The Forbidden Daughter (27 page)

“So you know about this? Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Because it is insanity! What is done is done. Isha left home on her own. We didn’t force her to go.”

“Maybe not in words, but certainly by your behavior. You beat up Priya and made her life and Isha’s miserable after Niku passed away.” Even before that by putting pressure on Isha to have an abortion. But Sheila decided to leave that out. Her father looked beleaguered enough without her punishing comments.

“Priya was being disobedient and Isha was being insolent.

She was talking back to me.” Baba folded his arms across his chest and scowled. “What else was I supposed to do?”

“If you ever spanked either of my children, I would do the same thing Isha did.” Sheila was amazed at her own temerity.

She had never, ever spoken disrespectfully to her father. He had been a strict disciplinarian while she was growing up and she’d obeyed his every command.

But now she couldn’t stop herself. The emotional dialogue with her mother a little while ago had touched a dormant nerve.

She felt the need to set him straight. “A mother has to protect her children by any means she can, and Isha did just that.”

“If that’s what you call her arrogant behavior,” he retorted.

“She is on her own now.” Baba grasped the doorknob, getting ready to enter Ayee’s room. “I want nothing to do with her.”

“She may be on her own, but she still cares about Ayee and you,” Sheila countered. “She’s even praying for Ayee’s recovery.”

Baba snorted like an incensed bull. “
Cares?
She has brought shame on the Tilak name by running away and staying in a convent like a homeless woman. By deliberately living in poverty she has made your mother and me look like fools. She has made 196
Shobhan Bantwal

all our friends and the entire town label us as abusers. People are either laughing at us or calling us heartless because of her.

Why would we want to have anything to do with her?”

“You better ask Ayee that question.
She
wants to see both her granddaughters.”

Baba dismissed her in his usual, haughty fashion. “I will talk her out of it. All those strong medicines are affecting her mind.

When she goes home and feels better, she will come to her senses.”

With a frustrated groan Sheila took off down the corridor.

There was no arguing with her headstrong father. She was convinced he’d bully Ayee out of seeing her grandchildren. Such a shame! She only hoped he would come to recognize his mistakes just like her mother seemed to have done in recent days.

And she sincerely hoped it would happen before it was too late.

“You want to
marry
Isha Tilak?” Satish Salvi gave his brother a wide-eyed look.

“Yes,” Harish replied.

“Bad idea, Harish.”

“Why? Just because she’s a widow or because she has children?” Harish picked up the remote and began flicking channels on the television in his brother’s drawing room. It was a little after dinner. Their parents and Reshma had gone to bed some time ago. Prachi was out on a medical call, delivering a baby.

Harish had seized the opportunity to catch his brother alone and broach the topic that had preyed on his mind for so long.

“Both,” said Satish, settling back in the easy chair and cross-ing his ankles. “You know Dada and Mamma have high hopes for you. They want you to marry a doctor, or at least some type of professional.”

“What does marrying a professional have to do with being happy?”

Satish linked his hands over his middle and eased his head back onto the headrest. “A lot. Our parents have always wanted us to have a better life than they did.”

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“And we do. Look at the two of us. Our incomes are astronomical compared to what Dada’s salary used to be.”

Satish groaned. “I didn’t mean just economically. I meant in every other way. Dada married a woman with limited education. No doubt Mamma is a bright woman, but she’s not an in-tellectual. Dada and she could never connect on that level despite having a satisfactory marriage. But you and I can have better by marrying someone that we can relate to on every wavelength.”

“Oh, come on! There’s no such thing as a perfect marriage.”

“True, but Prachi and I have a closer relationship than Dada and Mamma—a more equal partnership. You know what I mean.”

Harish shut off the TV and threw the remote back on the coffee table. “Are you trying to say Isha is not good enough for me?”

“I didn’t say that. All I’m saying is marrying a widow with children is not the wisest thing to do.”

“That’s what I had thought, too . . . when I first met her. But the more I get to know her and her kids, the more I like them. I want to offer them a home and the security of having a husband and father.” He glanced at his brother across the room. “Is that so wrong?”

