Part 8 Restlessness
Khushi was looking at Ganga like what the...
What did she just say? Chiiiii? That was her reaction just for a HUG...! If she said Chiii for a hug, what about other processes? Yes, of course, a few girls were so restrained in this matter even in the PRESENT. But here, it seemed completely different as the MAN also had no knowledge about it. How GOOD Indians had been...! She sighed.
Khushi didn't know how Ganga's parents and in-laws had kids. She didn't know where to start... how to start...!
"May I ask you something?" Khushi asked as she could not hold herself.
"Jee..."
"Don't take me wrong for asking this... why did your mother-in-law shout at you?"
Ganga sighed.
"You are looking like my sister... there is nothing harm to share my problem with you. I got married when I was fourteen. Now, I'm eighteen... but, I'm not blessed with a child. That's why my mother-in-law always shouts at me" she said sadly.
"Won't your husband says anything?"
"What could he say? After all, I don't give hire to his family. People must be right"
"People?"
"Yes, people say I'm cursed. That's why I didn't conceive"
"Not everyone is blessed who gets conceived"
"People think like that only, sister. Tell me, why God didn't give me a child if I'm not cursed? I'm visiting the temple regularly, circling the peepal tree every day, keeping fasting on all the Fridays... yet, God hasn't mercy on me"
"You have done everything but the IMPORTANT one" Khushi murmured. She wanted to bang her head on the wall. Would GOD give a child? Bloody hell...!
"Did you say something?" Ganga asked.
"Where is your husband?" Khushi asked.
"He went to guard the village... it's the rule of this village. Every day, eight people would be on duty. One person from each family should do it. Today is our turn"
"Oh..."
"He will come tomorrow morning only"
"Oh, ok. I have to change my dress," Khushi said.
"Yeah, it's so tight... how do you wear such a dress? Is it comfortable?" the girl asked with hesitation.
"I got used to it" Khushi smiled.
"Yeah, you should have worn it from your childhood..."
Khushi smiled and took her knee-length nightgown from her bag.
"You can change it here," she said while pulling the curtain at the corner of the room.
Khushi understood that was the place Ganga changes her dress if her husband was at home. She changed the dress and came out.
"Ganga, you sleep. I will just come"
"Do you want anything?"
"I have to meet Arnav... I mean the commander"
Ganga nodded ok.
Khushi came out of the room searching for Arnav. She saw Prithvi lying on the rope cot in the center yard. She looked here and there for Arnav. She didn't know where was Arnav sleeping. She had no idea what to do.
Prithvi turned and saw her standing.
"Do you want something, madam?" he asked sitting on the cot.
"I want to say an important matter to the commander. Where is he?"
"He is sleeping outside"
"Oh..."
"May I come with you?"
"No thanks"
Khushi rushed to the main door and pulled the so big lock with both her hands. She came out and saw Arnav lying on the mound platform (that was raised floor either outside.) She came to him crawling on the long platform. Before she touched him, Arnav kept a knife on her neck, clutching her upper hand.
"Oh my God, it's me..." She said, looking at him fearfully.
He saw her face in the moonlight.
"Youuuu? What are you doing here at this hour?" he shrank his face.
"Don't think I came to kill you... see, I have nothing in my hand" She showed her hands.
"No... I just..."
"I want to tell you something important"
"What?"
"Do you remember how the woman shouted at her daughter-in-law when we came here?"
Arnav nodded yes plainly.
"We have to do something about it"
Arnav thought Khushi should have talked to the girl and started sympathizing with her. That was why she wanted to help her.
"What can we do? This is their family matter. We should not interfere with it"
"How could you say that? You are a commander... don't you have responsibility for your country's people's happiness?"
"But, this is about the heir of the family. What's wrong if they expect it from their Daughter-in-law?"
"That's what I want to talk about. They want an heir but no process to get the heir have done yet"
"What are you talking about? I didn't get you"
"I mean NOTHING happened between the couple..."
