Mystery at Malabar Cottage (The Spunky Cousins)

The children heard the shrill screech of brakes before they saw the car. A green car suddenly appeared from behind and overtook them over a curve at such breakneck speed that Mrs Desai pulled the wheel of her car to the left with a sharp jerk. The children were almost thrown sideways.

Within minutes, the dilapidated car had gathered speed and vanished from sight.

‘Crazy man!’ Mrs Desai exclaimed, furiously.

‘He could have killed us!’

‘They would have killed us. There were two men in the car,’ Samir added with an edge of anger to his voice.

‘How dare they drive like that on such a narrow, curvy road?’ fumed Tina. ‘Alpana kaki, do you think we ought to file a complaint with the police?’

There was a momentary silence as Mrs Desai considered the matter. Finally, she shook her head.

‘No, let’s just forget it. They are long gone, no point unnecessarily pursuing issues. And we don’t even have a proper description to offer the police.

Besides, why spoil a perfectly lovely beginning to your holidays?’ She smiled at her niece through the mirror.

‘But this was a most exciting beginning for our hols,’ Fulki said. ‘I mean, it does predict something exciting for us, doesn’t it?’

‘Oh God, haven’t you given up on your astrological predictions yet, Fulki?’ Paras groaned.

‘I thought this was your last year’s craze.’

Fulki had an unusual hobby each summer. Last year, it was collecting rusted things and the year before last, it was making flower vases out of old records. The children were well-versed with her changing fancies.

‘Craze?’ Fulki snorted. ‘Predictions are an art, they are magic, they are. . .’ she paused, searching for the right word.

At once, everyone grabbed the chance to stir the conversation away from Fulki’s boring hobbies. They began speaking about their holidays and very soon the car incident too was totally forgotten.

‘It’s such a wonderful day for travelling,’ Samir remarked. He was fondly called Sam by everyone.

‘Oh! I’m so excited!’ Fulki exclaimed, bouncing on the seat. The unruly curls around her plump face bounced along with her as if they had springs attached to them. ‘How much more time, Mama?’

Mrs Desai smiled. She manoeuvred the car neatly round a bend and said, ‘Be patient, we should be there in fifteen minutes.’

‘I’m impatient too.’ Samir grinned, displaying a charming dimple in his left cheek. ‘What fun to stay in a cottage which is more than two hundred years old. A cottage by the sea!’

‘We’ll be able to bathe and explore around and do just as we please,’ Tina said, enjoying the breeze on her face, her two tiny plaits sticking out at odd angles.

‘Is the house old, rambling and huge, Alpana kaki?’ Paras enquired, pushing his spectacles back along the bridge of his nose.

‘Don’t do that, Paras,’ Tina interrupted, frowning at his spectacles. ‘You know it’s not a good habit to keep fiddling with your specs.’

‘Please, you two—no teaching and preaching.’

Samir laughed as Paras scowled deeply.

‘It’s a dear little cottage, not very huge but big enough to house several guests. Panna uses it like some kind of a makeshift hotel for people who don’t mind a little bit of discomfort to be with nature.

As a child I really enjoyed my holidays here. It is a perfect place for children, safe and cosy and some of my friends have sent their kids to Malabar Cottage too. Panna has a hawk’s eye on all the guests, so the children are in good care and not entirely unsupervised. Some years ago, your father and I had visited for a short holiday and we really enjoyed the peace and the food. I’m sure you will have a splendid time here,’ Mrs Desai assured.

Paras and Tina, who lived in Pune, had come to spend their summer vacations with their cousins Fulki and Samir in Mumbai. But Mr and Mrs Desai had to change plans and go to Goa for some important work. It was the latter’s idea that the children spend their holidays at the Malabar Cottage, along the coastline and so here they were, on their way.

‘Look, there’s the sea!’ Samir shouted, pointing to the blue stretch of water, which appeared on their left. The waves lashed on the rocks and the children exclaimed with joy.

Soon the sandy beach came in view and four eager heads peeked out of the windows, to observe the Malabar village—a cluster of houses made of red bricks, stones and thatched roofs. There was even a red stone pavement and the village looked as if it was splashed liberally with shades of red.

‘It looks so cute! So fairytale-ish, doesn’t it?’

Fulki remarked. She was eleven, like Tina, and their brothers were a couple of years older.

‘It certainly does,’ Samir agreed. ‘I say, is that our cottage, on top of that hill?’