Satish’s response was a sardonic grunt. “Are you trying to convince
me
or yourself that your intentions are entirely altruistic? I noticed the way you kept staring at Isha Tilak when she was here. You’ve fallen hard for her, man.”

Instead of protesting, Harish threw him a sheepish look.

“That obvious, huh?”

“As obvious as my nose. I’ve noticed you’re not working on Saturdays and late evenings anymore. You used to claim you had no time for marriage. Now all of a sudden you’re making plenty of time to visit her frequently.”

Harish sighed. “Do you think Mamma noticed?”

“Mamma notices
everything
. I saw her looking at you and Isha with that speculative expression the other evening. She knows, but she hasn’t said anything to me—yet.”

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“I used to know Isha in college. Well, not really know, but I used to see her on campus. A lot of boys were interested in her.”

“I don’t doubt that. She was the pretty, rich girl who came in a chauffeured car and stuck to her own circle of friends.” Satish snickered. “And you were definitely not part of that circle.”

Harish glanced at his brother with raised eyebrows. “
You
knew her in college, too?”

“No,” said Satish, still looking amused. “She’s too young to be my contemporary. But I know the type. There are girls like Isha in any given year.”

“What do you mean?” Harish demanded with a scowl.

“What I mean is they’re typically upper-class girls. Their lives are simple and predetermined: get a bachelor’s degree in some easy, low-pressure subject, acquire a rich husband, have two perfect children, and live in luxury. The most stressful thing in their daily lives is probably deciding what to wear to a party or what kind of appetizer to serve their guests.”

“I’d say that’s a fairly accurate description,” admitted Harish grudgingly.

“Poor boys like us look at those girls from afar, fantasize for a bit, then go about our business of studying hard and trying to make a decent living someday.”

“Exactly.”

“So, Isha was your fantasy in those days, I guess?” Satish winked at Harish. “I can’t blame you. She’s an attractive woman.”

Harish chuckled. “Don’t let Prachi hear you say that.”

“Don’t let Prachi hear what?” Prachi chose to walk into the room at that very moment. She looked tired. “Are you boys discussing me behind my back?”

“So, what did you deliver tonight? Girl or boy?” asked Satish.

“Beautiful baby girl. Both mum and child are doing fine, thank you,” she replied, then switched her gaze from one man to the other. “Well?”

“Satish thinks Isha Tilak is an attractive woman,” said Harish, with a sly look aimed at his brother.

Prachi sank wearily into the nearest chair and kicked off her
chappals
. “I happen to agree.”

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It was Satish’s turn to smirk at his brother. “See, she agrees.

And you thought you’d stir up trouble for me just because
you
happen to be in trouble.”

Prachi stretched forward and helped herself to a handful of grapes from the bowl sitting on the coffee table. “Why is Harish in trouble?”

“Should I tell her?” Satish glanced at Harish, clearly serious this time.

“Go ahead. She might be more objective than either of us.”

“Objective about what?” Prachi popped a juicy green grape into her mouth.

“Our confirmed bachelor is finally considering marriage,”

said Satish, lazily eyeing his wife consume grapes.

“That’s great!” Prachi sat up, her eyes alight. “So have you asked Isha yet?”

Satish turned to her, his brows arched. “
You
guessed this, too?”

“Of course,” she answered with supreme confidence. “Women have a sixth sense about these things.”

“They do?” both the men asked in unison.

“Sure.” She glanced at her husband. “I’m surprised
you
figured it out.”

Satish shrugged. “Even a moron like me couldn’t help but notice Harish drooling over a woman.”

“Every night Harish managed to drop her name into the conversation,” said Prachi, wiping her damp hands on a handkerchief. “That’s when I got suspicious. But the day she came over for dinner, I knew for sure.”

Harish shut his eyes and groaned. “Can’t a man have
any
secrets in this house?”

Prachi smiled. “Not while Mamma and I are around. She knows, too.”

“Did she tell you that?”

“Not in so many words, but I heard her discussing it with Dada the other day.”

“You were eavesdropping!” Satish feigned shock.

She rolled her eyes. “They knew I was in the next room while they were talking.”

