For the next few months, nothing happened.
Seriously. Nothing whatsoever happened. Well, unless waves lapping against the ship and sailors tugging at ropes counted as something worth reporting. In hindsight, I really had to congratulate myself on the excellent idea of renting a luxury yacht. If I hadn't, this journey would have turned into a torturous tour of boredom and anxiety. But as things stood, the trip was turning out to be quite the relaxing holiday. My husband, my baby boy and my favourite sister-in-law all on one ship, along with lots of delicacies, chocolate and free time?
Heaven on earth.
Of course, there was that little voice at the back of my mind telling me that this was the calm before the storm. However, it didn't really bother me. Rather, it filled me with mounting anticipation. Maybe, over the years in Mr Rikkard Ambrose's service, I had gotten a little bit addicted to the taste of adventure. And if I could help the girl I considered my sister find love in the process, all the better.
"Land ahoy! Land ahoy!"
The shout from the crow's nest awoke me in the early hours of the morning. Blinking in the sudden sunlight, I struggled out of bed and, completely ignoring any insignificant obstacles in the way (such as my husband), I rushed to the nearest porthole.
The lookout was right. In the light of the rising sun, I could see a faint outline on the horizon even from down here. There really was land ahoy! Very little land, but definitely land.
Yes! After months and months of sea travel, we're finally here!
"Is that..."
"The island of Agatti," came a cool voice from behind me that almost made me jump out of my skin. Startled, I whirled around and found myself face-to-face with Mr Rikkard Ambrose. "Thank you for the loving wake-up call, by the way." Moving his hand up to his stomach, he touched the spot where a footprint in my size happened to be visible. "It is always gratifying to know how much my wife appreciates me."
"Um...you're welcome." I cleared my throat—then gave him an impish grin as my eyes slid to his nether regions. "Would you like me to go a little lower next time?"
The look I received in response was as far from impish as a shark was from a salted sardine. "Don't. You. Dare."
"Don't worry. Somehow, I think I won't have to." With a wink, I turned to the chest that contained my clothes and started dressing. "We're about to meet your 'agent' after all."
For some reason, Mr Rikkard Ambrose didn't look very happy at that reminder. Too bad. As his secretary, reminding him of his appointments was my duty, after all.
"Shall we?" Buttoning up the last few buttons of my dress, I kindly offered my arm to him. "Knowledge is Power is Time is Money, after all."
A muscle in his cheek twitched. "Now of all times you decide to learn the virtue of punctuality?"
"Better late than never, right?"
"Hm. I suppose." Linking his arm with mine, he gave a curt nod. "Let's go."
Together, we stepped out onto the deck. Outside, we found an excited Adaira who seemed like she was about to jump overboard and swim towards the island ahead, and a dour-looking Karim, who seemed like he was about to do the same in the opposite direction.
"Ah, Karim, good morning! Looking forward to seeing your mother?"
The glower he sent my way in response was truly impressive. "Are you looking forward to a boot up your behind, Sahiba?"
"Tut-tut..." With a sad face, I gave the bodyguard a disapproving shake of the head. "What do you think your dear mother would say if she heard you talking about a married woman's derrière?"
With skin the colour of weathered mahogany, it should have been impossible to pale—yet still, he somehow managed it.
"Let's go!" Tightening my grip on my hubby's arm, I started towards the gangplank. "I get the feeling this is going to be fun."
"Which is why, Mrs Ambrose, I always try to avoid anything 'fun' as much as possible."
"Don't be a spoilsport! Oy, Adaira, help me with your stubborn brother, will you?"
"It would be my pleasure!" Racing up to us, she grabbed hold of her brother's other arm and started helping me to manoeuvre him towards the shore. "Let's go, let's go, let's go!"
Under his breath, I heard him mumble something that sounded suspiciously like "Traitor!" to my ears. However, I took note of the fact that he let himself be steered down the gangway, despite the fact that, if he really wanted to resist, wild horses would not have been able to move Mr Rikkard Ambrose. Oh, and speaking of people who weren't moving...
