Pride, Honour & Love

Chapter 7

After Jacques left an hour later past dinner for Lucknow, My Lady wished Miss Howard goodnight...as her maids changed her dress for the night, there was a light knock on the door, she sat down on the chair, tucking her feet asking her maids to send the person in and wait outside before they are summoned in to finish their task....

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Bani stood under the tree watching the riders fading in the darkness of the night, they were on horseback, now the weather was clear with the monsoon over and men preferred to ride on horseback it was faster that way to Lucknow, in carriage it would take two days atleast....he knew she would be standing her, she does everytime he leaves and he had made his usual gesture acknowledging her presence, Bani slowly returned to the Tower, Sundari was waiting for her with dinner....

Shall we eat now she asked as she noted Bani climbing up the stairs looking sad, she hated to see Jacques go out of Dariyaganj...

See he has business to conduct, he is no ordinary peasant Sundari said as she served their dinner....

No I guess not but the villagers were saying things are strange nowadays .....

Sundari sighed, he was her man in a way and she had every reason to worry specially the way she was bound to him, without a family of her own all her love was for the Bade Laat till the daughter was born....

By the way, why were you late in the evening, where were you?

Sundari smiled, you missed me, strange when I came back I found you to be busy....

Bani blushed, he came suddenly, I think wanted to see his daughter before he left for Lucknow....he does everytime since the day she is born....

Hmmmmm, agreed Sundari, Jacques does love his daughter it seems, she is happy it is not only sex he comes for, he does visit other times too, talking to Bani and her, helping Bani with the meaning of certain herbs and plants which she requires for her oils and medicines, when Bani was pregnant ensuring her diet was wholesome often asking Sundari about the same, Sundari looked at the girl sitting opposite her and eating absent mindedly, she was like her daughter, with her daughters married and her man dead, Sundari was clueless where she will stay when My Lady relieved her from her services, it was Jacques idea and Bani had accepted her whole heartedly....

Sundari cleared her voice and went and sat next to Bani....

See Bani, I have worked too long years with My Lady, I have seen a lot of 'gora' family closely as I have travelled with 'My Lady' in various places over the years, as I have told you that these men of families like these do not marry people like us, they are very proud of their superior colouring and will marry accordingly for legal heir, we are just articles of amusement in between or love at times....

You know Sundari didi I do not expect him to marry him, otherwise I would not have gone into such a relation but I cannot see him in the arms of another woman....

Sundari smiled, see Bani you cannot stop the inevitable, can you? She paused and then added when I was going to the village I was stopped by the guard, it seems he was being sent for me....

Bani frowned, who could have sent for Sundari, not Jacques, he never sent for them, either he came over or sent Todd with his message, no matter how much Todd grumbled and fretted, thought himself to be superior on the basis of his skin colour, he was brought the messages and took her reply if need be...

My Lady wanted to see me, Sundari clarified.....

Of course she knows about your living with me....

Yes of course and your baby too, as Bade Laat has his ways of finding out, my lady is not far behind, she too is well updated....she exactly knows the sex and the age of the baby....