‘It is,’ his mother replied and brought the car to a halt. ‘Before we proceed, how about something to drink? Or an ice-cream? There’s a good shop here.’

The children did not need any invitation. They were out in a trice, glad to quench their thirst and stretch their legs. They all trooped into the shop which was cool and dark inside. Once their eyes got accustomed to the dark, they stared in amazement at the store. It was tightly crammed from top to bottom with all sorts of things! Packets of food, drinks, games, gift articles, and it even had a yellow phone booth tucked into a corner. And from amidst the clutter, an old, withered woman approached them, beaming from ear to ear.

Mrs Desai checked the mini fridge which was bravely shouldering piles of suitcases and ordered apple juice for all them.

‘Ah, you’re going to that cottage of mine, aren’t you?’ the old lady beamed. ‘A wonderful place, as old as the sea, but there it stands, strong and unbeaten, on the top of the hill.’ She spoke in Marathi.

‘If I am not mistaken, Panna is your. . .,’ Mrs Desai began.

‘Yes, Panna is my daughter. And I know you, don’t I? You had come to Malabar Cottage some years ago.’

‘I did and I loved it! But this time, only the kids are staying there.’ Mrs Desai smiled.

‘It’s a wonderful old cottage. Generations of my family have lived there and now Panna lives there. You see, I’m too old to walk up that hill, so I live in the village. But my dear Panna is bravely managing that difficult cottage and caring for her guests,’ she replied, her wrinkled face beaming.

Her black eyes suddenly sparkled as she added, ‘Well, you go and stay there, and if you are lucky, you may find a passage or two. Secret passages, you know.’

The children pricked up their ears. What was this they were hearing?

‘Secret passages! Like in story books? Do you mean to say that there are really secret passages in the cottage?’ Fulki asked eagerly, her curls bobbing with excitement.

‘You can’t be serious,’ Paras remarked, disbelievingly.

Mrs Desai smiled as she watched the exchange. She remembered how excited she had been when she had visited Malabar Cottage for the first time and she understood their enthusiasm.

‘Oh, I am very serious and you will be too when you see them,’ the old lady nodded.

‘But why would anybody build secret passages in an ordinary cottage?’ Samir asked.

‘Because it is not an ordinary cottage,’ Tina said.

‘Don’t you remember, Alpana kaki told us that the cottage was special and old and. . . .’

‘That’s right,’ Panna’s mother interrupted them with a twinkle in her eyes. ‘There were smugglers in those days, you see. They used to hide their smuggled goods in that cottage. It is full of secret ways and tunnels. You will find many if you know where to look. . .surely, you will. You come to me one day and I shall tell you the story of Pilot-Eye.’ She shook a worn finger and smiled wickedly.

‘Wow, this gets more and more exciting!’ Samir exclaimed, convinced. ‘We’ll certainly make it a point to visit you one day.’

‘Tell us something more. Mama, can we have another juice? It’s lovely to hear her talk but its so hot too,’ Fulki pleaded.

As Mrs Desai consented, the old lady fetched some more drinks. The sun was hot outside and they were getting late. But Mrs Desai did not have the heart to rush them. She had plenty of time actually, to drop the children off at their destination and return to Mumbai.

‘Panna knows many of them,’ the lady continued, juggling a few articles in tight spaces. ‘She would run all around the house as a child but she was a tremendous help to me. And now look at her, managing that place during the summer and keeping up a good reputation for the cottage.’

They chatted along for a while enjoying the old lady’s ramblings and the juice. Samir also took a survey of the store, keeping a sharp lookout for anything unusual to eat.

‘Find anything good?’ Tina teased.

‘Not yet. But such places always have a variety of Konkan spices,’ Samir replied.

‘It’s amazing how you are so fond of cooking, Sam.’ Mrs Desai smiled fondly at her son.

‘The best part is that we love his concoctions, don’t we?’ Paras glanced at his siblings and they all nodded.

Samir looked pleased.

Finally, it was time to leave, so the children bid goodbye to the old storekeeper. Mrs Desai hustled them into the car and they were once more on the move.

Soon, the car was crawling up the hill. A few minutes later, Mrs Desai turned into a sandy road which led straight up to the cottage. A sturdy-looking house of rock and brick, with a chimney sticking out of the thatched black roof, slowly came in view. A small garden with tall coconut and mango trees gave the house a quaint look. The car had barely stopped when the doors were flung open and the children clambered out. They ran to the edge of the cliff and peered down. The sea lashed on the rocks far below them and the view was breathtakingly beautiful.