"Karim!"
"Yes, Sahiba?" came a voice from somewhere behind a nearby mast.
"Stop hiding and get over here!"
"Yes, Sahiba." I could practically hear his shoulders sagging. Trudging out from behind the mast, he marched over towards us as if he were walking towards a firing squad. Judging by the way he kept his hand on the hilt of his sabre, he wasn't going to go quietly.
"Come on, now." Patting his shoulder, I smiled at the two big men with solemn faces. "It can't be that bad, can it?"
The two exchanged a look.
"Have you ever met Karim's mother?" Mr Ambrose enquired.
"Um...no?"
"Then prepare yourself," Karim told me dully. "I would rather brave a horde of bloodthirsty maniacs than what we are about to face."
***
Bang!
"Bloody hell! How did they find me?" Throwing himself forward into the muck, Captain James Carter only just barely managed to avoid being shot by the bloodthirsty horde on his heels. He rolled around and, coming up on his knees, pulled up his revolver. Almost instantly, his eyes zeroed in on his pursuers, and he took aim.
Bang! Bang! Click!
Wait a minute...click?
Oh crap!
He hurled himself down into the dirt again—and not a moment too soon. Having noticed the abrupt lack of firepower on the other side, his pursuers immediately resumed their efforts to turn him into a captain-shaped sieve.
This was not one of his life goals. Neither was dying in a ditch, far away from home.
Quickly, he glanced around. On the left, enemies. Up ahead, enemies. On the right, there was thick jungle, but he had been in India long enough to know what lived in the jungle, and frankly, he'd rather take his chance with the hordes of bloodthirsty rebels. Last but not least...
Glancing back, he stared into the depths of the gorge right behind him, at the bottom of which he could hear the fierce rushing of water.
Oh, to hell with it! That river probably leads straight to Delhi, right?
Before he could think better of it, he leapt up. Three swift steps carried him to the edge. For a long moment, Captain Carter stared down into the deep chasm—then came another gunshot from behind him, and he decided he'd stared long enough.
He took a last, deep breath, just because it might be his last—and jumped!
If only I were with Adaira on a nice, tropical island right now, was his last thought.
***
"If only I could be anywhere else," Karim mourned, staring at the beautiful tropical island ahead as if it were the gate to hell. "Like, on a bloody battlefield, or drowning in a cesspool."
"Should I tell your mother you said that?" I enquired innocently, pointing forward at the distant group of figures on the beach.
"Don't. You. Dare."
With a snicker, I started down the gangway, making sure to keep a tight grip on my husband's arm all the way. The group up ahead on the beach slowly came into clear view as we approached. It mostly seemed to consist of huge, bearded men who somehow managed to look like diminutive mice. The only figure that stood out was technically a tiny, elderly woman. Why "technically"? Well... I had never seen a tiny, elderly woman dressed in conservative clothing and a headscarf who managed to look so much like a general awaiting troops for a court-martial.
Stepping off the gangplank, Mr Ambrose and I stopped in front of her, and I studied the old lady curiously. She didn't seem to notice, since she was currently in a staring contest with my husband. And the most amazing thing? She wasn't losing.
The two of them stared.
And stared.
And stared some more.
Finally, I couldn't stand it anymore and gave my husband a nudge, hoping he would remember his manners—or rather, hoping he hadn't sold them for a good price yet. Apparently he hadn't, because at my urging, he gave a reluctant greeting. By that, I mean he inclined his head about half a millimetre. "Madam."
The woman gave a curt nod in response. "Devil who stole my son away."
I nearly choked on my spittle.
What did she just dare to call Mr Rikkard Ambrose?
A muscle in my husband's cheek twitched. "I explained that at the time. After what happened, he couldn't stay in India. He had to leave for his own safety."
"And did what happened happen because of you?"
A pause.
"Possibly. But—"
"As I said. Devil who stole my son away."
