For The Love Of Goddess Radha
By Nialvan
Nialvan@yahoo.co.uk
Chapter Three: Sam’s great opportunity
It was night time at the Kennedy house and Sam was in his study. He was going over some reports that he had picked up from the office that very evening when he decided to call in an early night. It had been a long day and he was tired.
He placed the documents he was reading into a folder which he then placed into his briefcase. He was about to close the briefcase and get up and make his way to his bedroom, when something inside of his leather case caught his eye. It was the large thick envelope that he had picked up at the office. He had forgotten all about that. Despite his weariness he thought he might as well open it up and have a look.
When he opened the envelope he discovered that it contained a cheap red coloured paper folder full of papers. The folder was quite thick. As he opened the folder the first paper he had come across was a letter recommending the services of an experienced maid. Quickly glancing through the other papers he realised that they were photocopies of her references.
Judging by the sheer volume of references it was obvious that the lady in question was experienced.
Sam drowsily skimmed through the covering letter. He was only partially awake and was hardly paying any attention to the letter’s contents. Then suddenly a piece of text caught his eye. It was a name: ‘Radha Padma’.
Sam then blinked a few times. The very name touched a nerve within his body. This time Sam was very much alert. He nearly jumped out of his skin when he saw the name. He couldn’t believe it. His beloved Radha. The maid that he was in love with throughout his childhood, even years after she had left his father’s employment.
But then again is it her? The name Radha is a very common Indian name, particularly in Southern India. He now read the letter very carefully. The letter stated that this particular maid was quite highly experienced and had worked in many places—which (judging by the number of years that had elapsed since Sam last saw her) were quite consistent with Radha’s background. She had a stack of references to prove it.
There was now hope that this Radha Padma was the same Radha Padma that used to work for his father. The very maid that he was in love with—even though the feeling wasn’t mutual. It had been a long time and if the truth be known he had forgotten about her. However there had been the occasion when he had thought about her and wished that he could just see her again—maybe one last time. She was his fantasy woman after all.
It was then that Sam had a thought. The references. He remembered distinctively his father gratefully writing out a flattering reference for Radha when she left Bernard’s service. If indeed this was the same Radha Padma that had worked for his father then the reference that his father had written for her would still be amongst the stack of the other documents that was enclosed in the envelope—that is if she had kept it.
Sam then quickly began leafing through the papers of the folder. He wasn’t expecting to find anything, when to his shock and delight he found a document that had his father’s signature on it. It was the reference that his father had written for Radha all those years ago. That settled it. It was Sam’s Radha alright. How coincidental. To think that he and Ross were only talking about her that very evening!
Sam then leafed through the other documents that were in the pile. The last sheet of paper was Radha’s profile page. Something caught his eye. It was a photograph!
As he studied the photograph he recognised her immediately. It was his beloved Radha. He couldn’t believe it. It has been so long. Almost fifteen years. He often wondered what she looked like. She should be in her late forties by now. He was perfectly willing to accept the fact that she was probably not the beauty that he had once known.
However judging by the photograph she didn’t appear to change much. Maybe her face was slightly more rotund than he had remembered. But even this was hardly a minor imperfection as she was still incredibly beautiful. There were no heavy bags under the eyes, or wrinkles or sagginess in her face as one would expect from a lady who had spent most of her years in such a taxing and stressful profession.
Such was the beauty of Radha in the portrait that he wondered whether the photograph was perhaps an old picture taken many years previously. Surely she still can’t look this beautiful after all these years, especially in her underprivileged career as a maid.
Sam then sat back on his chair as he pondered what to do next. He felt he had reached an important cross road in his life. His orderly life seemed to have gone in disarray the moment he had opened that envelope. Despite all of his successes over the years he knew that if he rang the agency that sent him details of the application that he had just browsed through and enquired about Radha’s availability then he will embark on his most challenging venture yet. Why that is he did not know. It seemed strange that a simple maid was having such an effect on him.
Whatever it is it can wait in the morning. Right now he felt tired. He was completely exhausted. As Sam tried to get up from his chair to make his way back to his bedroom, he fell back weakly. So drained of energy, he had collapsed in his chair and closed his eyes...