"What about me?" He asked, surprised.

"I don't know anything about you, though we've known each other all this while." I said.

Karam laughed, and it was clear that even such a simple act was taking a toll on him. "I don't have much to speak about, I am afraid."

"I don't mind however little." I said, sitting on the sturdy teak chair, that had most definitely seen better times.

"Well..." He said, thinking. "I am also an orphan. My mother left me on the day I was born. I also lived under the care of the same orphanage your mother was from, do you know that?"

"Not until now." I said.

"Anyway, I did my steno course and joined as your father's assistant. And that's it. And I never married." He said.

"So you were the one who suggested the orphanage to my grandfather?"

"Well, yes. Master was looking for a place to help. And I suggested the orphanage I was from, because, why not? Though it had been a few years since I'd visited. Your grandpa liked the place immediately." He said.

"Really?" I asked him. "What did he like about that place?"

Karam smiled, his toothless grin more prominent now. "You really resemble the master in the way you keep asking questions, you know?"

"Somehow, I'll consider it as a compliment." I said.

"It is a compliment, my dear. Young people are so paranoid nowadays." He said. "But I'll tell you why. He liked the place because he loved how the kids bonded with themselves, despite having nothing. He loved how welcoming and nice they were, he especially liked how nice your mother was."

"Was my mother close? With her siblings, I mean?" I asked him.

"Yes, as far as I can remember, my dear. Though I don't remember much about the details. You should ask her mates about that one." He said.

"Oh, okay. Fine." I said. "Go on."

"As I was saying, Master really loved how cheerful and energetic they were, despite the circumstances. The next time he came, they surprised him with a play! He never let go of the orphanage after that." He said.

"What play?" I asked him.

"My dear, you really do question like the police. In fact, I may have a photograph in there somewhere! Maybe that'll answer your questions." He said, and scooted off to another room.

What was the problem? It wasn't like I was asking him some highly classified information, I was just asking him about some boring things that happened in the past. He returned, tucking in a tattering yellow photograph. But the image was clear in black and white.

My mother was wearing some pants with a fake beard, and there was a girl next to her, and it was unmistakably Geetha. My mother's sister/friend.

Arjun's mom.

There was also a third person though only half of the face was visible. That person was standing next to my grandpa who looked much younger.

"Who is that?" I asked him.

"That? That is Shankar. He was also one of the people who were in the orphanage." He said.

The name stuck familiar to me and I realised it was Shankar who'd casually suggested that I try find out about Geetha, when everything was just starting. The way the world was working was funny.

"Are there anymore questions, my dear?" He asked, a clear signal that he wasn't ready to answer any more of my questions and that my time was over.

"Yes. Just one." I asked him.

"What is it, my dear?"

"What was the name of the play?"

He grinned. I loved how everyone told me everything, and the same time nothing.

"Alibaba and the Forty Thieves." He said.

And then I understood everything, and answers fell into their place.

________________________________________________________________

I went to the venue Shruthi had messaged, and unsurprisingly Arjun was there. He looked at me questioningly.

"Arjun has come to surprise me. Isn't that the sweetest?" Shruthi beamed. I nodded mechanically. The contestants were called right at the moment and she had to go and participate.

"You horrible guy! I really hope when this ends, Shruthi and I would never get to see your face again!" I said.

"Calm down, what's the matter now?" He asked me.

"I hope she finds out that you are only using her to get to me!" I said, my eyes glistening. Shruthi didn't need to be the victim because of my family. I could tell that she really loved him.

"Unfortunately, no. I can't let that happen. And this is one of the few things that I plan on going with the flow." He confessed.

"Hurting her is the same as hurting me." I said, and his stance softened, and he began to say something, but I interrupted him. "And I figured out who the executer for your will might be."

"Who do you think?"

"Mr Shankar. Though I haven't any idea he is in real life."

He smiled. "And how did you accomplish to find that out?"

"Just an old man saying things and the rest I figured out on my own. I am clever." I said.

"The rest?" He questioned.

"Everything, etcetera, etcetera." I said. "Our dear family's own dear tales."

He smiled, but somehow it was a sad one now. "I told you many times to stop snooping! I tried so many times to protect you from the truth!"

A trickle of tears fell down from my eyes .

"Are you proud of our dear family's dear heritage?" He asked me sarcastically, and his face mirrored mine.

"Very." I said. "In ways you can't imagine."

Later, when Shruthi came up to us to announce that she'd won, we beamed and congratulated her like nothing had happened.

Acting was also one of the things that waspassed on to us  from our family