‘Look, we are almost on top of the sea!’ Fulki exclaimed, holding her breath and her curls against the onslaught of the strong wind. The sea was like a vast, unending blue-green carpet below them, gleaming and glittering in the sun.

Just then the cottage door swung open and a plump woman walked out, smiling broadly. Brown as bread and draped in a pink cotton sari, she looked like a chocolate cake with lovely icing.

‘Ah, here you are at last.’ Panna beamed, looking exactly like her mother. ‘Come along in, it is cooler inside.’

The four children liked her at once. As she led them into a medium-sized hall with a high ceiling, she talked endlessly with Mrs Desai. They both seemed very pleased to meet each other.

The hall was simply furnished with hand-woven rugs on the stone floor, a sofa in which the children thought they would vanish and a long wall lined with books.

‘Wow, just look at those books!’ Paras exclaimed, spontaneously pushing his glasses back and totally missing his sister’s frown. He adored books and wrote stories too. He planned to be a great writer one day. ‘How do we reach the top, Mrs Panna?’

‘No one has ever called me that, child.’ Panna laughed. ‘Just call me Panna and I’ll feel a lot younger.’

‘Right, Panna.’ Paras grinned.

‘There’s a ladder in the kitchen and you can fetch it whenever you like. Those books are ages old. My family was fond of reading and collected all these books.’ She shrugged. ‘And now look at them, sitting on top of the shelves and no one has even touched some of them in years. I have such a task keeping them dust-free. But you go ahead and enjoy them—I shall be glad if they are of use to someone.

But what am I doing, standing and chatting with you? The tea is getting cold. Come along and have it first, you must be hungry after the long drive.’

The other five needed no coaxing and followed Panna into the next room. The table was laid with aloo parathas, chutney and home-made, hot samosas.

‘I’m going to enjoy myself here,’ Samir declared, as they tucked into the delicious spread. ‘These parathas are exceptional.’

‘You’re a wonderful cook, Panna, and you haven’t lost your touch.’ Mrs Desai smiled. ‘I’m glad I brought the children here. It was good of you to have them at the last minute, when you may already have a few guests.’

‘Oh, it’s no trouble at all. I told you, at the moment, there is only one Mr Jain who keeps to himself and is barely at home. And there are two more people coming over in a couple of days. But don’t you worry, the children will remember this Malabar Cottage holiday,’ Panna prophesied, grandly.

‘I know you will keep an eye on them.’ Mrs Desai smiled fondly at the four flushed faces, devouring the tea and snacks. ‘And now I must take your leave. There’s a lot of packing to be done and I’d like to reach Mumbai before nightfall. Goodbye dear children, enjoy yourselves. Remember, don’t go out on the beach at high tide and please, don’t be too much of a trouble to Panna.’

‘Don’t worry about them, I’ve handled children before and I have a boy of my own, who is the naughtiest in the world, and who also owns the world’s “worst dog”,’ grinned Panna. ‘These children will have plenty to see and explore and to keep them busy.’

‘Goodbye then and if you think you urgently need to call me. . .Sam, you have the mobile number, don’t you?’

‘Yes, Mama.’ Samir obediently brandished his small pocketbook.

After removing their luggage from the car boot, the children kissed Mrs Desai goodbye. As the car sped down the hill, they waved to her until she was out of sight.

‘Now begin our real holidays.’ Fulki sighed happily, as they returned to the cottage.

‘And we are going to enjoy them,’ Samir added, cheerfully.

‘That you will,’ Panna nodded. ‘Now, come along and I will show you your rooms.’ She led them up a small staircase to rooms lined one after the other on either side of the corridor. She opened two of the rooms in the centre.

‘This one is for the girls and the other one for the boys. Now better start unpacking and after you finish, you can come down to the kitchen and I shall introduce you to my boy.’

‘Right, thanks for everything, Panna,’ Paras said.

‘That’s okay. What would you like for dinner?’

‘Dinner! I’m so stuffed that I can’t think of food at all!’ Tina exclaimed.

‘I’m talking about dinner, child. And if I know kids at all, by that time you four will be ravenous.’ Panna laughed. ‘But of course, if you really feel you won’t be able to manage a big meal, I can cook up something light for you. Would that be fine?’

