To Mukundo’s dismay, even Aurbindo Thakur looked shocked for a long time. But he finally recovered and supported Mukundo, “Mukundo is right. Why do we care?”

Mohima agreed soon enough. But after that Mukundo had to fight another fight for a long time.

“She can’t know, Baba.”

“She should. It isn’t fair for everyone to know, not her.”

“Who is it not fair on? She is happy to think of them as her parents, isn’t she? Why not let that continue?”

“It’s the truth, and it will come out one day or the other.”

“Truth is also that nobody ever noticed her plight in being uprooted from her home at a young age. We assume that children don’t understand and don’t feel as strongly. But that’s not true. I know that now. She has had her share of trauma. And she could never speak to anyone about it. This will break her, Baba. I beg of all of you. She needn’t know. Please get Kaku and Kaki to understand that.”

He finally managed to bend everyone to his will. But convincing Piyali that everything was all right was more difficult. She just couldn’t believe that her mother reacted that way because she didn’t believe Mohima and Aurbindo would agree to the match. But there was no other excuse Mukundo could come up with. So, he kept repeating that until she stopped talking. He realized that she was not convinced. So, he ended up saying, “This Saturday I will not come to Delhi. I will book you a ticket. You come to Kolkata and see for yourself if everyone is happy or not.”

—

He did not feel the need to restrain himself at the airport. He embraced her tightly. When he released her, she had tears in her eyes.

“What happened?” he asked, in panic.

“Thank you, Mukundo Babu. For putting up with me.”

“What on earth does it even mean?”

“I’m sorry that I didn’t trust you that day. I didn’t need to come here to verify what you had said.”

For the first time, Mukundo felt a pang of guilt about lying to her. But he hoped that he’d be forgiven for that lie.

“Don’t be melodramatic, Piyali. I’m sure you could use a trip home. Come on. Let’s go.”

He was happy that on their way home they had a normal conversation and there was no awkwardness or tension in the air. Although once they reached, Piyali grew nervous again.

“I don’t know how to face Ma or Baba.”

“Come on. You haven’t committed a ‘crime’ for which you have to ‘face’ them! You are just home for a weekend.”

She nodded, but look unconvinced. So Mukundo went in with her and stayed until she discreetly indicated to him that she was fine.

—

“Mukundo!” Mohima screamed for him from the hall downstairs.

“What happened, Ma?”

“Come here. You must find Piyali.”

“What do you mean? Find Piyali?” As he came down the steps he noticed a distraught Debangi slumped in a sofa. Debendra was pacing, in control of his emotions, but clearly worried.

“She has taken the scooter and disappeared. We couldn’t stop her,” Debendra explained.

“Why?” A moment of silence made him realize, “You told her?”

“She just wasn’t convinced, Mukundo–”

“It’s not the time for that,” Mohima intervened, “Go find her.”

Mukundo made a run for the car keys.

—

He slowed the car down around the area he thought that spot was in. It paid off. The scooter was parked there. And unlike last time, Piyali was not hidden behind the tree. She was sitting, slumped against its trunk, her eyes glued to some distance horizon.

Mukundo approached her slowly. She heard the rustle of his steps and noticed him. Slowly, she stood up. When he came closer, Mukundo noticed that she wasn’t crying as he had expected.

“Their son died because of me, Mukundo Babu,” she spoke before he could. She didn’t seem to acknowledge that it was weird of her to be there and there was nothing natural in them having a conversation by the side of the highway, in the middle of nowhere.

“What are you talking about?”

“Ma and Baba. I am not their daughter. And they lost him—In trying to protect me!”

“Don’t be absurd, Piyali. The circumstances were dire. He was a baby who couldn’t survive it. He didn’t die because of you.”

She looked at him puzzled, then the realization dawned on her and she shook her head, “You don’t know the entire story.”

“What do you mean?”

Even though she was young, Piyali remembered something of the circumstances in which they had to leave. Politics around religion was anyway gaining ground in their area. But what made the situation worse for them was that Piyali’s biological father, a strong and rich man in the village, found out who she was. He was not pleased at all and made it his life’s purpose to make life difficult for the Banerjees. Finally, things got so bad that they had to flee.

Mukundo had difficulties thinking straight through all he was hearing. The only way he was able to keep things together was by thinking about her. She must be comforted and brought back home. She must not stay on this guilt trip. He repeated it inside his head like a mantra.

“None of it was your choice, Piyali. But let’s go home first.”

“Perhaps it was a good thing my father wanted me dead. What curse I brought on the people who saved me? They lost everything because of me. Their son, their home, their money, their land! Mukundo Babu! What luck do I bring with me?”

“Let’s go home, Piyali.”

“No, no, no no. You don’t understand. I can’t go home. I can’t go to my parents’ home. I can’t come to your home. I will only bring misfortune to you–”

“Shut up.”

“I will go back to Delhi. I will not come here ever again. Stay away, Mukundo Babu–”

Piyali looked like she wasn’t aware of where she was and what she was saying. In a strange reaction, Mukundo pulled her to himself, and pressed her lips against hers to shut her up. He thrust his tongue in her mouth and didn’t let her go until he felt that she was choking. Her body language changed. She seemed to shrink within herself, but she didn’t push him away.

“Let’s go home,” he whispered and she followed him meekly. He dragged the scooter off the road like last time and then led her to the car. After they were inside the car, he made a call to her father to let everyone know that he had found her. They were silent through the ride.

—

To be continued