I couldn't keep a smile from spreading across my face. Leaning over towards my hubby, I lowered my voice. "I like her!"
That muscle in his cheek twitched again. "I had feared as much."
I was just wondering whether I should risk greeting this formidable lady without wearing heavy armour when the choice was taken out of my hand. Striding forward, the old lady inspected me from head to toe and, to my utter surprise, a smile appeared on her face. Why were her eyes gleaming with happiness all of a sudden?
"And who is this? Don't tell me that useless boy of mine has finally decided to mend his ways and get married?"
Ah. So that's why.
"Err..." Scratching my head, I pointed to Mr Ambrose. "I'm married to him."
Instantly, the smile on her face disappeared, only to be replaced with a sad expression. "What a pity." Reaching out, she patted me on the shoulder. "My condolences."
Then she strode past us before either I or Mr Ambrose had time to react.
Not that I would have known how to react.
"Boy!" The shout almost made me jump out of my skin. "Get out here and greet your mother!"
Karim—who had somehow managed to sneak back onto the ship without me noticing—stuck his head over the railing.
"Um...I think there is a leak on the ship. I should stay aboard and—"
"Get down here, brat, before I decide to drag you out by your ear!"
A moment later, the sound of shuffling feet came from the direction of the ship and, shortly thereafter, a certain big, bearded figure appeared atop the gangway. Reluctantly, he made his way down towards the shore.
Too bad. I would have loved to see him getting his ear pulled. It would have made for great blackmail material.
"Well, what are you waiting for, boy? Move! Come and say hello to your mother and your family!"
Begrudgingly, Karim trudged forward until he came to a halt in front of the little group. "Good day, mother," he stated. "Good day, brothers."
The frontmost brother, who had grey hairs in his beard despite looking only around thirty years old, gave Karim a mournful look. "You left us alone with her."
The little old woman's head snapped around to stare at her son. "What did you say?"
"Err...I said it's great to meet you after all this time, brother."
"Harrumph. That's what I thought you said. Now, come on, all of you. My daughters-in-law and the grandchildren are all waiting up at the house, resting from the voyage and waiting for you to come and greet them. And, speaking of daughters-in-law..."
The old woman's eyes snapped to the only available single woman on the scene, which just so happened to be Adaira. Suddenly, my dear sister-in-law seemed to regret that she had already divested herself of her widow-attire.
"Hello there, my dear!" The old lady sidled over to Adaira, giving her a hopeful look from beneath her headscarf. "You wouldn't happen to be my new daughter-in-law, would you?"
"Um...no."
The old lady's shoulders sagged—then suddenly lifted again. "Would you like to be? I promise, there is no better man than my little Karim. I'll see to it that you will be the first and only wife, and if that mūrakha dares to not treat you well, I'll—"
"Err...apologies, Madam. I'm honoured by your offer, but I am on a trip to meet my sort-of-fiancé."
The older woman's world seemed to collapse for a moment. Covering her eyes with a wrinkly hand, she uttered a mournful sigh. "Where oh where did I go wrong? I obviously did everything I could to bring up a good, obedient son, so why was I saddled with this sorry excuse for a progeny?"
"Mother!" Karim sputtered. "I don't think—"
Whirling around, his mother stabbed a finger at him, immediately silencing him. "No, you don't, do you? You never do! You never think of your poor, old mother, and what will happen to her if, in her old age, she is alone and without grandchildren!"
With a raised eyebrow, Karim pointed at his half dozen brothers, and their wives and children who were peeking out of a house a little way away from the beach. "You were saying?"
Taking advantage of the prerogative of all elderly people around the world, his mother pretended to be deaf and completely ignored his words. Instead, she focused on what was really important in life.
"So, do you have a wife?"
Karim scratched his beard, doing his best to hide his face behind his hand. "Um, well..."
"And children? How many children do you have? Five?"
"Err...well, not exactly."
Her eyes narrowed. "Three?"
"Um...no."
