Chapter 21

Chapter 21

Thursday, April 21

In the morning, Cynthia gave final dose of medicines to Rishi, his course was over and he was normal with no inflammation in liver or kidneys. They ate egg-plant sandwiches in breakfast. Kiyoshi and Cynthia went to the place where Kiyoshi bought that ‘Friends are always welcome’ doormat. She bought two new same doormats, because one they had was worn up and other was for Rarisa’s home. They did some more shopping to complete their home.

Rishi and Cynthia had a walk in the park.
“Rishi I talked with Kiyoshi, I apologize you for sending you the cheapest air ticket. That was thoughtless of me. You are more precious than that.”
Rishi laughed. “You fool, that ticket made me meet Rarisa and then she met Mitsuki and you met Dr. Kiyoshi and now you two are married.”
Cynthia was confounded and stunned. Indeed that ticket had changed their lives, is still changing their lives. Had she bought any other ticket, things would not be the same.
“Mitsuki suggested me to buy an economical ticket for you in the anticipation if you wished to reimburse me; it could be the least burden upon you.”
“What did I say,” Rishi asked smilingly, “after you bough my ticket?”
“You said – Thank your very much.”
“So thank you very much.”
“But you came here and got entangled in mine and Mitsuki’s troubles.”
Rishi laughed. “I am having a very good time. Thank you very much.”
“No mention Rishi, please do not mention. Hey listen?”
“Yes.”
“Mitsuki is going to solve all the problems of LaserGear, he says it is a big mess right now but he will invent some acceptable solution, suitable for both parties. He was saying that it may give him some sleepless nights but he will do his best.”
“Why is he taking all the trouble, after all LaserGear is a business as any other? I only promised Arvind that I will talk with your father or you. No more no less.”
“Rishi you don’t understand these things – First time we met, it was at Arvind’s home. That place is a shrine to me. I want to restore peace there.”
“There is a village near his home, a pond is there.”
“I think you told me about that village where you met some farmer who gave you some herb.”
“Tell Mitsuk, we have to relocate all Moray Eels from it, to some proper habitat. Those fishes are unwanted there.”
Cynthia was stunned again and a wave of chill crept in her spine. Tears fell from her eyes.
“And tell him to see if we can bring water around that village. It is a very serene place.”
“Any other order Rishi?”
“That’s all folks.”

Rarisa took Rishi to show her research fields and to her university. Rishi showed great interest in the plants, forestry, horticulture, floriculture and everything that grew, in that agriculture research station. She showed him her work on the cabbages. She took four large cabbages because she was allowed to cook them to evaluate the quality.

Mitsuki and they all kept secret with Rishi about how Mitsuki’s office looked like. Rarisa was still on leave till Sunday. She drove Rishi to Mitsuki’s office and he was waiting for them at the entrance of the building. He took Rishi to first the office that was being under construction and then to the temporary office.

Bottle of water that Rishi had given to Rarisha at the airport to give to Mitsuki was lying on the boss’s chair and boss had the small visitor chair. Mitsuki and Rarisa both bowed to the bottle.
Rishi too bowed.
Raisa asked, laughingly, “Why did you bowed.”
“I bowed to water. Water is the holiest thing on this earth. Water made the life possible; it is nowhere else other than earth.”
They all bowed to the water again.
“Water is very holy, very fragile and very delicate,” Rishi said, “One can destroy whole river or whole lake or all water on the earth by destroying a little of it.”
“It is true Rishi San, nothing can grow without water. No life can sustain,” said Rarisa.
Mitsuki said, “Life is sacred. It only happened on this earth because of the water.”
They ordered saluted Chinese mixed vegetables with rice, ate lunch with Mitsuki. Then Mitsuki came to see them off to Rarisa’s car.
“Bye Mitsuki San, I got to teach how to cook cabbages today.”
“No pumpkins today.”
“Nope, may be tomorrow or day after it.”
They drove to Dr. Cynthia and Dr. Kiyoshi’s home to cook cabbages.

