A Tryst with Destiny

The place wasn't far - a couple of hours drive. I wrapped some cheese sandwiches in foil, took a flask of coffee and was on my way. I got there in two hours and found the room easily. There was a villager with sweat staining his underarm standing watching my progress up the path to the house; he had both hands on his hips and a cocky expression. "There no one here." he said sharply and a bit accusingly. Where did they go? I asked "I don't know." He looked sullen, "they not paid my rent. Who going to pay rent?" he asked belligerently. "I seeing them go at 6 o'clock. They go in taxi not paying me. I know'd I should asked for advance rent...they don't look right to me. I think they was not married, they said they was. He always squeezing her bottom - married chaps don't do that. My father kill me if I don't have rent." How much is it? "You going to pay? You related to them?" Just tell me how much it is? "Well they was going to stay just for short days, the rent higher. It's always higher for little days - you ask anybody. Had them stayed for a month or more I charge them the normal rent 12 Rupees a day. And I telled them that it be 15 Rupees daily and they is agreed. How I to know they go away not pay me? Could be plan they made in mind- to go not paying me? So if I said 17 Rupees they must agreed as they plan to run without paying ...." Look, just tell me how much rent they owe you, how many days were they here? "They here three days, but I can give you rebate if you going to pay me for all three days. I'll give you rebate one Rupee a day... there! So you can take three rupees from forty-five and give me forty-two. I think that reasonable. But you want more, you speak to my father...." I slapped a fifty rupee note in his hand and told him to keep the change and walked away quickly before he had time to blink an eye or close his wide open mouth.