For one minute, Arnav got stuck. What he heard was right? Did the girl in front of him talk about what he understood?
"What do you mean...?" He asked slowly.
"Nothing means nothing... I think they don't know about intimacy"
Arnav was shocked, not because the couple didn't know about it. It was because a GIRL was talking about it with him OPENLY without HESITATION and SHYNESS. He was looking at her with a stunning expression. He did not know how to react to it. He thought, in his country, women would feel shy to talk with even their respective husbands about such things. He was not sure whether they would talk about such things. But this girl had no hesitation. She said the couple didn't know about intimacy. Did SHE know about it? But, how? She was unmarried... then how?
"How do you know about it?" he asked with hesitation.
"I got to know it from her talks. The girl hasn't even HUGGED her husband yet. She shies to talk about hugs" Khushi said restlessly.
"oh... I didn't ask that. How do YOU ( stressing) know about it?" He asked her about intimacy but with a lot of hesitation.
"Me...? She said they sleep separately... he is on the bed and she is on the floor. That was when I understood. If it is so, how would they get a child?" There was restlessness on her face.
Arnav nodded his head sighing.
"I mean how do you know HOW people get a child?"
"It's all there in our syllabus..." she said wearily.
"Means?"
"We study them in school"
"Whaaaaat? In school? Do you guys study such things in school?" he asked shockingly.
"Haan..."
"That means, everyone in our county knows about it?"
"Of course..."
"Unbelievable... This is why girls don't have protection in your country" Arnav murmured.
"Did you say something?"
Arnav nodded no sighing.
"Please talk to her husband and make him understand," Khushi said.
"Me?"
"Haan... you"
"What the hell..."
Cutting him,
"Yes, if you don't do that, the girl's life would become hell"
Arnav got stuck.
"You wanted the rapist to marry the girl because you don't want her life to get spoiled. You want her to be happy. This is also about the matter of a girl's happiness only. Her in-laws didn't know the real issue. They think she has a problem in her. But, the couple is thinking they will get a kid after marriage just like that. They are unaware of the intimacy"
Arnav was suffocating. How could he talk to her husband about IT? It seemed they had no BASIC knowledge about intimacy. That meant they know NOTHING about it. They should be taught from the BEGINNING. How could he? It was so awkward. He hadn't talked about it with his friends too. In fact, it was not a matter to talk with someone. Then, how could he do that to a stranger? Hell no... he had to find a way to this problem. But how?
Seeing him thinking so deeply, Khushi asked,
"What are you thinking?"
Arnav looked at her plainly. Something stroke in her mind.
"One minute... do YOU know about intimacy?" She questioned him, making him flinch.
Arnav didn't know what to answer. He looked here and there not answering.
"I will find a solution to this problem," Arnav said.
"Really?" Khushi sighed.
Arnav nodded yes.
"Getting punished for making mistakes is justified... But, they did NOTHING and getting punished" She said making a weird face.
Arnav faced a tough time not to smile.
"Now, go to sleep," he said, managing himself.
Khushi sighed in relief and was about to go,
"By the way, why are you sleeping outside?"
"To get fresh air"
"But the house is enough blowy"
"Mmm..."
"May I guess?"
Arnav looked at her frowning.
"To avoid unwanted questions about your Prince from Prithviraj... right?"
Arnav got stuck for a few seconds and nodded yes. Khushi left the place with a smile. Arnav saw peacefulness in her face. He was so confused about her. Could she be a spy? If she was a spy, she would not have interfered in the couple's matter. He knew the strict rules of spies. The first rule was; they should not care about anything but only their duty. This girl didn't seem so. She spent time to know about the rape case. The way she showed restlessness on her face for the couple did not seem a pretext. Was she really a visitor to his country?
Arnav lay on the raised platform again, thinking about Khushi. A naughty smirk appeared on his face when he thought about her question. DO YOU KNOW ABOUT IT? He nodded his head from left to right. It was not hard for him to find a solution to the problem. He did... but, not in the way Khushi thought...!
To be continued...