"Stay right there."
Both she and I were jolted by a sudden scream.
"Mother..."
I could feel the anger in her voice.
"You wretched girl, how dare you bring this scoundrel into my home? This is not a den of vice, it's my house."
The words spat out by the woman who stormed out of the house were venomous.
"Mother, I've come for my things and my book. I'll take them and be gone."
"And who is your mother? I've never seen you in this house, parading around with strangers in hotels and lodges. And yet she clings to him. You will leave my house with this vagabond boy."
I sensed her fury as she wept before me. I couldn't bear to hear it any longer.
"You insolent...don't make a racket. In any case, we didn't come here to lodge. We'll take what she needs and depart."
"There is nothing of this wretch's in this house."
I seethed with anger.
"Is that for you to decide? Move, now..."
With a shove, I pushed her away from the door and entered ahead.
"Why are you gawking? Go in and gather what you need."
I snapped at her, bewildered gaze, and she hurried into a room.
In less than five minutes, she returned with everything in a bag. The woman's mouth was still agape. Several times, I felt the urge to slap her.
"If you bring this wretch up these steps one more time, you'll find out who Janaki truly is."
I didn't take kindly to the woman's parting words as we prepared to leave.
It quickly escalated into a heated exchange of words. The girl grabbed me and forcibly pulled me into the car as I attempted to confront the woman.
No matter what I tried, I couldn't quell my anger. She couldn't stop crying.
"Is that woman truly your mother? I asked if she was your mother."
"No," she replied.
"Then who is that lady to you?"
She didn't say anything.
"Come on, talk to me... say something."
"She's not my anybody. I don't have anybody. Nobody..."
Amidst her sorrow, she started to weep.
Her words caught me off guard. I fell silent. Her sobs reverberated inside the car.
For the first time, instead of hate, I felt a twinge of pity for her.
Despite the long journey back, her tears showed no sign of abating. My mind urged me to console her, but there was something I couldn't do.
It dawned on me that the house was a living hell for her. If that lady wasn't her mother, then who was she? I felt a burning curiosity about her true identity. I vowed that no matter what, I wouldn't send her back to that hell when she was cut out of my life.
Tears welled in her eyes as the carriage pulled into the compound. The moment the car halted, she leapt out and dashed inside. I watched in a flash.
After parking the car, I grabbed her bag and entered the house. My mother and sister-in-law, clearly alarmed by her presence, inquired about the situation. I recounted everything that had transpired and then proceeded straight to my room. I couldn't spot her anywhere in the room. She must have been in one of the bathrooms. Placing her bag on the table, I unzipped it carelessly, causing its contents to spill out.
"Damn it..."
As I gathered her books, which had been scattered after my slip of words, a diary adorned with a beautifully colored figure of Lord Krishna caught my eye. I picked it up and turned to the first page.
"I love you kannaa
I placed it in myself
Inextricably
I can't say
You are soul to me..."
Though I couldn't fully grasp the meaning, I was deeply moved by the lyrics on the initial page.
Next, my eyes sought out the beautifully painted peacock feather and the name beneath it.
"Devika..."
I softly uttered her name.
It was at that moment that I realized I had only come to know her name today.
"Devika... Devika..."
I turned the page, repeating her name in my mind, when she suddenly appeared out of nowhere and snatched the diary from my hand.
I swiftly apologized for intruding on her privacy and left the room.
To be continued...