Following the address sent by Rishi, Alex drove for almost an hour through dense Mumbai traffic before he finally arrived outside the Mehras' large bungalow in Juhu.
Rishi and his father, Mr. Mehra, were already waiting at home inside the living room, sitting on a comfortable sofa filled with bookshelves on all sides and display cases with gemstones and antique pieces of jewellery.
The second Alex entered, Rishi stood up with palpable excitement and pressed a steaming cup of tea into his hands, both of them shaking, saying, "Alex, this is fresh Darjeeling tea, have some while it is hot."
Alex smiled and took a gentle sip, feeling the sharp heat flow down his throat. "Good tea. You always have good tea, Rishi."
Mr. Mehra, who had remained quiet until that point, finally shifted forward, his gaze already on the little box Alex was holding. "My son informs me you have something better still than the last item you sold us. May I see?"
Alex just nodded, rummaged in his pocket, and laid a pale green pendant and a silken, nearly milky white bracelet upon the glass surface.
Rishi's eyes went wide as his father promptly pulled on his white gloves and turned on the inspection lamp he had prepared on a side table.
Gently, Mr. Mehra picked up the pendant first, rotating it under bright light, magnifier already up to his eye as he inspected every edge and carved feature.
Minutes passed by in silence apart from the soft buzz of the lamp. Alex remained patient, having a sip of tea while Rishi paced beside him, glancing at his father's face every few seconds.
Then, finally, Mr. Mehra took a deep breath. "Rishi. This work... take a look. This is not common jade or some low-grade polished pebble. This is definitely a vintage white jade, probably done for some aristocratic family or even connected with some temple. Observe this polish, this clarity. No flaw, no discoloration at all. This sort of quality is what collectors pay top dollar for."
Rishi leaned over to look through the magnifier but then glanced back at Alex. "Do you think this might be worth a lot of money, Dad?"
Mr. Mehra placed the pendant aside and took up the bangle, his thumb running along the inside curve of it. "The bracelet is identical. Fine grain, cool to the touch, a beautiful piece, likely created for some person of high rank. If both prove authentic, and I think they will, the pendant alone would fetch six to seven hundred thousand to the right buyer. The bracelet would reach seven or eight, possibly more if we can confirm the heritage connection."
Rishi whistled softly, his head shaking. "So collectively, over $1.5 million?"
Alex settled back, his expression relaxed, though in his mind he still could not get over the figures. The numbers seemed unreal, like something from a dream he might wake up from at any moment.
Mr. Mehra pushed up his glasses and scrutinized Alex. "I am not going to deceive you. Getting $1.5 million in cash is not something we do in a day. We have around $600,000 in liquid assets today."
"For the balance, I can give you the share certificates of one of my medical equipment firms. It is stable, it gives regular dividends, and you can sell off the shares at will. They retain their value."
Alex nodded eagerly. He did not much care about getting the last cent out of it. To him, they were just small fragments from another world, pieces that had practically fallen into his lap through sheer luck and timing.
"Tell me about this company," Alex said, putting his cup down.
Mr. Mehra lost no time. "Tathya Medical Devices. We export surgical instruments, diagnostic equipment, and laboratory materials to hospitals in Southeast Asia and Africa. The recent valuation set my holdings alone at more than $8 million, although market conditions have softened a little last year. I can transfer a share equal to $1.5 million at today's fair market price. You will receive dividends, or you may sell whenever you prefer."
Alex smiled slightly. "Good enough. As long as I receive my portion of the money now."
The older Mehra watched Alex's calm face, his upright stance, the fact that he did not bargain for an instant.
He could sense this kid was no common lad fresh from college. No middle-class student could fling rare heritage jade on a table and nod at an agreement of millions like it meant nothing. There was something enigmatic about him, something that suggested deeper waters than what appeared on the surface.
"Very well then," said Mr. Mehra finally, rising to summon his lawyer. "You just sit here, have another cup of tea. I will get the papers done at once."
The whole afternoon went by in a haze as a horde of clerks and a lawyer arrived and departed, bearing stamped documents, share certificates, and cheque slips. By evening, Alex had his new bank message on his phone, confirming $700,000 deposited into his account, and signed share transfer forms in a tidily wrapped envelope.
Rishi's family insisted that he join them for dinner, and the entire evening Rishi would refer to him as 'Mr. Alex' rather than 'Alex', making him chuckle more than once. The meal was lavish, filled with warm conversation and genuine hospitality that made Alex feel welcome despite the enormous business transaction that had just taken place.
When he finally arrived home late at night, the old rental flat seemed smaller than ever. He lay on the bed looking up at the cracked ceiling, a bit bewildered that a few days earlier he had barely enough to have takeaway dinner, and now he was a millionaire with stakes in a company he had not even heard of until today.
But before slumber could actually set in, his phone rang. The screen indicated 'Mrs. Lata', his landlady. He had an idea what this might be about.
He groaned and pushed answer. Her voice burst through before he could even greet her.
"Alex! Why have you not phoned that girl yet? Do not think I have forgotten. Sunday is tomorrow. You will have to go see her. I have taken care of everything. You will thank me for this later!"
He moaned under his breath, but once she started there was no stopping her.
For the next forty-five minutes, he was stuck holding the phone against his ear, mumbling 'yes, Auntie, yes, of course' and watching his new bank balance flash on the other screen. She went on about the girl's family background, her education, her hobbies, even what she liked to eat for breakfast. Every attempt Alex made to interject was swiftly overridden by another wave of enthusiastic matchmaking advice.
Life was ironic. One minute you were wealthier than you had ever imagined. The next, you were still sitting there promising your landlady you would attend a blind date with some unknown stranger in exchange for her stopping to scold you.