This chapter simply describes the developing plan and Jalina's new life. Things get a bit hairy at the end.

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The Rescue 6.

Characters.

Beverly Taff. Transvestite
James or Jamie Transgendered kid.
Candice Jamie’s Younger Sister.
Sergeant Williams Hate crime police officer
David Evans Knife-boy. (Son of Dewi Evans.)
Margaret Beckinsale. Jamie and Candice’s mum. (AKA Madge.)
Sandie Beverly’s best Transvestite friend.
Elizabeth Todd Beverly’s next door neighbour.
Jennifer Todd Elizabeth Todd’s daughter. A barrister. (QC.) Beverly’s best female friend through childhood.
Rastus Elizabeth Todd’s cat (Now owned by Beverly.)
Dewi Evans Bent politician and criminal.
Paul. Beverly’s transvestite Boss.
Calista Paul’s Transgendered girlfriend.
Stephanie Jenny and Beverly’s daughter.
Phoebe Paul’s Sister.
Rachel. Jennifer’s new girlfriend. (After Stephanie was born.)
Jalina Sha. Indian Engineering graduate (Now Hijra.)
Pradjit Sha Jalina’s father.
Kansha Sha Jalina’s mother
Sunita and Sundala Jalina’s younger sisters.

Pradjit Sha stiffened and Jalina tensed nervously, poised ready to whip her hand away and dive for cover if her father reacted violently. Even as a boy she had always been smaller than her father and brother and always vulnerable to unduly harsh discipline. Long childhood years of being the smallest weakest boy had instilled in her lightening reactions to the slightest nuance of threat.

She caught Paul’s eye and he nodded very, very discreetly as he clenched his fist to indicate that he would protect her if the elderly Asian man reacted untowardly. Paul was quite a powerful man. Jalina slowly sat back and waited, watching, like a cat watching a dog; wondering which way the foe was going to pounce. Paul watched her discreetly hitch up the skirt of her beautiful Sari with her other hand just in case she had to make an unseemly dash for cover. Nevertheless she bravely left her fingers elicately touching, but only just touching her father’s arm while her father’s face remained buried in his hands.

Then she felt the sinews relax and she tensed for flight before her father’s hand carefully reached and ever so gently touched her slender fingers. Paul watched like a cat watching a mouse, ready to seize Pradjit’s arms if he moved suddenly or in anger. His eyes were fixed, mesmerised on Pradjit’s hands while Jalina adjusted her legs and half rose from her chair ready to fling herself away if her father did rear up in anger. Then her father raised his tearful face from his other hand and noticed the tension; - Paul poised to seize him while the girl, - the lady, - his own son, - the hijra no less, crouched poised for flight.

Pradjit realised the stunning beautiful woman who had caused heads to turn at almost every instance at the meal table was afraid; -afraid of him, Pradjit Sha, one of the most respected men in Kolkata. The old man began to feel guilty.

‘Could anybody think so ill of him?’ He wondered. ‘Had it come to this?’

He looked first at Paul before speaking very softly, - almost in a whisper.

“I’m not going to hurt her.”

Paul, unsure of how to address the older man in such an emotional circumstance, said nothing. He had no idea of how to step across the culture gap and reach the man, how to communicate without causing offence, how to enable the man to keep his ‘face’, - his self respect. Instead he simply stared as compassionately and kindly as he could simply raising his eyebrows with a questioning expression then casting his gaze towards Jalina.

Pradjit realised his fingers were still resting on Jalina’s wrist so he turned to look at the beautiful hijra, - ‘No he thought, - the beautiful girl; for girl she was. Every male head had spun to stare at her when she first entered and nobody had realised what she really was.’ Then he realised the significance of Paul’s earlier words. ‘If she can pass as a woman,’ and he realised.

”You knew, didn’t you?”

Paul nodded and spoke equally softly.

“I’ve known for months Pradjit. I’ll not lie. Since we met at the Round Table meeting on the second occasion and then the department of commerce conference I have known about Jalina.”