"So..." Her eyes narrowed even further. "Just one?"
"I'm afraid not."
"You...! You really want me to die old and alone, don't you? First you leave for decades without visiting or writing your dear mother, and now you don't even bring a wife back! Bēkāra khākā! I think it's long past time for me to teach you a lesson like I did when you were younger."
"Oh?" With interest, I glanced between mother and son. "How exactly did you do your teaching?"
The mother didn't answer, and neither did the son. He was too busy backing away while clutching his bottom. "Mother! You can't mean—"
But before he could get any farther, he was grabbed by the ear and dragged off towards the nearby house by a firm motherly hand. The other sons exchanged glances, and quickly followed. So did Adaira, after a moment's hesitation. Soon, I and Mr Ambrose were the only ones left on the beach. Clearing my throat, I turned towards him.
"So...son-stealing devil?"
His left little finger twitched. "Not. Another. Word."
Smiling, I nodded my head like a good, obedient little wife. "Of course not."
"Hm."
"I'm just wondering...does she work for you, or vice versa?"
"You...!"
I ducked just fast enough to avoid the hand that made a grab for me. Cackling, I ran up the beach to catch up with Adaira and the rest, Mr Ambrose in hot pursuit. Before long, we were approaching the house, where we were awaited by Karim's mother, who seemed to have finished with whatever horrific punishment she had visited upon Mr Ambrose's poor, defenceless bodyguard and was now watching me run for my life with a wistful expression on her face.
"Ah, young love..." She sighed. "It seems like only yesterday that my husband was chasing after me."
"Um..." Slowing down, I doubtfully cocked my head. "Begging your pardon, madam, but are you sure it wasn't him who was running away from you?"
"Ha!" A bark of laughter echoed across the beach. "I didn't mean chasing me in the literal sense, girl. I was quite the beauty in my younger years, you know? How else do you think I got saddled with this many brats?"
Hopping down from the porch, the older woman strode towards me, and I instinctively took a step back. The old lady was a good head shorter than me and looked like a friendly old grandma—yet still, she somehow managed to make me feel small, like a debutant who had just gotten introduced to a duchess at her first ball.
"Don't look so nervous. I don't bite people I have only just met. Speaking of which...I don't think we've been introduced yet, have we?" With a kind expression on her wrinkled face, the old lady inclined her head. "You can just call me Granny Aatifa, dear. Everyone else does."
"It is my pleasure." Dipping into a curtsey, I smiled at her.
"Mine, not so much," came a chilly voice from behind me. "I cannot fathom what kind of foolishness led your parents to name you 'Affection'."
"The kind of foolishness that is called love," the old woman shot back without a beat. "But then, you wouldn't know anything about that, would you?"
I expected my darling husband to immediately fire off a retort—but he didn't. Instead, he glanced at me, and something flickered in his eyes that tugged at my soul.
"I wouldn't be so sure about that if I were you."
For a moment, silence reigned. Then...
"Hm...maybe you're right." Narrowing her eyes, Granny Aatifa inspected my husband for a moment—then nodded in a manner that might almost be interpreted as approving. One corner of her mouth quirked up, and she gestured towards the house. "Well, you'd better come in, you two. I'm sure you are tired and hungry after the long journey, and I am reliably informed that even son-stealing devils have to eat."
With that, she whirled around and stalked back inside. I was about to follow, when a movement at the edge of the vision caught my eye. Turning my head, I spotted Adaira shifting nervously beside the door.
For a moment, I hesitated—then came to a decision and leaned over towards Mr Ambrose. "Head inside and wait for me, will you?"
"Why would—oh." His eyes settled on his sister for a moment, then he nodded. "Agreed."
"Great. I'll—"
"But!" he cut me off halfway, his hand grabbing hold of my chin and forcing me to look into his eyes. "We will talk later. Privately. Do not think I have forgotten about your punishment." Before I could come up with an answer to that, I felt his lips on my cheek, leaving a burning brand in their wake. "Till later."
