Where the Secret Lies (13 page)

There was basic furniture in the
room; a girl cradled a baby in her lap.

‘Anjali didi? Anjali didi!’

The girl put the baby in the cot
and rushed to Anjali’s outstretched arms.

 
‘I missed you so much didi.’

Anjali looked at her sister –
she had grown; no longer a little girl but a young lady.

‘I missed you too.’

 
‘Where did you go? Why didn’t you come back
with Bhai (Sunil) and Bhabhi (Neha)?’ Meera asked.

‘It’s a long story,’ Anjali said
sadly, stroking Meera’s hair. ‘But look, you have grown up; you are no longer my
little Meera...’

‘Who is he?’ asked Meera.

Both mother and daughter looked
at Mohan.

 
‘He is my husband,’ said Anjali.

Anjali’s mother put her hands to
her mouth.

‘Please forgive me,’ she said,
her eyes large. ‘I am very rude. Welcome, welcome Jamai ji (son-in-law).
Please, sit here. I will be back in a moment.’

Her mother came back with a dish
of sweetmeats and a divo (divine flame) and circled it around them. She fed
each of them a sweet delicacy.

‘Thank you for looking after my
daughter,’ she said, her eyes wet.

‘Ma, where is Neha and jijaji (Sunil)?’
asked Anjali.

‘Oh, Anjali,’ cried her mother.

‘Ma, what is it?’

 
‘Come with me, I have something to show you.’

Anjali and Mohan exchanged
glances but followed. She showed them into a room, which resembled a small
shrine.
 
Anjali found pictures of Sunil
and Neha in place of idols. Flower garlands bestowed their picture frames and two
candles burned brightly. Anjali let out a scream and fainted.

She awakened to cold water splashed on her face. She was
lying on a bed.

‘Anjali,’ Mohan said, worry
etched in his eyes.

Anjali cried into Mohan’s shirt until
no more tears came. Ma gave Anjali water and sat beside her. Meera buried her
face into her mother’s sari, tears running down her face.
 

‘Ma ji, can you tell us what
happened...’ Mohan asked.

‘When Sunil and Neha came back
without Anjali, Neha was inconsolable. She cried for days. Sunil spoke to the
police but they could not do much. They alerted the army who was in charge in
that area. What could we do but pray for her safe return.

‘Days, then weeks passed with no
word of Anjali’s location or safety. Then the looting and killing began. They
came into our village and destroyed everything - our homes and livelihood. They
slaughtered the animals and burned the fields.

‘A lit torch was thrown into our
house and I remember waking to heat and smoke,’ Anjali’s mother wiped her
tears. ‘My son, my brave Sunil managed to save us but he ran back into the
house. He shouted he wanted his father’s picture.

‘I screamed for Sunil to come
back but it was too late. The house fell on top of my boy; he was dead.’

The silence that followed was
too much for Anjali to bear and she ran outside, tears cascading down her
cheeks rapidly. Mohan was by her side in an instant. He took her back inside
when she was calm.

‘What happened to Neha ben
(sister)?’ asked Mohan.

‘Neha, my sweet daughter in
law...she was alive and well in front of us but inside she was dead already.
The pain of losing Sunil was too much. With no house, we went to live with
another family. They were kind people.

I wanted to believe Neha would
come back to us; her baby would be her life now. Her little girl would be our
strength but Neha withdrew further from us and from her own daughter. Two weeks
later, we found her cold and still. My daughter died from heart break.’

Anjali walked to the cot and
watched her sleeping niece. Tears splashed on Anjali’s face as she picked her
up, rocking her whilst humming a lullaby.

‘Neha was pregnant when I lost
her,’ Anjali told Mohan. She turned to her mother. ‘What’s her name?’

‘Her name is Anjali. Neha wanted
to name her Anjali when you...’

‘When everyone thought I was
dead,’ said Anjali. ‘Hello sweet, little Anjali. I am your maasi (aunt).’

The baby opened her eyes and
stared into Anjali’s face. She made a sound and her little palm clutched
Anjali’s thumb. She began to cry.

‘I think she may be hungry; I
will get the bottle. Do you want to feed her, Anjali beta?’ her mother asked.

Anjali nodded through more
tears.

‘Ma ji,’ a man called as he entered
the house. His hair glistened with water droplets; no one noticed it had been
raining. A woman came behind him carrying vegetables in a basket.

