There was much that had come into light with the surfaced letter and her sister-in-law's revelations. However, the turn of events with her husband, brought a brief pause to the emotional upheaval she was in the middle of.
Anjali came rushing into the restroom. "Kushi, you are here?" she asked,
knocking at the stall she'd locked herself in. "Something's come up. Arnav was attacked by some union workers, on his way to Coonoor," she said, with concern hurrying her every thud on the stall door.
Wiping down her eyes, so as not to draw attention, she slipped out. With few other details shared on the nature and severity of his injuries, she was dispatched off to her room, to pack and leave for her new home immediately. Despite the fact that the situation was not life-threatening by any inch, she saw that Anjali was near tears, while scurrying to assemble the immediate needs she needed for the next few days. And her chest tightened, unknowing what her own response, towards the untoward incident, is to be.
Along with Anjali, one of the aunts on their side, and Kushi's aunt were to accompany her. Arnav's father and her uncle had managed all the travel arrangements needed, without leaving much to the women's concern. They were to take the the same route, as he'd taken earlier that morning: given that there were no direct flights to Coimbatore, out of Udaipur, they were to first catch a flight to Delhi, before they could take the flight that would be homeward bound. Upon their arrival in Coimbatore, they were to be received by ACP Harsha and taken by road to Coonoor, where her new home: the Nilagiri district collector's, bungalow was located.
With the jet lag hitting her towards the fair end of the air travel and with her travel companions enquiring one thing or another, she had not been left to her thoughts. And upon disembarking, at Coimbatore, a new surge of panic shot through her nerves, in not having made up her mind over the subject of him.
Waiting by the baggage carousel, she saw the bags go by round and round, just as her thoughts were swirling in her head. "I aver that I will give my everything to our relationship." She placed a hand over her forehead, as his words from the letter came back to her.
"Are you ok, ma'am?" She heard a concerned voice from behind her and turned to see an officer in uniform come forward.
It didn't take her long to figure he was the ACP who was to receive them. "Hello! I'm good. Thanks for asking," she said, extending her hand to greet him.
"ACP Harsha ma'am. Very pleased to meet you," he said, taking her hand, the eager smile on his face, gluttonous gaze giving away his obvious sizing of her visual appeal. "Sorry, I couldn't be at your wedding. Someone had to hold fort here!"
She nodded in response, smiling, but just as she was working up to enquire after her husband,
Anjali came in from the other side of conveyor, shaking her head at him in rebuke and disapproval. "Harsha!" she said, sounding dismayed.
"Di! Don't start." Harsha interjected. "You know him better. I rather not discuss this without him." He went onto hug her, throwing a casual arm around her back. "He is already home and said will be taking a nap for a few hours. I'm hoping he'll be awake for dinner, and we should get there by then."
Anjali settled into his hold and winked at her. "Chote and him are the only ones who dare speak to me like that." With the same look of maternal affection, she accorded on her brother, she looked at Harsha and said, "Harsha is a long standing friend from Arnav's school days." Turning in profile, she placed a hand on her shoulder. "After we leave, if you need someone to whip, Arnav's behind, you now whom to call upon, don't you?"
Harsha smiled in assent and it occurred that her sister-in-law's inside source could only be him, given their camaraderie. ACP Harsha, also the letter thief! she thought to herself. Harsha signaled towards a few other men, who stand a good distance away, to attend to their baggage. By the time, they were in the car, ascending the slopes of the Nilagiris, one hairpin bend at a time, her thoughts went haywire. The three hour uphill drive could not have been shorter, as they arrived at the door step of a white colonial mansion, situated close to the barracks of Wellington cantonment area.
However, as symbolic as her ascent over the mountain ranges, she managed to get to a higher plane of clarity with her own feelings. It might have been easier if he hadn't opened himself to their relationship - a fact she might have been obscured to, had she not read the letter, along with context of all that Anjali had said. If it had relieved Anjali's guilt, by handing the letter back to her, it still didn't change anything for her, but added to what was already difficult - to live out their relationship, knowing he would always want more than what she could give, to begin with. She'd always known where she stood, never mind who she'd married. But not knowing where he stood had not made is easy for her for their first encounter. Looking back, she was certain that she couldn't have come to the state of mind she was in, without the last piece of the puzzle falling into place, which being his letter, that brought a finality to how things are to be between them, and with that had come, her irrevocable acceptance to her new life with him. Thus, with her thoughts settled, she stepped out of the car, taking in the view of the rolling hills from the cliff, by which the house stood.
