'What do you mean you can't come?' Neha's voice pierced Shweta's eardrums.
Two days after she realized her goof-up with the passport, Shweta had thought it was a good idea to call her older sister and see if there was a chance she could implore her to impress on the family the need to postpone the wedding. Neha was better at handling such complicated situations. But for that, Shweta knew she would have to first convince Neha to see the problem from her point of view.
Obviously, that plan had backfired and Neha had started yelling instead.
'Come here and sit down if you want me to braid your hair.' Neha seemed to be multitasking, talking on the phone while getting her daughter, Ria, ready for school.
Ria's chirpy voice floated through the speaker. 'Who are you talking to?'
Shweta heard her say, 'Shweta,' and then scold Ria. 'Sit still, silly girl. Keep your head straight.'
'Hi, Aunt S,' Ria said, before she groaned in pain, 'Ah!'
Shweta smiled, thinking of her adorable little niece. 'Hi, sweetie!'
'Sit still, I say!' Shweta heard Neha admonish Ria again. 'So, you were saying, Shweta? Turn your head this way, Ria.'
Shweta let Neha continue to be distracted by Ria's antics. She heard Ria groan again. 'You know what I'm saying, Neha,' Shweta continued in a wheedling tone. 'Tickets cost the earth. Coming once a year is okay but in six months? That's extravagant. And I can't have Papa pay for our tickets. Can't Simbu postpone the wedding to next year?'
Neha tsk-tsked. 'Look, Shweta. Simbu's waited so long. He's nearly thirty. As it is, your wedding took so long. Now what if Lekha calls off this wedding altogether when he asks her to postpone it again? He and Lekha have waited for over a year. In fact, all of us are tired of waiting. Even Mohan thinks it's high time the love birds got married.'
The mention of her brother-in-law Mohan put a dent in Shweta's argument. Mohan was like an older brother to her and she didn't want to let him down. Shweta scowled.
'Have you called Ma?' Neha asked. 'Papa and she are over the moon.'
The whole point of calling Neha first was to get Neha to ask Keertana. But it didn't look like it was going to work. Shweta heard Ria groan again. 'Why are you hurting the poor child? Should I call you later?'
'No, I'm done. Ria, have you taken your water bottle and pencil box?'
Shweta heard Ria say good-bye to her mother and then to her. 'Bye, Aunt S. Call me over the weekend.'
Shweta heard Neha let out a deep breath followed by the bang of a door. 'So, what were you saying?'
'Mmmm...about having another wedding so soon...'
'Oh, come on, Shweta, you have to be out of your mind! Ma was telling me that the Nambiars have already sent her some sample wedding cards over e-mail. Things are moving quickly.' Then she changed the subject. 'How is Raj? Shouldn't December be a good time for him too?'
Shweta wished she could say 'No.' Or tell her that he wouldn't come. Or that she didn't know where he was or what he was doing.
In the meantime, Neha got busy with something in the kitchen.
Shweta hung on, as she heard sounds of a spoon and the opening of the microwave at the other end.
'Mmm...' Neha finally got back to Shweta after a long slurp of her drink. 'Ah, at last I get to sit down and drink my tea in peace. What were you saying again?'
For a moment, Shweta wished she could come clean, tell her sister everything. Maybe Mohan could even do something to help with the passport. 'You know Neha, I have to tell you something—'
'Ok, I know what you're going to say,' Neha interrupted her. 'How you want to start working and buy tickets with your own money. How you don't want to be so dependent on your new husband or your father. Blah. Blah. But brothers don't get married every day—'
'No, it's not that—'
'Hold on. What, Mohan? Coming! Sorry, got to go, Shweta. Call you over the weekend. Ria said she wanted to discuss something about Talent Day at school. She said you might have some ideas. So, call later. Bye now.'
Before Shweta could respond, Neha had disconnected the line.
Shweta stared at her phone for a few moments.
Then suddenly she picked it up again and dialled. There was only one person now who she could talk to about this.
'Hey,' Shweta greeted Shipra as soon as the latter answered her phone. 'Can you pick me up tomorrow afternoon? We need to talk.'
'Well, perfect!' Shipra said. 'I've been wanting to go to the Middletree Mall for some quick retail therapy. Meet you at three outside the café.'