‘Dev Bhai (brother)?’ said
Anjali. She put the finished bottle down and handed little Anjali, who had
fallen asleep, to her mother.

‘Anjali?’ Dev stood still for a
moment, taking Anjali in. ‘Is this really you?’

‘It is Dev Bhai.’

Dev took Anjali into his
embrace. ‘We thought you left us. But here you are, alive.’

‘Dev Bhai, so much has
happened...Neha and jijaji. (Sunil)...’

‘If they were here now...’ Dev
looked towards the shrine of his best friend and sister in law.

‘Anjali, thank God you are
safe,’ Payal, Dev’s wife embraced her. ‘You are home now.’

 
‘Payal bhabhi,’ Anjali embraced her back. ‘Dev
Bhai, I want to introduce you to someone.’ She walked to Mohan. ‘This is my
husband.’

Anjali told the story of how she met Mohan, how he rescued
her and of their journey to Lucknow. She revisited the refugee camp, the girl,
and the stories they heard. She told them about Chameli and all were overjoyed
to hear the horse was alive and well.

‘We married quietly and in
private. There was no music, dancing, laughter – only us.’

‘May God bless the two of you,’ her
mother smiled.

The afternoon turned to evening,
dinner cooked and eaten. Little Anjali woke and played from time to time and Anjali
took to attending to her every need. She did not want to lose a moment with
her. The happiness of gaining her mother, sister, and niece, albeit losing Neha
and Sunil, allowed her to control her grief. However, she knew – this was not
home anymore.
 
Her home was in Lucknow
and her future lay with Mohan. She was a momentary guest in Rajkot.

Mohan and Anjali left Rajkot
after staying a few days. Anjali hugged her family and promised a return soon.
She kissed little Anjali and held her until Mohan insisted she give her back.

‘I love you Ma, Meera,’ cried
Anjali. ‘But I love you more, sweet Anjali.’

Mohan and Anjali waved as the
tonga took them to the station.

Anjali lay next to her husband.
The weather turned to wind and rain and she listened to the anger.
 
She couldn’t sleep; horrible nightmares of
death haunted her.

It was three weeks since Anjali
and Mohan’s trip to Rajkot but still, Anjali was restless. She cried a lot and
when she did not, she lay on her bed, unable to function. Mohan didn’t know
what to do to ease her grief.

He lay awake also most nights,
listening to her cry.

‘Please Anjali, you must stop
this,’ he said.

‘I can’t, Mohan ji. I cannot
stop thinking of Neha...of her heartbreak. I miss them so much...’

Mohan rocked her in his arms. ‘I
will always be here for you, my love. Now close your eyes, let sleep come to
you.’

Anjali smiled at her husband and
kissed him on the cheek. He responded back by kissing her full on the lips.
Anjali laughed then suddenly she became limp.

‘Anjali? Oh God, Anjali, wake
up! Someone, call the doctor!’

‘Well,’ the doctor smiled. ‘You have nothing to worry about,
Mohan. Anjali is going to be fine.’

‘Why did she faint doctor?’
Mohan asked anxiously.

‘Mohan, your wife is pregnant.
You are going to be a father. Congratulations.’

‘I am going to be a father and
my Anjali...a mother?’

‘Yes,’ laughed the doctor.
 
‘But Anjali needs a lot of rest and she must
not be upset...’

‘But why did she collapse?’

‘Listen Mohan, Anjali has been
through a lot of grief. You told me she has lost her sister and brother in law.
Yes? Anjali is very weak – in her heart. She will need you Mohan, and you must
make her happy.’

‘I love her with all my heart
and she will never be unhappy,’ said Mohan.

 
‘Congratulations Anjali, you are going to be a
mother,’ Mohan kissed her forehead.

‘Mohan ji, have you been
crying?’ Anjali touched her husband’s face. It was wet.

Mohan took her hand and kissed
her palm.

‘From this moment, you will be
treated as a queen. You will not be upset anymore, do you understand?’

‘I understand Mohan ji,’ smiled
Anjali. ‘Um Mohan ji, I am feeling hungry. Can I have a mango?’

Mohan laughed. ‘Anything for
you.’

