As my husband took his steps towards his sister, an unpleasant feeling enveloped around me...
"Ji, let's talk to her at home, not here. People may watch ji..."
But he paid no heed to my words. He literally stormed and as he was approaching her, I called her name.
"Rekha-"
That's the point she actually turned and saw. She looked famished!
She now knew what would definitely happen.
"Bhai, aap-"
"STOP TALKING, WILL YOU?", bellowed my husband.
"Ji-"
"Thum beech mein math aao Pavi"
I immediately silenced.
I told you right, the first wave of everything... (Context previous chapter!)
"Bhai..." , and that is all she could manage to even utter.
As I saw her succumbing to his anger, I ran forward to give her a warm hug. I felt grateful that this park doesn't have that many visitors, or this would definitely have been a great family drama scene.
My husband took this momentary lapse of a chance to catch hold on the guy.
Holding his collar, Raj ji started bellowing at him.
"Who are you? Huh?
Kis ghar ki ladki hai, pathaa hai na?
Don't you have a sister?
Will you let her roam alone in parks with jerks like you?
What do you even think of yourself?
Do your parents send you to college to flirt with girls?-"
And even before the next course of words could slip out of his mouth, my husband raised his hand to trash that speechless boy-
"Ji, aapko meri kasam, chodiye-", I jumped in.
He sharply looked at me as a tinge of fear formed a pit in my stomach.
I saw him lowering his hand and freeing him.
I felt Rekha shudder in my arms as more tears unveiled her feelings of what her brother would do to her.
" What is your name?", Raj ji grunted at him.
"Su-Sushanth-"
I looked at Rekha... And now could connect the dots.
"Bhaiyya, maaf kar di jiye-", he begged for plea.
"How long has this nonsense been happening?", Raj ji shouted again.
He chose to be silent.
"Bholo?"
"One month-", he whispered.
He turned to look at his sister, who was now going to faint.
"Is this why we send you to college?
Is this why you make your Bhabhi dress you up?
IS THIS WHAT YOU DO TO THE TRUST OF OUR PARENTS?"
He was literally shouting on top of his voice and it was literally echoing!
"Ji, aap please chodiye na, hum ghar mein baitke baath karenge, ji please?"
I literally pleaded him. I knew that he has no control over his anger however well, I didn't want that young girl to simply be a victim to it.
"Let's go home and tell Ma. She is the righ person to handle this. Well, from now on, no more college for you!
And you, boy, if I see you anywhere around this place-"
"Ji, please ji chodiye-"
Tears pricked my eyes. How could he stop her education? And make a scene in a public place? Thank goodness no one was around to watch it all.
"Beta, thum apne ghar chale jaao", I told the boy even before he could be the shaken into pieces in wrath of my husband's anger.
He very timidly looked at me. I nodded sternly as Raj ji just stared at what I just did.
He took his chance wisely and disappeared from the spot.
"Bhai-"
"Don't even call me that-"
"Ji", I rolled my eyes at him and he silenced.
"Bhabhi, please tell Bhai not to tell Ma or stop my academics-", Rekha hiccuped through her tears.
Her mouth was dry and her eyes were red. She still shivered in fear and I wrapped her with my shawl and caressed her hair. Well, words would make things worse.
Since the saree was too thin, it couldn't protect me from the strong cold breeze. Raj ji noticed the goose bumps on my arms and I think probably even my now exposed waist and well, without saying a word starting walking towards the gate of the park.
As we waited on the main road for an auto, I earnestly looked at my husband. As I softly, very softly caressed his arm, he turned to look at me.
"Ji-"
"Kyaa Pavi, don't support her and ask me to hide it from Ma", he said.
"She is still a small girl, your younger sister. She did a mistake, but she doesn't deserve such a big punishment."
"What will I tell Ma now? Where did I find her and how are we coming together?"
"We'll tell Ma that we stopped by at her college and picked her up after her extra classes."
"Are you asking me to lie to my own mother Pavi?"
"No, I'd not say that until the situation demands. Ma will ground her and if I know Ma correctly, then she might even get her married to some stranger stopping her academics. I know you don't want that either. You always support me and my dreams and you want the same for your sister as well.
She definitely deserves a punishment. I'll make her work along with me in the tution classes. But, please aap bhi sochiye na..."
He entered into his cave of silence. A rikshaw guy stopped and looked at us, as my silent husband just murmured our residence.
I wiped Rekha's tears and gave her some water. She calmed down as I kept caressing her warmly.
Before getting down from the auto, I just stopped my husband and asked him what his decision was.
"Thu sahi bhol rahi hai, iske saath saath, she lost the right to talk to me, and you can't talk me out of it Pavi..."
Fresh tears pricked Rekha's eyes but I told her that she should look normal otherwise Ma and Babaji will ask.
I also asked her to give me back the shawl for two reasons:
1. Rekha would get questioned unnecessarily.
2. I will be questioned unnecessarily.
Both are unexplainable and embarassing.
I told her that she'd say that she has a headache and rush to her room and I'll do the talking, not even her brother.
She agreed to it and her brother, well, he did too, even if it was reluctant.
The things that a married woman does to save her family...
***