“But how. How did you, a prestigious business man even get to meet with a hijra? They are the lowest of the low, lower even than the beggars.”

Paul shrugged. There was no need for Pradjit to know of Paul’s empathy with transgendered people from across far continents. Instead he stonewalled.

“I move in many different circles Pradjit. It is useful to try and reach deep into another society’s culture. I met the hijras because of some friends I brought with me. Their daughters met them and invited them back. They knew nothing of any risks to inviting a hijra into our hotel, nothing of the cultural strictures, conventions or blunders. But because the young girls had invited them, it would have been rude or crass of me to refuse them at our table. However, if you will remember, the hotel manager was very distressed so we elected to dine privately and other guests thought we were being insular and rude. We were not; we were respecting their cultural mores for it was they who would have been offended to be seen dining in the same room as a hijra.

They, the four hijras were intelligent, amusing, smart and pretty; indeed one of them was beautiful. This lady is that beautiful one, this lady was once your son.”

Pradjit stared uncomprehendingly as Paul continued.

“Now, Jitendra may to your eyes, have gone through a spectacular metamorphosis but I know better. Her brain has not altered, her wit and intelligence are all that I deem valuable and she has consistently proved me right to employ her as I have. She has been a priceless asset to advancing my endeavours. Boy or girl, man or woman, she is above all to me an engineer and a damned good one. This lady is the one, I believe ideally suited to taking your side of our partnership forward. So much so that if you refuse her that, - how shall I put this, - yes she is your oldest child so I will put it as I would see it, - her right! If you refuse Jalina her right then the deal is off."

Pradjit turned to Jalina still gently fingering the girl’s wrist. For long moments they stared at each other and the silence prompted Paul to speak again on Jalina’s behalf.

“You know she’s capable Pradjit; she proved that over the previous two years. All you and I need of this girl is her brain and that is unchanged.”

Pradjit glanced slightly guiltily in Paul’s direction before turning to Jalina again and playing with her slender fingers in his old gnarled hands. Finally he spoke, still keeping his voice soft to avoid unwanted attention from other people coming into the garden as they finished their meals.

“Can you do it girl? Could you get the business back on track?”

Jalina was ecstatic that he had called her ‘girl’ as she replied.

“I’ll try daddy, I’ll try with all my might. With Paul’s involvement, we can get the business ‘back on track’ as you say.”

She took his calloused hand in both of hers and kissed it gently, demonstrating daughterly respect and affection. Pradjit was both surprised and relieved. He had expected outright resentment and even some degree of aggression. This girl was obviously as beautiful inside as she was outside. He brought his other hand to smother hers and returned the kiss. This in itself was a remarkable sign of acceptance and Paul sensed the magnitude of the moment. As the two continued kissing each other’s hands Paul became a little presumptuous and called the waiter over again. Both father and daughter turned uncomprehendingly as Paul pushed a high denomination note into the waiter’s unexpectant top pocket. He winked at the pair as he instructed the waiter.

“Please go and invite Mrs Sha from our table to this one. Then keep everybody out of earshot for what I have to say is confidential.”

The waiter’s eyes widened with appreciation as he just caught sight of the colour and therefore the value of the note, then he scuttled of to comply. When Jalina’s mother arrived at the table all three occupants stood respectfully, Pradjit for his wife, Paul out of good manners and Jalina out of respect for her elderly mother. The old lady smiled graciously and stared wonderingly at her husband’s tears.”

“Are you all right Pradjit” His wife asked.

“Never better darling, never better.”

“So what have you been crying about? You know what the doctor said about stress, - the business, - the -.”

“Quiet Kansha darling. Sit down and calm down. I’ve got some news that you will truly enjoy.”

Kansha Sha sat down, adjusted her Sari and turned with a nod inviting Jalina to sit beside her. She then nodded to her husband who took the opposite chair while Paul waited for his ‘instruction’. The older lady looked up wonderingly.

“Are you going to stand there all evening Mr Whitworth?”

Paul smiled as he sat down saying.

“I was waiting for your permission young lady.”

Jalina’s mother grinned then squinted appraisingly at Paul.”

