Page 73 of Obsession

“That one act changed my life, you know. Not that I knew it at that time. I’d just done my duty and helped someone in need.”

“And then what happened?”

“After that gang ran away, I took Alexander to a nearby clinic, where he called someone. Ten minutes later, three huge foreigners armed with guns entered the clinic. For a second, I was terrified that people had come to harm us, but Alexander told me they were his bodyguards. Imagine my surprise on learning that Alexander was a massively rich man from Russia.”

“And where were these bodyguards when those ruffians were bothering him?” she asked, as they walked further away from the house.

“Alexander had come to Rishikesh for the first time. He was visiting anashramto meet a guru he followed. Theashramwas close to the orphanage. That night, Alexander had landed up by the river to watch the GangaAarti. Some VIP was in attendance, so the place was too crowded, more than usual. In the mayhem, he’d gotten separated from his bodyguards.”

“Then what happened?”

He stopped to stare at her. “You really are so curious.”

“Part of my job description. And of course, I’m curious. You never told me any of this in the past.”

His expression tightened, and he looked ahead in the distance. His voice was stilted when he spoke next. “Alexander offered me money, of course, as a reward for helping him. But I refused.”

Her brow furrowed. “Why?”

“Because while sitting there with him in the clinic, I realized I could barely communicate with him. He spoke such fluent English. We all went to a local school that offered basic courses, but it wasn’t enough. Now, here was this man, willing to do anything for me to reward me for my bravery. So I used that opportunity to save the lives of my brothers and me, and…” He paused, shook his head, and then continued, “I asked Alexander to sponsor English classes for us. We had four years remaining at the orphanage before we were let out into the world, and I was determined that we all had to succeed. But to do that, we needed to learn English first. He couldn’t believe that instead of money, I was asking for this. While dropping me back to the orphanage, he asked me to bring my family to meet him the next day at theashram.”

He walked ahead, and she went with him. She hated how cold his voice had become, how he refused to look at her. She hated that the past was ruining whatever little harmony she’d found with him.

“Well,” Mihir continued, “I returned to the orphanage and told the others what happened. The next day, I took all of them to meet him. Alexander was so impressed by my determination to chart a better path for my little family that he not only sponsored our English lessons but also got us unlimited access to a library. That was the first day our lives began to change.”

Mihir sighed. “It’s so funny when you think about it. Alexander had lost his wife and only child during childbirth many years ago. He’d never remarried and had been feeling lost for too long, like he had no purpose in life. Someone had recommended this guru in Rishikesh as a means to finding mental peace and well-being. He came to India to find a sense of purpose, and what he found was us instead. Soon, he became a friend and a mentor. Those two months when he was there that year, we used to wait to finish school just so we could go meet him. He’d tell us stories about his life in Russia, show us pictures on his laptop of a land so different from ours, and we used to listen enraptured.”

He looked into the distance. “Dmitri was Alexander’s Head of Security then. Alexander trusted him, and Dmitri was always with him. Dmitri took the incident of Alexander getting lost and being assaulted very personally. I’d gained his appreciation for rescuing Alexander. Thus, along with Alexander, I gained a friend in him too.”

Now, her earlier conversation with the butler made more sense. He was quite protective of Mihir, indeed.

“How did he get his limp?” she asked.

“He’s got osteoarthritis, and that makes him limp, especially when the pain in his joints aggravates, which it certainly does in the winters. I always tell him not to come to Moscow with me, especially at this time of the year, but he never listens.”

“He’s quite loyal to you.”

“He is.”

“Alright, continue with your story now.”

Mihir shook his head. “God, you’re so bossy!”

She gave him a pointed look.

“After Alexander left that year, we never imagined he’d return. But he did, every year for four years. During these visits, he not only introduced us to the internet but also sponsored our education in advanced English, computers, Microsoft Office… and forced us to learn basic finance and accounting. He also instilled in us the importance of proper behavior and comportment, aiming to refine us, to be better. To fit into the world better.”

Mihir turned and faced his home. “I never, in my wildest dreams, thought I’d be living here one day. That I’d actually get to visit the places he spoke of so ardently. That I’d also love the places he loved. I miss him so much, every single day.”

She turned to face the house. Set over three levels, the house was made of white stone, with several pillars, all topped by triangular pediments and several glass windows. The lawns at the front and the back of it were huge and surrounded by birch, ash, and maple trees, their branches all bare in this weather. But in the summer, with all the colors in full bloom, she guessed it would be spectacular. This property was old, beautiful, and fit for royalty. Looking at it, she felt excited for the little boy who didn’t know that one day he would inherit all this.

“This house is truly spectacular,” she exclaimed. “My room is beautiful too. Thank you for that.”

He glanced at her. “You’re welcome. It used to be my room at one time. After Alexander passed, I shifted to his suite. It’s what he wanted.”

Mihir had let her have what was once his room. Why? Her stomach was swooping and twirling with all these confusing signals she constantly got from him.

“Alexander was extremely fond of all of us, and we, of him,” Mihir said, looking back at the house. “He treated all of us equally, but he and I… we shared a bond. It was special. He discussed things with me before he told the others. He always took my opinion first. He told me once that he missed his son, but when he was with me, his heart felt like I was his. That I was his son. All too soon, I also started treating him like a father figure. He was just so wonderful. So encouraging and so giving.”

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