherwise diverse in nature—worked hand-in-hand in this family. They fought for the same things and came together over those very things.
The three-floor family house on the main road could be easily identified from the rows of other houses by the very beautiful, tall and big-but-lean German shepherd that took pleasure in stationing itself on the top of the third floor terrace parapet wall. Called ‘Tiger’, the German shepherd was the common love of the heptagon. His fawn and white-coloured fur coat with big, beautiful expressive eyes made Tiger a darling of everyone. As is famous for this breed being a one-man dog, Tiger was most faithful to the middle son, Rishi. Every day in the morning, Rishi used to take Tiger for a walk when passersby would throw appreciative glance at the beautiful four-legged creature that moved majestically with its head held high. Rishi carried a ball and Tiger would walk beside him, looking expectantly for the ball to fly out of his hands so that he could race behind and intercept it midway—holding the ball in his big mouth as a prized catch—and walk back triumphantly.
Justin soon became a part of the family and was always treated with more respect than was commanded by the three brothers combined. All assignments that needed extra care and dependability came his way. One of the daily tasks of importance for the family was the commute of the two young women to their vocational college. This needed dependability, punctuality, skill and equipment. The main mode of individual transportation in the bustling city was the bicycle. Justin was the proud owner of a dark green Sunbeam bicycle, fitted with two side-view mirrors and sports handlebar that gave one the feel of riding a motorcycle.
The two girls ready in their starched chiffon saris were always on the lookout for a more reliable, expert, and fast ride to drop them to their training institute. Justin excelled in all these areas and there were always undercurrents between the two maidens as to who could ride on the rear carrier seat of his bicycle.
Endowed with a sharp-witted tongue, Poonam was the fairer of the two. In the morning, she would somehow always manage to position herself next to Justin’s bicycle and thus lay her claim over a ride with him. Shelly, the younger one, on the other hand, would usually be left behind to take the ride with one of her brothers on their old bicycles, which were usually dirty and had less-inflated tires. Plus, there was always the ever-present risk of the ride being abandoned midway because of some inevitable and nearly routine malfunction in the bicycle, thus necessitating a bail out that would not be available to the damsel in distress. Whenever Shelly got pushed to take a ride with one of her brothers, missing her chance to make a safe bet by riding with Justin, he could perceive sorrow on her face.
This early morning squabble was a daily affair and everyday Justin confronted two pair of eyes; one gleaming victoriously and the other with a sea of sadness in them. Sadness is always more profound than happiness and it started to touch Justin more with each passing day. As a result, he started playing small tricks each morning, by running back to the room on the third floor to fetch another book or his fountain pen, that were supposedly left behind, so that by the time he would come down, Poonam, who would be fuming by then, would leave in a huff with one of the brothers. Shelly saw the efforts Justin made to side with her, and in return, she started taking special care of his needs. She would pour out a select portion of curry for him, specially cook fresh chapattis for him, take care of his laundry and be more observant about his daily needs.