“You flatterer. That could get you anywhere.”

Then she noted the waiter bringing a large tea trolley with tea, coffee and cakes. He left it between Jalina and herself before starting to stretch a courtesy rope around the corner of the garden. The older lady realised there was to be something of import announced.

“Am I missing something?”

“On the contrary Mrs Sha, I believe you’re about to find something.” Paul announced softly.

“And what would that be,” she responded as she leaned expectantly into Paul’s space.

“I have learned that you actually have four children, two sons and two daughters.”

The old lady’s smile faded to uncertainty as she looked to her husband for comfort before answering nervously.

“Well, I, - I did, but unfortunately, my son, - my uuhhm oldest son, he left the family, - I uuhhm -.”

“You don’t know where he is.” Paul finished her sentence.

“I, - uuhhm, - I uuuhmm, - well no, sadly I don’t know where he is.”

So saying, Kansha Sha shot a baleful glance at her husband then cast her eyes downwards. Jalina took her cue from her father and repeated her earlier touch. A delicate two-fingered touch that offered support and understanding whilst simultaneously avoiding an invasion of her own mother’s private grief.”

“That must be very sad for you Mrs Sha.” Jalina offered very softly.

Her mother glanced at Jalina then glanced momentarily at her husband again with another angry flash. She was obviously struggling to contain her hurt and anger. Jalina decided enough was enough; she nodded discreetly to her father then smiled at Paul before declaring herself.

“D’you still not recognise me mother?”

The old lady was more alert to words than her husband and her head span sharply at the word ‘mother’. She peered deep into the hijra’s eyes before finally recognising the grey green eye colour of her long lost son. In a woman’s paler narrower face the eye colour had not been so dramatic under Jalina’s surgically enhanced eyelids and Kansha had not actually noticed them because of Jalina’s beguiling smile that had always served to distract.

Kansha continued staring disbelievingly as she studied the slender jaw with the rounder lighter curve of that jaw below and in front of Jalina’s delicate, trimmed ears. Jalina’s brow was smooth with no ridge and Kansha just could not see the person who had any right to call her mother. Then, as the dawning recognition of those eyes pierced their way into Kansha’s brain she let out a desperate sob.

“Jitendra? Is that really you?”

For an answer, Jalina folded back the sleeve of her top and turned her arm outwards to reveal the tiny horse-shoe shaped scar high up her under-arm where a sharp twig had once pierced her arm as a toddler when she had had stumbled while running in the garden. Nobody else knew of it for her mother had told nobody because she was ashamed her old mother-in-law might accuse her of being a bad mother.

In those early days, Kansha Sha had been a long way from home and Indian brides could have a hard time of it if their mothers-in-law did not approve. Such had been Kansha’s fate. She had hidden the boy’s injury for a week until the scab had hardened and nobody noticed. Only Kansha actually knew of the little scar until Jitendra had noticed it in his early teens tucked away just below the arm-pit. He and his mother had often joked that it was their secret sign. Now the scar had actually done exactly that. Raised her arm and fingered the scar precisely. Kansha stared stupidly as she recognised the distinct horse-shoe shape.

“Oh God! It is you Jitendra, but you have changed, - changed so much.”

Kansha ran her fingers along Jalina’s slender jaw and fingered her cheeks as she searched for any other form of identity. There were none. The face had completely changed. She shook her head disbelievingly.

“What did you do?”

“Surgery mother. Bangkok. If you look just under my hairline you can clearly see the still angry scars. They’re fading all ready though. A year and they’ll be almost invisible.”

Her mother searched like a mother chimp grooming it’s young as she probed Jalina’s hairline. She finally found the fresh angry red line and understood as Jalina explained.

“It’s like that all around my face but it’s cleverly hidden. He almost peeled my face off.”

“Was it painful?”

“Of course it was painful mother! It hurt like hell, - but nothing like the hell I suffered when you rejected me.”

“So where did you get the money. Not,-!”

“No of course not. I would never sink to that. I took out a bank loan.”

