18
The beautiful sunrise at Marina Beach compensated for the 5 a.m. wake up call.
Hundreds of people took a morning walk along the seashore which ran down
miles.
‘Do you know this is the biggest city beach in Asia?’ Ananya asked as she met
me at the police headquarters building.
‘You’ve told me,’ I said.
‘Why are you in formals?’
‘I go straight to work. Trainees are expected to be there at seven-thirty,’ I said,
removing my shoes and folding my pants up to walk along the beach.
‘To do what?’
‘To suck up to the boss, who if you do a good job will promote you to the next
level of sucking up. Welcome to corporate life,’ I said.
‘I am not facing it yet. I have to sell a thousand bottles of ketchup every week. I
am so behind my targets.’
‘You’d better ketch-up fast,’ I said.
‘Funny,’ she said and punched me. Ananya saw a man with a bicycle. He
carried a basket full of idlis. ‘Breakfast?’ she offered.
‘Don’t they have toast?’
‘Don’t grumble,’ she said. We took four idlis and sat on a bench facing the
water. She spoke about her mother. ‘Guruji didn’t accept mom. He felt she isn’t
dedicated enough.’
‘But isn’t she really good?’ I asked, not that I could tell from the shrill cries I
heard last night.
‘She isn’t good enough by Chennai standards. Dad used to be posted in towns
outside Tamil Nadu. Mom became a star in the Tamilian community there. Here,
she is just OK. Chennai’s Carnatic music scene is at a different level.’
I nodded as if I understood.