2

Mitsuki aka Takahari was gaining attention of the people, crowds were gathering around the monastery to have a look at the monk who was running billions dollars empire again. Although monk left early and arrived late but still police was worried about his safety. Police told him to find another secure place to life or hire some security guards to guard him. Already a violent but failed assassination attempt was made to an inmate Rishi at Buddhist Center, with two assassins dead. Police chief himself gave him the news at night when he returned.
Same police chief went to Dr. Kiyoshi’s home and threatened Rishi with deportation to India, if he does not leave the area immediately. Cynthia and Kiyoshi discussed the matter and decided that Rishi and Mitsuki, should stay at Russet Frazier’s estate if they wish. They called Mitsuki, he too had no choice. He was fearful to live at the haunted home but agreed if Rishi too was to live with him. Mitsuki decided to stay at the estate till monastery could begin. That place suited him well because he could commute by helicopter to save another two hours in commuting to and fro to Russet Frazer HQ.

3

Cynthia was driving the car; she punched the codes in the keypad and gate opened. She parked the car in the parking.
Rishi picked up his backpack.
“Want to come in to say hello to Papa Russet.”
They both said at the same time, with broken heart, “No thanks.”
Both were upset that Rishi and Mitsuki were going to live in the same fearful haunted place.
“I guess I am the man of house then. The In-charge”
“Yes, feel free. Enjoy.”
“I guess I must pick Papa Russet’s lock to use his colon.”
“Yes, feel free. Enjoy. Please.”
“You got any coal tar in your car?”
“No why?”
“I saw him throwing the key in the swimming pool. I can bring it up with some pole using coal tar sticking at the end.”
“May be Mike McDonald got some,” Cynthia said, wiping her tears.
“He won’t stand thousand yards from this house.”
Cynthia asked Kiyoshi that it was his job to do the driving now. Kiyoshi and Cynthia came out of the Mercedes to change seats.
She begun weeping and Kiyoshi reversed the car and sped off without saying good bye to Rishi, because deep inside he too was weeping. They could have put Rishi at Rarisa’s home or in any motel, but then what to do with Mitsuki’s problem. He was a high profile person now and also needed a helipad to commute.
They were already missing Rishi, the person who was changing their life.

Rishi went to beach and had a long walk. Then returned to the home, opened the refrigerator and found turnips. He had a beer while making turnip curry and rice.
Then he tried to pick the lock at Russet Frazier’s room, that he had installed himself. It turned out an easy work. He slid the plunger with a think knife and door opened. Rishi ran out of shaving things. He shaved in Russet’s bathroom using his razor and foam. He took a bath in his bathroom, there were many types of colognes he tried all one by one and then walked out. He left the door open because there was slight chance that Cynthia will ever stop foot in her father’s room. She as well Kiyoshi, they were too scared of his ghost.