“How did you do that? Banks don’t throw money around. How have you persuaded them to lend.”

“I’ve got a job mummy, a proper job!”

“Where. Hijra’s don’t find jobs!”

Here Paul intervened.

“They do with me Mrs Shah. Westerners can sometimes be more tolerant and compassionate than Easterners. Jalina has been my representative here in Kolkata since we last visited. I can spot a good one when I find them. Your daughter is a good one.”

“You mean my son!”

Paul looked askance as he stared meaningfully at the stunningly beautiful figure of femininity and said no more. Kansha was forced to concede that the figure beside her was a woman.

“Alright then, my daughter!” She turned abruptly and demanded to know.

“Have you, - you know, had the other stuff done?”

“No. Not yet.” Jalina answered back boldly.

Kansha and Pradjit gasped simultaneously as Kansha squealed.

“So you’re, - you’re thinking about it.”

“Not thinking mother. I’ve decided. I started hormones almost immediately I got the job. I’ve already had an orchiectomy.”

She turned to Paul and flashed a dazzling smile that oozed femininity and gratitude. Kansha turned on Paul.

“What the hell’s an ocrhi,- an orchetomy.”

“An orchiectomy is castration Mrs Sha. Jalina has chosen to have her testicles removed.

Jalina’s mother cursed at both Paul and Jalina.

“Dammit! Do you realise what you’ve done?”

“Yes,” Jalina replied angrily, “I’ve chosen to be happy. I’m getting where I want to be.”

“And where is that.” Demanded Kansha matter-of-factly.

“On your side of the fence, the female side, the woman’s side.”

“You can never be a woman. You can never have children.”

“Thank you mother. Thanks for that.” Jalina snarled.

She would have fled the scene there and then except Paul had the sense to anticipate the hurt. He had seen Calista’s hurt when the same brutal barb had been flung at her. Gently he hugged Jalina to her and she burst into tears as she beat her fists on his chest. It was only then that Kansha finally began to get an insight as Paul demanded to know.

“Would you have said that to a genetic woman who was naturally sterile?”

Kansha was about to add another barb then bit her tongue as she realised just how much she had hurt the woman who was holding out the lifeline to the business; the business that had given her a particularly pleasant lifestyle; - the business she had slaved so hard to get up and running as a young bride. She stared fearfully as she realised she might just have brought the whole deal crashing down but she had reckoned without Pradjit, her husband. He flew at his wife metaphorically but spoke softly to emphasise his disgust with his wife.

“You cruel woman! How can you speak to our own daughter like that?”

“Huh! You might see her as a newfound daughter; all I see is a lost son. My eldest son.”

Once again Paul had to intervene.

“There have been enough harsh things said today. I think we should all calm down and drink another round of tea.”

“Bloody good idea Paul!” Pradjit hastily agreed as he reached to separate Jalina from Paul’s embrace and hug her to himself.

Jalina allowed her father to squeeze her and savoured something she hadn’t had from her father ever since she was a toddler; - a genuinely emotional hug. Eventually she settled back at the table but repositioned herself to avoid her mother’s gaze and place Paul between her and her mother.

Kansha realised she was being given ‘the cold shoulder. It gave her time to reflect and plan a strategy of recompense for she realised too late that she had seriously overstepped the mark. She started pouring the tea as a way of averting her embarrassment while Paul took out a copy of the contract as he saw it and gave it to Pradjit for consideration. Pradjit settled back into his chair to read the contract through. Jalina took some notes from her file and started to occupy her time while her father trawled through the contract that she and Paul had helped prepare.

Jalina’s notes were a bulky file containing her earlier analysis of her father’s bid for the partnership with Paul. There were several items that had bothered her but with going to Thailand for her feminisation and sorting out her modest little house in the suburb Jalina had been too busy to study the annotations she had made previously. Now she could study them at length as her father studied the contract.