Then he was gone.
Good thing, too. That meant he couldn't see the way my ears were heating up.
Get a grip, Lilly! You're an experienced, married woman who is about to head into a warzone! This is not the time to act like a blushing bride!
Too bad my ears didn't seem to agree and stubbornly refused to return to their original colour. I couldn't help but wonder what exactly Mr Rikkard Ambrose wanted to discuss in private later on.
Shaking off those silly thoughts, I quickly stepped towards Adaira.
"Everything all right?"
"Y-yes." She gave me a shaky smile. "I'm fine."
"...which is what people always say when they aren't fine. So, what's up?"
Even though I asked, it wasn't difficult to guess. Adaira was staring fixedly eastward, wringing her hands and shifting around. The poor girl looked like she was about to jump into the sea and swim to India any moment now.
One corner of my mouth quirked up. "Oh my. You've really got it bad, haven't you?"
"I...I just can't help it, Lilly." She sent me a pleading look. "Do we really have to stay for the night? We could just continue on, and anything else can be discussed once we're on our way to India!"
"So anxious?"
Looking away from the horizon, she met my eyes. "I don't want to have to put that widow attire on once again, this time for real."
"Oh, Adaira..." Walking up to her, I placed a gentle hand on her arm. It was trembling ever so slightly. "You won't have to do that! We'll find him, I promise!"
"I...yes, I know, but...shouldn't we still leave as soon as possible? The longer we wait, the more likely it is that something happens to...to..."
Biting her lip, she broke off.
"Don't tell me you've inherited your brother's aversion to wasting time?"
The expression on her face made all humour drain from my own.
"He could be out there, Lilly, hurt and alone. I just can't stand knowing that I am doing nothing while he is in constant danger!"
"You are doing something," I told her firmly. "You are preparing. We can't go on without eating and resting, and we most certainly can't without knowing the situation in India."
"I know, I know." Clenching her small fists, she returned to staring towards the east, as if she could see the distant subcontinent's coastline from here. "It's just...I can't think about anything else! I..."
Sliding an arm around her shoulder, I gave her a comfortable squeeze. "Don't worry. The captain is a tough fellow. I'm sure he's perfectly fine."
"Y-you really think so?"
"Definitely."
***
"Pfft!" Spitting out a mouthful of filthy river water, along which what he could have sworn was a small fish, Captain James Carter dragged in a breath of blessed air. "Bloody hell! I'm never taking a bath again in my life!"
He turned around—and met the gaze of a rather startled farmer, who had frozen in the middle of ploughing his field.
"Oh. Um...excuse me, which way is Delhi?"
The farmer cocked his head.
So did the oxen next to him.
"Err...right. Not in England, Carter, not in England. Dillee kis raaste se, krpaya?"
The farmer raised his arm, pointing right behind Captain Carter. The captain turned around—and was immediately faced with the sight of a familiar city rising in the distance.
"Well, what do you know?" A bright, confident smile appeared on his face. "The river did lead directly to Delhi. Seems like the goddess of luck is still with me."
Immediately, he took a confident step forward—only for his foot to sink into water. It was then that he remembered that the river he had just left was currently between him and the city.
Taking a deep breath, he looked down at his dilapidated uniform.
"So much for not taking a bath again. Oh, heck!"
Splash!
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My dear Readers,
Finally, the long-awaited meeting with Karim's family. I hope you enjoyed it? :)
Regarding the subject of Karim's parents - some of you might wonder why, since polygamy was a common practice in many muslim societies during this period, Karim's father had only one wife. In fact, polygamy, while common in many Islamic countries during the 19th century (and in some still today), was never very common in South-Asian countries. In Punjab, since the Middle Ages, the majority of men had only one wife.
Yours Truly
Sir Rob
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GLOSSARY:
Mūrakha—Punjabi for "idiot".
Bēkāra khākā!—Punjabi for "useless layabout".
Aatifa - a Muslim girl name meaning "affection".