ARIANNA

SEVENTEEN

The conversation seemed to go well, Arianna thought, until
she brought Rani to her parents. Poor Rani was trembling from head to toe. Father,
mother and daughter stared at each other, the silence deafening. A short while
later, Arianna was asked to leave the room which she did promptly.

She stood outside and heard an
explosion of raised voices. Rani began to cry as her mother shouted
obscenities. Arianna did not hear Rani’s father speak at all. The door opened minutes
later and a tear-stained Rani ran out.

‘Rani!’ Arianna called but she
stayed rooted – in two minds to go to her or not. Would Rani talk to her or should
she leave her alone?

 
‘Memsahib, do you need something?’

Arianna found the maid smiling
at her...the same one whom she bumped into the other night.

‘Oh hello.’

‘Do you need something
Memsahib?’ the maid asked again.

‘Why are you calling me
Memsahib?’ asked Arianna. ‘Please, call me Arianna.’

 
‘I’m sorry, it has become a habit. Perhaps you
don’t remember, but we met once.’

‘We did?’ asked Arianna. ‘You
must have mistaken someone else for me...I would know if I met you.’

‘We met a long time ago. If you are sure, you don’t need
anything...a drink or something to eat, I will go.’ The maid began to walk away.

‘Wait,’ Arianna said. ‘What is
your name?’

The maid smiled but did not
answer; she went away.

What was it about her, why did
she make her feel uneasy? Arianna needed to speak to this girl again; to find
out more about her. Perhaps then, she would understand what was happening and
why the maid seemed to be significant to her.

Khushboo perched on the end of the bed and began to paint
her toenails.

‘How did it go?’ Khushboo asked
when Arianna entered the room. Khushboo admired her handiwork as she painted another
nail.

‘Not good,’ Arianna sighed,
plopping herself on the bed. ‘Rani ran out of the room after speaking to uncle
and auntie. It doesn’t seem the argument went her way.’

‘I did say it was a waste of
time.’

‘When did you say that?’

‘Didn’t I? Well, I am saying it
now.’ Khushboo blew on her shiny gold nails. ‘Okay, I’m finished. Let’s go and
see her.’

Arianna rolled her eyes.

Khushboo rapped her knuckles on Rani’s door. Arianna could
hear soft crying coming from within.

‘Rani, open the door. We know
you are hurting. Open the door, Khushboo and I want to talk to you.’ Arianna
said.

A moment later, the door opened by
a teary Rani who went back to her bed. She drew the covers around her and
buried herself.

Oh God, she really is in a bad
way, Arianna noted.

‘You are going to tell me I am a
fool. I knew it wouldn’t work and now it is worse...’ came a muffled cry from Rani.

Arianna and Khushboo exchanged
bewildered looks.

‘What happened?’ Khushboo asked.

‘Ma screamed and said she wished
I was...I was dead. Papa did not say or do anything but I saw the
disappointment in his face. I have disgraced my family.’

‘Will they not see it your way
at all?’ Arianna asked. ‘Didn’t your parents fall in love and get married?’

‘How did you know?’ Khushboo asked,
surprised.

Arianna shrugged. ‘People talk. Rani,
you could use that argument against them.’

‘I did,’ a small smile appeared
on Rani’s face as she appeared. ‘It backfired. My parents are from wealthy
families and my grandparents, my nana and dada, knew each other from a long
time. It was just fate that both my parents fell in love and who were right for
each other in every way.’

‘What are you going to do?’ Arianna
asked.

‘You could run away,’ suggested
Khushboo.

‘Khushboo!’ Arianna was
outraged.

‘On second thoughts, perhaps
that is a bad idea,’ Khushboo said sheepishly. ‘Well, why don’t you talk to
your fiancée and ask him to call the wedding off?’

‘He won’t agree.’

‘You don’t know until you ask,’
said Arianna. She handed Rani her phone. ‘Give him a call and meet him today.
You have nothing to lose.’

Rani took her phone reluctantly
but didn’t make the call straight away.

‘You can do this,’ Arianna urged
and Khushboo nodded.

They waited with awaited breath
until Rani finished her call.

‘I’m meeting him in an hour,’
Rani said at last.

Whilst Rani was away, Khushboo, Arianna, and Tianna went
into town with Nikhil and Jignesh. The girls shopped and Nikhil and Jignesh
decided to ponder off to a place where they sold alcohol.

The girls met up with Nikhil and
Jignesh after they finished shopping.