4

At 11pm Mitsuki took helicopter from the roof of Russet Frazier Corporation HQ. He was very eager to meet Rishi again. Rishi had put him back to where he quit his life as a billionaire business magnet. Rishi had ordered him to start where he left off, six years ago but do the things differently. After six years of gap he picked up the similar thread and was doing similar, but only differently. This time without a cause and effortlessly. Only some days ago he was walking to meet his Buddha, as a pilgrim to the airport, and today he was going there on a giant, luxury helicopter.
Mitsuki laughed because now Buddha had become his chef.
Pilots had remote control for ground lights, whole area at and around the helipad lit up and enormous helicopter landed with a great noise on Russet Frazier’s helipad. Pilot opened the door and he got out, and helicopter flew back.
Rishi opened the door for him. Mitsuki’s nose was filled with some kind of strange smells. He sniffed Rishi.
“What kind of smell it that?”
“Well I applied all the colognes that Papa Russet had in his bathroom.”
Mistuki shivered with fear because Russet Frazier’s body was still lying in a funeral home waiting for burial, his ghost was meandering in the home and this enlightened idiot was already pillaging his things.
“No wonder why you smell like red light district of Shanghai.”
“Thanks for your kind compliments.”
“Whose night suit are you wearing,” Mitsuki wondered, “it is not yours and it is too large for you?”
“It is Papa Russet’s”
“Oh nooooo. Please and kindly don’t pinch his stuff for Buddha’s sake; his soul is not resting yet?”
Rishi and a good laugh and then Mitsuki too laughed.
Mitsuki had another great dinner with Rishi and then they went out for a small walk.
“Please don’t scare me Rishi San.”
“Have I ever scared to anybody?”
“Yes to Cynthia and Kiyoshi.”
“But I only broke the plates; they saw Papa Russet with their own eyes.”
“Please don’t do any such thing to me. I am very scared. I only agreed to stay here to spend time with you.”
“Yes Me too.”
They had a little walk at the beach.
Mitsuki asked, “Since you should know that everything what we got is yours, actually I am working for you Rishi San. Cynthia still asked me to ask you if you have any need.”
Rishi laughed.
“Rishi San, what is your reply?”
“I have money today, what may happen tomorrow, nobody knows.”
“OK, I won’t interfere in your affairs or force you anything but feel free in the future.”
“You too, just feel free in the future. If you want to be made fool, or missing a laugh, come see me.”
“I will send a jet for you?”
“Mitsuki San, Mitsuki San, if you want to laugh, stand in the harmony of Creation with its all objects. If you send a jet, laugh will be gone.”
Mitsuki was musing and nodding.
“Laugher is the most precious phenomenon that Creation has bestowed upon humans. No other creature on this earth can laugh because no other creature can sees the absurdity. Babies begin laughing as the shock and pain of birth is over.”
This was another milestone for Mitsuki.
“What do you mean by absurdity?’
“We are happening with the Creation but we invented Gods and Buddha. We are virus on this beautiful earth; we will destroy this earth and its all water. We have vanity; we say Gods made us on as his own shape and face. We are leading to the destruction.”
“Yes, but what we can do about it?”
“It too is Creation’s wish. We can not do anything, had never done anything, we are not doing anything. We are Creation and it is happening.”
“But we are virus ….”
“Yes we are virus, we make big homes, we cut trees and pollute water and we need more and more things. We are eliminating all other creatures on this earth by killing them or eliminating their habitat.”
“Then what we can do?”
“Then what I can do? Not seeing the vanity in born as a human, I am same as a blade of grass, except that I can laugh at the absurdity of my vanity.”
They went downstairs, Mitsuki’s belongings had not arrived yet, he was wearing only Buddhist monk’s wrap. Since Rishi was wearing Russet Frazier’s night suit he gave his own to Mitsuki. They both slept on the same king sized bed in the same room where Rishi slept before.
Mitsuki fell to sleep, Rishi left the room, washed and dried Mitsuki’s monk’s wrap and his own clothes in the laundry, he ironed Mitsuki’s wrap and put it on the table in the room. Now he knew the whole house, could negotiate the hallways and area without turning on the lights at the night. He went to Russet Frazier’s room, and found new pack of under-wears and white socks; he brought a set down to his room for Mitsuki and then went to sleep with him at midnight.

5

Cynthia cooked curried cauliflowers with potatoes, Rishi’s way. Rarisa was not allowed in the kitchen, although it was Rarisa’s cauliflowers, because too many cooks can spoil the broth. Rarisa cooked rice in the electric cooker in the dining room. The all tasted the curry, it turned out so and so, Rarisa took over and fixed it with adding little Thai coconut paste and cooked it again for some time, and WOW!
After cooking was done, as a ritual that Rishi had started, they set aside some food for Mitsuki the monk.
They sat on the dining table, Rarisa took notes on the color, texture, taste of cauliflower as her ongoing research project, and they all helped her discovering or rather inventing more features in that cooked research cauliflowers.
This dinner was superb too.
After dinner they followed another ritual that Rishi had started, the walked in the streets and then in the park.
Rarisa said, “Rishi made a chef of all us.”
Kiyoshi said to tease her, “And in two days you have gained some weight.”
“Oh nooo.”
Cynthia said to Rarisa, “You are too anorexic, you can use some weight?”
Kiyoshi said, “Tomorrow, let’s cook zucchinis for dinner?”
“What are we going to do with pumpkins then?”
“Oh yeah, I forgot about the pumpkins.”
“Rishi was saying that,” Rarisa said, “there is totally different way to cook pumpkins. One needs cumin seeds, onion seeds, coriander seeds and fenugreek seeds.”
“Tomorrow we will bring those seeds.”
“Tomorrow it is my turn to cook,” Rarisa said, “I will call Rishi for the recipe to cook pumpkin.”
“And tomorrow is my turn to fix, whatever you do wrong,” Cynthia said.
They laughed.
Cynthia and Kiyoshi were both thinking that they all are making a very happy family.