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“Dada knows?” Harish slapped a palm over his forehead.

“I’m in deep trouble!”

“I don’t think so,” said Prachi. “I heard him say something like, ‘Better a widow than no marriage at all.’ I was very surprised myself.”

“You’re not kidding?” Satish gave his wife a dubious look. “I would have expected Dada to have serious objections to a woman like Isha Tilak. You know Dada is adamant that we marry professionals.”

“That probably would have been the case if he hadn’t met Isha. But after her visit the other day, I think he rather liked her.” She chewed her lip thoughtfully. “He did have some choice things to say about her father-in-law, though. He called him an unscrupulous black marketer and
pukka badmaash
—an utter scoundrel.”

“Exactly what did you hear him say about Isha?” Harish asked.

“Mamma asked Dada if he’d noticed how you were gawking at Isha all evening.”

Harish slumped against the cushions. This was getting worse and worse. It seemed like everyone in the world knew about his feelings for Isha. Was he that transparent? “What did Dada say to that?”

“He said you looked like a starving dog staring at a piece of raw meat.”

“No! Tell me he didn’t say that!”

Prachi grinned. “He didn’t. But he said you were a fool to think someone like Isha Tilak would fit into your life.”

“He may be right,” confessed Harish. “I may be aiming for something entirely beyond my reach.”

“Dada also said a pampered, high-class Brahmin woman like her would never marry a schoolmaster’s son, especially a non-Brahmin.”

“But Isha’s not like that,” Harish protested. He’d come to know her well. She was unspoiled and guileless. In fact, she was a caring woman with a big heart. Despite her circumstances, she was not bitter, either. Most women in her shoes would have THE

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been complaining and pouting about their lot, but Isha did neither. And she was coping well.

“I realize that,” admitted Prachi. “I liked her a lot, too. I don’t think she’s spoiled or pretentious or condescending.”

“I know that for a fact. That’s what attracted me to her in the first place.” He looked at his brother and sister-in-law. “What do you think I should do? Talk to Mamma and Dada before I summon the courage to ask Isha?” He looked at the wall clock, realized it was time to leave, and rose to his feet. “She may turn me down flat, of course.”

“She’d be a fool if she did.” Prachi stood up and stretched, looking even more exhausted than she’d looked a few minutes ago. An ob-gyn’s work entailed long, grueling hours.

“You’re biased because you’re my brother’s wife,” Harish said to her.

“Maybe, but I still think you’re a good man and Isha should recognize it. You even adore her daughters. Who could ask for a better man than that?”

Satish reluctantly rose from his comfortable chair. “You want me to talk to Dada and Mamma about this?”

Harish looked at him. “You’d do that for me?”

Satish smiled and put an arm around his wife’s shoulders.

“By that I mean I’ll get my wife to talk to them.”

Harish walked toward the door. “Whichever one of you is the more daring of the two, go ahead and talk to the elders. I’ll go say a few prayers.”

“So when exactly are you going to ask Isha?” asked Prachi.

“I’m not sure. One of these days.”

“Good luck,” said Satish with an amused chuckle.

“I could use some luck.” Harish closed the door behind him and headed home.

Chapter 24

Isha paced the length of the hospital corridor and glanced at her wristwatch once again. It was late evening and the kids had yet to be taken home, fed dinner, and put to bed. She had to add the finishing touches to some dresses that were promised to customers within the next couple of days. There was so much to do—too much.

The children had been in Ayee’s room for the past seven minutes. The door was closed. What the heck was happening in there? What was keeping them so long? The longer she stayed, the tighter the knots in her stomach became. Her efforts at making herself relax weren’t working.

She wanted to be inside that room, and yet, she didn’t want to be. She felt smug satisfaction that Ayee was suffering (paying for her sins), but she also felt sorry for her on some level. Isha’s emotions were so mixed up she didn’t know what she wanted.

Sheila was in the room, so she wasn’t worried about her daughters’ safety. But Priya was old enough to get her feelings hurt, and Isha didn’t want that for her daughter. The kids had suffered enough without being subjected to their grandmother’s ugly remarks.