‘I think so,’ Samir agreed and the others gave their consent. ‘If you like, I can come help cook.’

Panna stared at him. ‘You will help me cook?’ she confirmed.

‘Oh, I love cooking!’

Panna laughed. ‘Good for you. Maybe you can put some sense into my boy, who hates anything to do with the kitchen except eating. But thanks. I can manage.’

As soon as Panna left them to unpack, Fulki and Tina turned their attention to the room. Though it was sparsely furnished, with a closet and a dressing table, the two beds by the window looked warm and comfortable. A rough hand-woven rug covered the cold stone floor. They looked out of the window and gasped at the view. Miles and miles of water stretched before them, the waves tumbling gently over each other.

‘Look! We can see the cove too. This seems to be the deserted part of the beach, doesn’t it?’ Fulki pointed to the small inlet below them.

‘Yes, we can have so much fun! We can even go boating,’ Tina replied, smiling happily at the thought. Her oddly angled, stiff plaits made her look funny. ‘I would love to try my hand at rowing. I think I’m quite capable of it.’

‘So am I,’ Fulki added, glancing at her plump form in the mirror. ‘You see, I am not all fat, I have plenty of stamina in me.’ She grinned good-naturedly, flexing her muscles.

‘I don’t doubt it,’ her cousin laughed.

‘Hey, I hope that these holidays and all this outdoor activity will help me reduce a bit. I would love to go back to school, looking trim and slim.’ Fulki sighed, yearningly.

‘Oh come on, Fulki, being plump suits you, you know.’ Tina hugged her. ‘All these ample curls would simply lose their charm if you lost weight.’

Fulki laughed. ‘Thanks. It makes me feel better.’

‘I say, what’s that far off? Can you see it?’ Fulki strained her eyes. She could see a hazy form like an island almost in the middle of the sea and a tall, building-like structure rising from it.

‘It looks like a building to me, probably a ruin. No doubt we shall explore it. Now hurry up and unpack. I’m glad we’ve got plenty of rough clothes, Bermuda shorts and swim suits. I can’t wait to splash in the water.’

The two of them hastily unpacked their clothes, hanging them neatly in the cupboard and pushing their bags under the bed.

‘I wonder if Sam and Paras have finished unpacking yet,’ Tina said, opening the door and peeping down the corridor.

A tall man was moving down the passage, frowning and checking his pockets. He was lean, his thin cheeks covered with stubble and he wore a pair of blue jeans and a white T-shirt. He stopped and continued to check his pockets. Suddenly, he looked up and caught Tina staring curiously at him.

A scowl flashed on his face. ‘Who are you?’ he asked, bluntly.

‘I’m Tina,’ she replied, a little taken aback with his rude tone.

‘Yes, but what are you doing here?’ he persisted, in the same irritated voice.

‘We’ve come to spend our holidays here,’ Tina answered, getting a little annoyed.

‘We? You mean there are more of you?’ He sounded as if they were a different kind of species.

‘Yes, we are four of us and we plan to stay here for a month,’ Fulki replied. She had just stepped out of her room and had overheard the exchange.

‘I don’t believe it,’ the man muttered. ‘I was clearly told that there would be no kids here. I must talk to Panna.’ With that he stalked off down the corridor.

‘Who was that?’ Fulki whispered.

‘I think, it must be that Mr Jain, Panna was telling us about. He sure does not look a friendly sort,’ Tina remarked.

‘If he hadn’t had that rude tone as if we were trespassing on his property, I would have almost predicted him to be good-looking.’

‘You don’t need to predict that, he is sort of handsome.’ Tina claimed to be an authority on looks.

The boys came out of their room just then and the girls told them what had transpired.

‘Well, he can jolly well keep out of our way if he doesn’t like us.’ Paras pushed back his specs indignantly. ‘Anyway, let’s not spoil our evening. We can go down to the beach and relax in the sand.’

‘And we’ve also made a discovery. We’ve just realised that the high tide will come in soon, so we won’t be able to explore the deserted part of the beach today,’ Samir announced.

‘Next time then, we must remember as we possibly cannot disobey Kaki. She particularly warned us about high tides,’ Tina agreed.

The four of them went down to the kitchen, chatting continuously. High tides and rude neighbours did not dampen their spirits. They had made up their minds to have fun and they had plenty of time to explore everything. One whole month! And that was a great deal for four children who were determined to enjoy themselves at all cost.