I kept quiet.
‘See.’ He opened the file. ‘There is this school in Patna that really
wants him. They will do a skit in English for him. About the invention
of computers and the role of Microsoft.’
I saw the request. It had come from the Delhi Public School in
Patna.
‘This is an English-medium school. He can find this anywhere.
What’s so Bihari about it?’ I said.
‘Well, it is convenient. We can take him to DPS straight from Patna
airport.’
‘Mr Kaushal, I think Mr Gates wants to see the real Bihar. The posh
English school you will take him to means nothing.’
‘So what to do?’
‘Bring him to Dumraon Royal. Don’t worry, we will do a dance or
something without words.’
Mr Shyam Kaushal remained hesitant. Government employees are
the lowest risk-takers on earth.
Finally, he shook his head. ‘Something needs to be there in
English. His team has told us.They want Mr Gates to engage with the
event.’
‘Okay, we’ll do something in English.’
‘What?’
‘I'll figure it out,’ I said.
A knock on the door startled us. MLA Ojha came in. Mr Kaushal
stood up automatically. Government employees have a servile switch
in their brains. It makes them grovel in the presence of netas.
‘Listen to us poor Dumraon people at least once, Kaushal ji,’ Ojha
said.
Mr Kaushal folded his hands. ‘Trying, Ojha sahib. Goras want to
see the real Bihar but in English. I'm going crazy.’
Ojha slapped my back.
‘Rajkumar ji went to the best English college in India. He will
handle them well.’
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