Neither of us remember when it started, but at some point, we started our ‘pancharayadi‘ or ’sending each other some sugar’ during one of our extended conversations. At one point, I considered having a packet of real sugar sent over to her place as a gesture. It hasn’t happened yet, but I’m not shutting down the option anyway.
I like to think we’re not prudish in any way, but we still tried to be careful that no one hears the… err… sugar delivery. But when you’re video chatting on a daily basis, and since the sugar delivery system tends to kick in spontaneously at times, you don’t always have the time to look over your shoulder before you.. err… initiate transfer.
So it was inevitable.
“Tche!! I think ma saw that”
“Eh?? What?”
“The sugar! The sugar!!”
“Oh… dammit, you mean the sugar leaked?”
From that day on, we were on the watch for unwanton sugar leaks. At least, we tried to be. But occasionally, it would slip by… In time, there were people who jokingly monitored the chats from the side, looking out for any inadvertent leaks that may happen. Rhine’s cousin, Varun, seemed to be dedicated to plugging the leak whenever he could. This is how he became the self-appointed (but not self-titled) leak inspector. Every day, he would walk past Rhine’s comp, ostensibly just minding his own business, but in reality, checking for the by-now-rampant leaks.
There was a brief period when Varun contracted chicken pox, and was incapacitated from his duties as the LI. The amount of sugar that flowed in that period could have taken on Brazil head on in the sugar export business.