As Jalina sat silent while tapping furiously away on her exciting new laptop Kansha watched and realised that her oldest son had gone forever. Unlike her husband who had almost had an epiphany and now considered Jalina to be a faithful, loving daughter, Kansha felt she had simply lost a son and nothing had been gained. The individual sitting by Paul was just a piece of flesh and blood; admittedly her flesh and blood but nothing with real potential; that was the potential to give her grand-children. That was the loss, the theft that Kansha felt and it was a woman's loss. Jalina had stolen Kansha’s right to have grand-children by her eldest son Jitendra.

For long minutes Jalina rattled away on her laptop and Kansha had to wait. Eventually she became impatient and made her excuses to join the main table where I was being entertained by the younger sisters. Sanji had left in a sulk at being excluded from the meeting between Paul and his father. The daughters kept pumping me about my assistant whom everybody in the restaurant kept staring at.

“Where did you find her?” Sunita, the oldest daughter asked.

“I didn’t. My friend’s daughters found her and introduced us to her in the grand Great eastern.”

“You mean those two young school girls who came with you last time.” Sundala, the youngest girl pressed.

I nodded as our waiter filled up our fruit juices and decided to remove my tropical white jacket. The restaurant was becoming warm and sticky as it filled up. Both girls’ eyes fell upon my thin cotton shirt or more correctly what was under my shirt. My skin tone bra. The swellings of my breasts were quite obvious and the daughters exchanged surprised looks. They had the grace to say nothing, obviously having attended etiquette lessons, they knew not to embarrass hosts but I hadn’t missed their startled glances. They excused themselves and left for the lavatory while I sat alone. I took my itinerary from my own briefcase and casually checked a few details until Kansha returned to the table. As I stood she asked where her daughters were. I told her and she frowned.

“They should know better than to leave a guest hanging around.”

“I think I rather shocked them.” I confessed.

“Oh how.”

“I forgot about my medical condition and removed my jacket.

Kansha looked at me and finally noticed my bra.

“Oh. I see. While the girls aren’t here then it might be the right time to ask. Are you like my son Jitendra?”

“Jitendra? Who’s Jitendra?” I asked.

Kansha sighed and corrected herself.

“Oh alright then, Jalina. The hijra who accompanies you two.”

“Uuuhmm, not quite. Jalina is transsexual, I am transvestite.”

“Do you and she, you know?”

“No. I have a partner, she’s back in England. We’re here on business this first fortnight. She and the girls and my daughter will be joining us and we’ll spend Christmas here in Kolkata. Paul’s sister will also be coming with his two little nieces.

“So you are not, - how do you say it, homosexual.”

I smiled as I poured Kansha some juice from the large jug and signalled to the waiter for some more.

“No Mrs Sha, I am not a homosexual but I am sympathetic to them and supportive. I empathise with your beautiful daughter Jalina.”

“That’s why you like her then, because she’s homo-“

“Let’s clear up that misunderstanding ma-am. Your daughter Jalina is not a homosexual. She is a woman born with the wrong equipment, the wrong plumbing if you will. She is now moving to address that flaw in her body. Once she transitions completely she will be as whole a woman as she ever can be. She will feel much happier and contented even though it hurts her hugely that she’ll never become a real mother. Has she mentioned to you that she might adopt. There are plenty of young girls in the orphanages around here.”

“Is Mr Whitworth attracted to her then?”

“Oh Kansha,” I smiled and wagged my head affectionately as I rested my hands in hers below the table level so that nobody could misread my behaviour. “Every red-blooded man in India is attracted to Jalina just look at her. Look at her now, look at Paul’s eyes filled up with admiration and dare I say it attraction. Even your own husband is behaving like an enamoured man towards her and that’s his own daughter. Jalina has been supremely successful and will be more so when she takes over the new factory. Be proud of your new daughter Mrs Sha. She may not be able to give you grand-children and that hurts her cruelly but she will give you everything else a daughter can and much, much more. That girl will turn the family business around.”

“She will have to work miracles. I’ve seen the books. Pradjit is desperately worried.”

“Be assured Kansha, Jalina already has a contract or two in her pocket, or should I say her purse.”

“What! Already!”

