Page 11 of Twisted Bonds

“From tomorrow, I want you to wait until I come to your university to pick you up,” she instructed sternly. “We can walk to work together.”

Mihir nodded with a smile. “All right.” He didn’t want to trouble her, but he wanted to ensure she was protected on her way to work in the early mornings.

Chitra looked at her watch. “Oh, let’s go! Or we will be late for work!”

Smiling, he walked next to her as she hurried them to their destination.

The place was a large brick building, and several people were waiting outside.

They stepped inside, and Chitra took them to the middle-aged woman who was instructing the workers.

“Good morning, Mrs. Daisy,” Chitra greeted. “This is Mihir, the new student I told you about yesterday.”

The woman looked at Mihir. “You are quite tall and appear strong too. Will you be okay working in the back kitchen sometimes?”

Mihir nodded. “Yes, Mrs. Daisy.”

“Great. Chitra will show you around.”

Chitra’s smile widened. “Thank you, Mrs. Daisy!”

Chitra explained more about the place. “This is called a soup kitchen,” she said. “They feed the poor and homeless people here. The food is freshly made and quite nutritious and filling, and most importantly free.”

The Thakvars sponsored many such meals for the people in Singoor. He had joined his brother and sister in distributing free food and warm clothing to the needy.

“The pay isn’t as high as working in a supermarket or a restaurant,” Chitra stated. “But this is the most convenient for you with your classes. Once you find another job, you can quit this one anytime.”

He knew he wouldn’t quit, and he didn’t mind working for less pay. He also intended to donate all the money he earned from doing the job.

***

Later that day, Mihir went to the university administration office.

He went to the section that was responsible for the international students.

The woman behind the desk smiled, recognizing him. “Good afternoon, Mr. Thakvar. Do you need help with anything?”

Mihir smiled back. “Yes, Mrs. James,” he replied. “Can you please tell me if there are any other students from India who joined the university this year?”

The older woman seemed surprised by his question. “As far as I know, there aren’t any other students from India who joined this year, Mr. Thakvar. But let me check.” She reached for a folder behind her and pulled it out.

The woman flipped through the pages, looking for the list of students. There was a small frown when she looked at a page. “Oh, there was another student from India,” she said. “Jai Krishna. He was supposed to join, but he didn’t arrive. There’s a remark here that the student had decided to pursue his education in India. He was sponsored by the… ISKCON foundation.”

Mihir’s suspicion proved to be correct.

“Thank you for checking, Mrs. James,” Mihir said with a small smile.

“You are welcome, Mr. Thakvar! Have a nice day, and please come by anytime if you need help with anything.”

“Yes, I will.”

Thanking the older woman, Mihir walked out of the international student office.

Inhaling a deep breath, he realized that Chitra mistook him for someone else. Deep inside, he suspected something wasamiss when she approached him at the temple two days ago and offered to show him the city. She had even got him a job.

She thought he was the student sponsored by the ISKCON temple. Jai Krishna was most likely an orphan like Chitra, which was why she felt a kinship towards him and was helping him.

He knew he should tell Chitra the truth. He should tell her that he was Mihir Thakvar and that he wasn’t an orphan. He had a family and didn’t need a job to earn money.

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