Over the next few weeks/months, you can read about a group of young men who decided in the early 1980’s to try and make an impact…and for one night only…you can follow the lives of: The Sultans of Soul.

by Ravi Mangat
Writer

[This is part 5. Earlier chapters: part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4]

Raj had just finished writing the end of another poem when Malkit returned from the Cash and Carry. Raj quickly closed his workbook and put it under the counter, but Malkit had already spotted it. “Being creative again eh?” Malkit said smiling.

“It keeps me busy”, Raj replied.

“What with the poetry and with the singing, you are becoming the regular show business man aren’t you”.

“Poetry isn’t show business…it’s an expression of the soul”.

“I see. And what does your soul tell you about those tins on the shelves over there?”

Raj rolled his eyes and knew that the conversation wasn’t going to get anywhere. He ended it abruptly. “I got to go out”.

“Where?”

“To get some equipment”.

“What for?” Malkit looked around. “Nothing broken is it?”

“It’s not for the shop. It’s for me. I’m going to get some speakers and a sound system”.

Malkit stopped what he was doing and looked sternly at Raj. “Why are you doing this to me? Haven’t I tried to provide some sort of future for you?”

“Of course you have dad”, reassured Raj. “I need to do something different. I’ve made a few decisions”.

“What are you talking about? You didn’t even get on the stage the other night and you already want to buy some…some equipment.

“I didn’t expect you would understand”. Raj walked towards Malkit. “I’m not mum. I’m not going anywhere. I just want to try something different”.

Malkit brushed Raj away. “Do what you want.”

Raj sighed and walked slowly towards the door. He turned before he departed and said, “I’ll be back to close up”.

Malkit pretended not to hear, but as soon as Raj had left, he stopped what he was doing and walked to the window. He watched Raj get into the Ford Cortina and slowly drive away.

Malkit had only ever cried once before in the last twenty-five years, and that was when Raj had been born. Now he was watching his son, seemingly turning his back on the business that he had built. He managed to stop a tear and returned to stacking the shelves.

Ramesh had just spent the most enjoyable morning in the company of Jas. A one-minute visit to pick up his chicken suit had turned into two hours of great conversation. Jas was still apologetic about having punched him, but he had long since forgotten about it, especially when he gazed into her deep brown eyes. She had told him how she was training to be a teacher and that she was in the final year of preparation. Her ex-boyfriend, Sanjay, who had cruelly hired Ramesh to inflict a dump-o-gram on her, was the butt of jokes that she was now happily reeling off.

He left her flat feeling as if some strange power had come over him. Then he realised what it was…he was smiling. Smiling hadn’t really been one of his more recent facial expressions but he loved every minute of it and thought to himself that today was going to be a good day. He reached into his pocket and pulled out Raj’s business card. Maybe today was going to be the start of a new challenge for him and perhaps he would never have to wear the chicken suit or the Dracula outfit ever again. As he stood at the bus stop smiling and daydreaming, he didn’t realise that someone was beside him.

“So what were you doing there?” the man asked.

Ramesh spun around almost startled and saw Sanjay standing there with a hint of menace in his eyes. “Oh Sanjay…I didn’t see you there”.

“So, what were you doing there?” Sanjay repeated.

Ramesh was a little flustered, “Where? Oh you mean at Jas’s. I was…just picking up my chicken suit.”

“What was it doing there?”

“It’s a long story. Anyway, I delivered the dump-o-gram just as you wanted.

“Yeah well, maybe I don’t want it anymore”.

Ramesh was confused, “What do you mean? What’s done is done”.

“No man!” Sanjay was clearly in a volatile frame of mind. “I want you to take it back. I want you to give her another message. I want her back…and tell her I’m…I’m sorry”.

Ramesh was clearly at a crossroads, “But I don’t think she’ll have you back. She seemed pretty angry”.

“Oh really and how would you know? Did you have a cosy chat with her or something?” Sanjay moved closer. “Just do it…and do it soon”.

“What do you want to be when you grow up?” Rupa asked her brother Ashok.

Ashok looked at his ten-year old sister and smiled. “I am grown up”.

“Mummy keeps saying something different. She says that you don’t know what you want to do and you’re still a kid.” Rupa loved her brother and what she said was said with innocence.

“Well, mum says a lot of things. Like when she said you weren’t old enough to have a bike, but we proved her wrong didn’t we. All that practicing we did.”

“Do you have a job?”

“No -”

“Then how did you pay for my bike?”

Ashok wasn’t too sure how to respond. Although his parents half-suspected something about his activities, his sister was oblivious to it all and he wanted it to be kept that way. “You always have so many questions after school don’t you? Anyway, you never know, I may have some new things to do soon”.

“Like what?”

“Like…well…I don’t know exactly, but I have to call someone”. He walked to the phone and dialled the number on Raj’s business card.

Raj had been back at the shop for about an hour and had off-loaded some basic looking sound equipment. He was busy fiddling with it while Malkit looked on, pretending as if he didn’t care. The phone rang and Malkit answered it. “Hello…yes…who…and who are you?…I see. He’s messing around with some machinery…hold on”. He held out the phone to Raj who took it.

“Hello. Hey Ashok…I was hoping you would get in touch.” Raj listened intently and was happy at what he heard. “That’s great. In fact I just went out today and bought some gear, so maybe we can get together in the next couple of days. Hopefully we’ll get Ramesh in as well. Yeah…sounds good. See ya”. He put the phone down and carried on with the sound system.

“So”, Malkit was waiting for an explanation.

“That was Ashok, one of the guys I was telling you about. He knows of some garage space where we can try a few things out.”

Malkit was unmoved. “So you still going ahead with it?”

“Yes. Don’t worry dad, I’ll still be here to help you. Things aren’t going to happen straight away”.

Malkit walked out of the back room and into the main shop. His face was like stone and a plan was formulating in his mind.

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This serial is fictional and any similarity with existing groups or individuals is unintentional.
Ravi Mangat is contactable on: rav38man@yahoo.co.uk