“Yes. To begin with she has our contract. Even if your husband decides not to go ahead, we intend to open a factory. Jalina will be its managing director. That’s already fixed. If your husband agrees to come in with us, Jalina will have a large slice of her own shares in the new expanded venture. Believe me Kansha, Jalina is something special when it comes to business. Take her back to your bosom as a daughter and your rewards will be almost as good as your other daughters.”

Kansha turned again to watch her ‘daughter’ laughing with Paul and her father and a tear escaped her eye. In any other scenario it would have been a mother’s dream arrangement. A beautiful daughter entertaining her future husband laughing at the table with her father. Kansha thumped her lap and suddenly stood determinedly.”

I hurried to my feet and asked where she was going.

“To do what I should have done earlier.”

I watched uncertainly as Kansha stalked back to the garden then leant over Jalina’s shoulder and kissed her unexpectedly right on the lips. I realised there had been true reconciliation. Jalina struggled out of her chair as Paul and Pradjit repeated my action earlier and hurried to their feet. Then she fell into her mother’s arms and hugged her furiously. I left them there and motioned to the waiters to bring our belongings to the garden table while I waited for Sunita and Sundala to redirect them to a larger table further inside the garden and overlooking the Hooghly.

Before they returned, Jalina asked her parents if her sisters should be told. I did not condemn them when they agreed to Keep Jalina’s identity a secret from the rest of the world. If the daughters found out then Sanji would invariably have to be told and Sanji had already shown his true nature as a jealous man. Sadly, Jalina had also discovered from the books that her younger brother was also a thief though she had not yet told her father.

The successful meal continued in the garden until midnight and then we went our separate ways, the Shas to their home, Jalina to her modest suburban house and us to our hotel. The girls were still waiting up for us when we returned and they naturally pumped us for information. Paul and I were glad of our beds. Madge joined me while Calista gave her new husband a good ‘seeing to’. Jenny and Rachel also indulged their rights.

After signing the contracts events moved forward quickly. Jalina proved to be a superb organiser and within a few days we were going around looking at different sites on government sponsored enterprise zones outside the city. The rest of our families came out over Christmas and the Shas fell in love with our children. Once again Jamie, Calista and Candice fell in with Jalina’s friends and we rarely saw them but at dinner when we had more or less taken over the smaller conference room at the Grand Eastern. Jalina, Paul and I lived in a whirlwind of activity sorting out various agreements but by the time we came to leave India things were well in hand,

Pradjit and Jalina bid us cheerio at the airport but not before organising ten year business visa’s for Paul, Phoebe and I. The Indian government were really keen to attract foreign investment as they eyed The Republic of China’s industrial growth. Paul’s small contribution was most welcome and everybody could see the growth potential. We left knowing the enterprise was in good hands with Jalina back at the helm.

We had not reckoned with a jealous son though. The sticky circumstances arose with Sanji’s discovery that he had been sidelined from running the new factory. He was furious when he learned he had been replaced by a hijra, a piece of vermin lower than an ‘untouchable’ who didn’t even appear to be connected to the family. There was one almighty row in the Sha household but Pradjit and Kansha held on to their secret about Jalina’s identity. Sadly, the tension did nothing for Pradjit’s health and to our despair he suffered a heart attack. It was not fatal but it severly restrained any further participation in the developments.

Jalina found that Sanji was moving heaven and earth through the courts to get his father declared incompetent so that he could inherit the business.

Because of his legal background and because of his contacts in the courts, he succeeded but to his frustration and rage he only then discovered that the original family business was owned jointly by his father and his mother. He only learned of this when he tried to call a board meeting and somehow use his new share holding to bulldoze his way back to the helm. The company secretary was forced to inform an incandescent Sanji that he didn’t have control of the majority shareholding. His mother held the other half, still. It was stalemate.

