A Suitable Husband

Reflections

"They won't."

"- then I can be at peace knowing I helped her move on from you."

"She doesn't need to move on from me! Daadi, I've told you, this is all a lie. Tanu is not pregnant. I certainly didn't get her pregnant. And I am not going to marry her, so Pragya won't need -"

"If that is so, Abhi, then you don't have much time left to prove it. As things are, we cannot risk that Tanu will carry out her threats."

"She's bluffing, Daadi! She's too vain to commit suicide, and since there is no pregnancy there can be no abortion!"

After that, Daadi had used her sternest voice to quash Abhi's protests. She had reminded him that she had not raised him to run from his responsibilities, and pointed out that as he had no solution to the problem the least he could do was respect hers.

She hoped he would take that as motivation to fix things his own way, but when he left the room he was in such a brooding mood that she couldn't tell if he planned to do anything more than sulk for the rest of the time until his dreaded second wedding.

It bruised her heart to see Abhi like this, but she had lived long enough to realize that sometimes such pain simply had to be borne. She was doing what she could to make things turn out right. If it didn't work out...well, that was a different level of pain. And that would have to be dealt with when - or if - it ever came.

Daadi snapped back to the present as she caught sight of Indu Daasi still standing in front of her, waiting for an answer about Abhi's reaction to their plan. Thinking it over, she informed her cousin, "He doesn't like it, Indu. But right now he is so angry and confused, I don't know if he will do what we want him to."

"He will," Indu Daasi says confidently. "He will grow more angry and less confused as he watches Angad and Pragya get closer. And he will do what he needs Didi, I'm sure of it." She squeezed Daadi's hands affectionately and then stepped away to fetch her water and medicine.

"It's time for your pre-dinner dose, Didi," she said cheerfully, pulling the pillbox from the night table drawer.

"Please, let me take care of that, Daasi. You go and freshen up before dinner."

Daadi and Indu Daasi both looked to the door, where Pragya stood with her arm against the door frame.

Daadi felt an urge to burst into a smile, pleased to see her laadli bahu come to give her medicine after several days of melodramatic neglect. But she knew she had a role to play in front of Pragya, too, so she kept her face neutral and her voice even as she said, "Hanh, theek hai. Tu yahaan aja, Pragya, aur Indu tu jaa aur Angad ko bol do tayyar hone ke liye." (Yes, alright. Come here, Pragya. Indu, you go tell Angad to get ready.) She waved at Pragya to invite her further into the room, and nodded to Indu Daasi to hand over the medicines.

"Ji Didi, main jaa rahi hoon." Indu Daasi patted Daadi's shoulder before she left, nodding silently at Pragya as she passed her. She closed the door behind her, and then Daadi and Pragya were left to face each other.

Pragya couldn't hold Daadi's gaze. Instead she busied herself with picking out the right pills, and handed them to Daadi in order as she swallowed one after the other. When Daadi had taken all her medicines, Pragya put away the box and refilled her water glass.

Then, finally, she knelt at Daadi's feet for the second time that day.

Daadi immediately reached out to touch her head in blessing, and then she tipped up Pragya's chin and smiled at her. "Aise nahin, beta. Come up and sit beside me."

Pragya seemed reluctant to comply, but at Daadi's prompting she finally got up. She sat down next to Daadi and reached for her hands.

"Daadi...I never apologized for how rude I've been. I don't know how I can even say sorry -"