The Girl Behind The Door

Part 23 - Anuradha And Kali Maa

(yah bohot sundar naam hai. aap ko shobha deta hai. mayooree se behatar)

"It's a beautiful name. It suits you. Better than Mayuri" I look up, through the blurred vision I am able to make out that he is no longer frowning but slightly smiling and looking at me with a small smile.

I return the smile. "It was my oldest brothers choice"

"Hmm"

Again a hum followed by silence. But this time the silence isn't harsh but comfortable. He is now leaning against the backrest with his elbow on the window sill looking out. I follow his gaze but all I can see is darkness. His hair flying across his face due to the wind and his closed eyes fluttered as it struggled against the wind. He is resting his chin on his hands forcing his lips into a slight pout.

(train mein yah mera doosaree baar hai. pahalee baar main 14 saal ka tha aur bambee aaya tha.)

"This is my second time on a train. The first time I was 14 and came to Bombay."

"Mhmm...Why" He still wa still in the same position

(main bhaag raha tha)

"I was running away"

(kisase)

"From who"

(mere pati)

"My husband" Why was I telling him this? I don't know. But it felt right. He was still in the same position with his eyes closed, I don't even know if he is listening properly but I don't care. I can't sleep, whether it is because of the relief I feel or because of a habit I don't know but I know that I can't sleep, not on my first night of freedom, I just want to talk. Whether I want to talk to Bhavik or I want to talk to myself I don't know.

"Why were you married at 14"

"13, I was married at 13, 4 months before my 14th birthday."

He shuffles back into his seat his head resting against the compartment wall, his eyes still closed "right"

"I lived in a small village, there wasn't much there, the closest hospital was almost two hours away. We only had one school, one post office, a few shops owned by the local people living there and one bus stop in the middle of the village. I lived with my babuji he was a farmer and two older brothers."

"What happened to your mother"

"She died when I was 6, she was bit by a snake"

"My babuji and brothers raised me, and I went to school longer than both my brothers. I went until 7th grade."

"7th grade..Why did you stop?" He sounded a little surprised and I looked up and I almost forgot he was there.

"I got married. Almost all the girls in the village got married by the time they were 16 but because I didn't have a mum my father and brothers found it hard to look after me and so I got married when I was 13."

"I remember when I got my first period I was out playing with my friends when I saw my brother with his friends and I ran to say hi to him. But when my brother's friends saw me they started laughing and pointing at me. And my brother seemed furious, he told me to go home immediately. I didn't know why at the time but I had bled through my skirt. I remember when he got home he yelled at me a lot and I was confused as to why. I only knew what happened after the aunty next door came over and explained everything to me. I cried a lot that week. I wasn't allowed outside of my room and my food was left outside the door. Three months later was married off to a man from the neighboring village."

"My father was very happy it was the man's second marriage and so he didn't ask for a lot of dowry even though my father managed to buy me a few pieces of gold with what little money he had. That was the last time I ever saw my dad. My brothers visited me once at my husband's house but I have never seen them since. I used to wonder if they ever missed me, or if they ever found out I ran away and if they searched for me."