The women sped past her, to arrange for the bride's first entry into her new home. An old lady of wiry frame, in a haggard cotton saree came to stand by the door, her expression the least welcoming. Another younger looking woman, she guessed to be about her own age, approached the entrance and stood close behind the old woman; a similar look of indifference on the younger woman's face, made her wonder what she'd done unto to them, to deserve their displeasure. With the rituals addressed without pomp or show, and the aarti handed to the old woman, whom she now made to be the house help, they looped their way around the courtyard to get to inner quarters of the house.
Her anxious gaze weaved in and out of the rooms they passed by, until they came upon a slatted door, that opened out to a large study. He was seated along with a few other men, without paying much attention to the one addressing him, as he struggled spooning something into his mouth from a bowl, with his bandaged hand.
As they came in, he looked up from his humble meal of soup and appeared surprised at the sight of his family by the door, the shock dissolving just as quickly, as he worked out the events that must have led to their arrival there. It took him a moment more to register her presence behind his sister, but moved his gaze back to the others, as if contemplating even if his attention towards her was welcome anymore. He got up from the chair and along with him, rose the others seated around him. Excusing himself, he walked towards them, shaking his head, his eyes chiding his friend in silence. "It's this rascal isn't it?" he asked, tapping Harsha with more vigor than what went into friendly pat on the shoulder.
"That's some bad policing skills, brother. You gotta catch up to di here." Harsha retorted.
"And really! Why won't I be going down in my own turf?" he said, throwing his head back with mock despair, "when I have such master traitors, as my right hand men."
Anjali took a step toward him and placed a hand on his cheek. "I'm tired of this charade, Arnav." Shuffling to his side, to allow him a view of Kushi, she said. "With your wife here now, I hope her words will matter going forward, even if not mine."
He didn't look at her then. "Now that will just make me a henpecked husband di. So its best I keep to my old ways, don't you think?" He said, teasing, however a bit annoyed that she wouldn't give up to change her incorrigible brother, as yet.
"We know what you are like, Arnav beta." His aunt took over, as Anjali took offense. "Isn't that why I kept insisting that we should pick a kundali that adds to yours? I mean its only the second day since your wedding, after all..."
Even as the elder was addressing Kushi's aunt, who felt pained by the other woman's words, he looked to her, assessing for her comfort given the subject and when he couldn't read her straight face, he raised his brows at Harsha. "Erhm!" he cleared his throat.
Taking his hint, Harsha followed suite. "Now, Aunty, you haven't seen the size of the kitchen in this place have you? I'm sure you must be hungry too."
Throwing an arm around Anjali, he led the others towards the back of the home. Turning, Anjali cast a smile at her brother, but knew better than to ask him to come come along, when he still had visitors waiting on him. However, before Kushi's Aunt left with the others, she nodded at her, hinting that she stay, allowing the couple privacy from the group.
When the others were suitably far away from them, he turned his gaze to her, while she kept her eyes trained at the receding form of the others. "Don't 21st century women know how to give back to those who still believe one's destiny could be changed by another's luck?"
She turned back to him and shrugged, a small smile at her lips. "I believe 21 century women know better than to indulge in such inanity."
Her smile, eased him into a comfort to hold her eyes longer and when she didn't look away this time around, as that morning, he returned her smile, with warmth. "I didn't expect you would be here today; I haven't gotten the other upstairs room ready for you yet."
"Why?" she asked, her confusion, showing on her scrunched forehead. "Would I be needing another room?"
Raising a brow at her, he titled his head to one side, visibly expressing for the taunt that followed. "Given the tone you set for us this morning, I doubt I would assume otherwise."
Her breath slowed in her chest, showing for the discomfit that came with the memory. "And about that Arnav, can we talk, when..." she drawled, unsure if she'd picked the right time to explain herself.
Somehow, he didn't believe he was mistaken to have considered she would demand for separate quarters, as another woman, in her position would. Though the curiosity remained that she would share a bed with him, when she hadn't even entertained his indulging touch earlier that day, he dropped the thought, as he didn't see it as his problem, when it could only be her choice where she slept. It also remained that there would be other complications in sharing a room, but he decided it was for another time, when other pressing things, like the people still in wait for him took his attention.
"It won't take long - we were almost wrapping up," he said, pointing a hand back towards the back of the room. "Why don't you join the others and finish up dinner? We can talk later."
She nodded reluctant and retraced her steps the same way the others had gone. He stood by the corridor and watched her until she faded out of his sight, wondering what there was to be talked about, when she'd already said much that morning, by having said nothing at all.
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