Shweta hung up and exhaled. She could request for a little break after rush-hour at the café and probably do with some retail therapy herself to unclog her mind.
***
'You what?' Shipra's eyes darted alternately between Shweta's face and the road, on their way to the mall.
'What could I do? What would you do if you were running away from your husband?' Shweta squinted at Shipra. 'Would you run for your life or think about gathering your belongings?' Shweta had had to make a split-second decision and she'd started running towards the nearest mini strip mall, hoping to find someplace to hide until she could call Shipra to pick her up. All she'd grabbed were her purse and phone, and she'd blocked Raj's number as soon as she'd remembered. The rest Shipra knew.
'Ok, I rest my case. I would've just run too. But we could have gone back in a few days to get your things. In fact, we should go now. He can't refuse to give you your passport.'
Shweta thought about that for a moment. 'Hmmm... But I don't want to give him any ideas if he still has my passport and hasn't destroyed it. Wouldn't it be better if we got it back ourselves?'
'But how are you going to get it back without going to him?'
'That's exactly what I'm thinking. I don't want to go near that geezer again. I'm still a little frightened of him. I mean, I'm still terrified thinking of that night. No, I won't go to him if I can help it.'
'Then what do you propose to do? Steal it?'
'Come to think of it, that's not a bad idea.' Shweta grinned, thinking of carrying out a Bollywood-style heist.
Shipra looked at her as if she was mad. 'Are you out of your mind? You know that'll be a criminal act, right?'
'I've seen worse criminal acts. Think, trying to kill your wife.'
'Tell that to the cops!' Shipra smirked. 'You have no proof. But if you get caught breaking into the house, he can have you arrested. Have you thought of that?'
Shweta sighed, thinking of the worst that could happen. Yet something told her she should at least give it a shot. 'Is there a way we can get an extra key to the apartment?'
'He hasn't left the spare key with us. There's no way except a break-in.'
'I'm thinking if there is a more sophisticated way...'
'A sophisticated way to rob someone?' Shipra snorted.
'Hey, it's my passport. I wouldn't call it robbing, just...fixing a few errors from the past.'
'You are a riot, Shweta, but while you're thinking about it, can we stop at Maria's sale? I think a little window shopping will clear your muddled brain. Plus I think you could do with another pair of jeans. I'm tired of seeing what you're wearing. How can you survive with just one pair?'
Shweta laughed. Shipra had been the one to take her shopping when she had absolutely nothing but the clothes she was wearing. Shweta, however, didn't really care that she had only one pair of jeans that she washed every Sunday. That she was safe and alive was enough. 'I'm really not in the mood to shop but I guess just looking won't hurt. And I have to get back to work in an hour.'
'Done.'
Fifteen minutes later, they were at Maria's and checking out the jeans on the rack.
'Should I try this on?' Shipra asked Shweta, showing her the jeans that she'd picked up.
'Sure, I'll just sit down for a bit,' Shweta said, gesturing to the stool near the changing room. I'm tired already. I can't seem to find anything I like. Everything's either too expensive or I don't like it.'
'Ok, be back soon.'
Shipra came out of the changing room in a few minutes, twirling around to show Shweta the fit. 'Doesn't this one look great?'
Shweta nodded. 'Pretty smart, I think.'
Shipra jumped in excitement. 'I love it.' She looked at Shweta quizzically. 'Aren't you going to get anything at all?'
'I'm not in the mood to shop. Besides if I were going to India, it'd be much cheaper to get a pair there. Although without the passport, that remains in suspense. Even if I tried to apply for a new passport, I might not get it in time for the wedding. That means I not only miss the wedding, but also draw the ire of my entire family for what I've got myself into.'
Shipra squeezed her shoulder. 'Listen, let's try not to jump the gun. We'll find a way to get your passport back. Cheer up now, okay? Let's go get a cup of coffee.'
Shipra paid for the jeans at the counter and the two of them walked into the Starbucks outlet that was a few stores away. Shweta still had a few minutes left before she had to get back to work.
They got their coffees and sat facing the centre of the arcade where a group of kids were laughing and running around a small water fountain.
Shipra laughed as the kids dodged and screamed with glee at the water spraying from the fountain but Shweta's mind was elsewhere. Her insides were knotted with worry as she couldn't stop worrying over how she was going to get her passport back.