When Pradjit and Kansha had married, Kansha’s father had provided Kansha with a large traditional dowry with the proviso that the bulk of the money be invested in the venture they had started on their wedding day.
Unlike some Asian arranged marriages, Pradjit and Kansha’s marriage had been a true love match. Originally when Pradjit had gone against his own family’s arrangements and wishes there had been turmoil but eventually they had reconciled themselves to his union to Kansha. Kansha however had always suffered from some resentment from her mother-in-law but Pradjit’s father had grown to like her very much when she proved to be so competent at administering and helping to grow Pradjit’s business. The young couple had worked hard before the babies arrived and then Kansha, in typical Asian tradition, had to take more and more of a back seat.

Pradjit had failed to write a will but only his half of the business could ever go to probate for as soon as the rest of the family realised what Sanji was about, Kansha had immediately written a will and set about getting her husband declared competent again. Pradjit was frail and confined to a wheelchair but he was not mentally incompetent. To add to the family anger, Jalina had felt forced to tell her mother of Sanji’s theft after they learned of his duplicity.

Kansha was doubly wounded by the apparent loss of both her sons, - her oldest Jitendra to his sexuality and her youngest Sanji to his duplicity. It hurt her further to realise that she was now compelled to go with her transgendered older son.

Jitendra or as Kansha now had to think of her, Jalina had at least proven to be honest. For Kansha it felt strange to be surrounded by daughters but the real pain was realising she might never see her younger son’s children, her only grand-children, unless there was reconciliation. Furthermore Kansha had really liked Sanji’s wife and that connection was broken.

Fortunately the new enterprise was only one third controlled by the Sha family holding, Paul had invested the larger two thirds sum and then agreed to offer Jalina an option to buy half of Paul’s investment.
Jalina had naturally snapped it up for two reasons. One was to secure a genuine stake in her life’s ambitions and the second was to ward off any further machinations by her evil younger brother. Paul helped Jalina organise a bank loan to fund her option to purchase and the Indian government underwrote it. They saw the enterprise as more ‘Indian’ if it was two thirds owned by Indian citizens. The new expanded enterprise now had a three way equal split, one third the Sha family, one third Jalina and one third Paul. Sanji had been effectively neutralised.

Neutralised but not stopped.

Realising he could not regain control by any legal shenanigans, Sanji set about using more permanent means. A few weeks before the enterprise was set to open, Jalina disappeared.

On the Monday morning she failed to turn up at her new office and there were important contracts to be signed. Paul and I arrived before eight then Sanji arrived and finally his mother but of Jalina; - nothing.

By ten o’clock we were getting worried. The City representatives would be arriving soon and the contracts needed all the director’s signatures.

“Where is she?” Kansha wondered aloud.

Paul and I shrugged. We had only just arrived that Sunday night from London and we had been mildly surprised that Jalina had not met us at the airport as she usually did. We had already phoned her several times but there was no answer.

Now we were beginning to worry. We took Kansha aside and expressed our concerns but Kansha was already ahead of us. She had stepped outside the office and phoned the police. Hijras lived pretty dangerous lives and there was no knowing what might have happened to her transgendered daughter. As she held the phone to her ear she beckoned to Paul. He joined her outside the office while Sanji and I stood inside looking at them through the glass partition.

“Do you know where Jalina lives?” Kansha asked Paul.

“No. But Calista does. She’s been around to her house.”

“Phone her please and check. The police need to know.”

Paul dialled Calista who promptly gave the address, despite Jalina having once beseeched her to keep her address a secret.

Having travelled the mean streets of Kolkata slums, Calista had long ago learned of the abuse Jalina often suffered when sneaking home to her old home in the slums. It was Calista who had suggested that now she had a job and an income, she move to somewhere safer. Now Calista cursed herself for giving this advice. At least in the slums, surrounded by her own, Jalina had enjoyed a sort of massed mutual protection even if she had lived in dire squalor. Out in the suburbs even though she now shared her house with three hijra friends, she didn’t have that same crowded protection. Paul began to get a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach. So did Kansha.

As Calista revealed the address, Paul repeated it to Kansha, by the time he had closed his phone Kansha had already told the police.

“D’you know where it is?” He asked her.

She nodded gravely and they called me over to Kansha’s chauffeured car. We were there in twenty minutes to find the police swarming all over the place. Bodies had been found.