Chapter Fifteen
"Dādā, mājhyāmuḷe aḍaçaṇa hoṇāraça nāhī, śapatha!" Dādā, I won't be in the way at all, I swear! The plaintive tone in Nikhil's deep voice made Mandar laugh, as it brought back memories of his teenage years when Nikhil, a toddler, had insisted on spending playtime with his Dādā, ignoring playmates of his own age. "Mī kitī vazana uçalū śakato, he tulā māhītaça nasela." You may not even know how much weight I can lift. "Tū gelī aḍīça varṣe kuṭhe āṇi kasā rāhilāsa, tyāçā video kāḍhāyalā malā kadhī punhā saṃdhī miḷela?" When will I have another chance to make a video of where and how you lived for the past two-and-a-half years?
As soon as Mandar had cancelled the taxi and told his family that Farhad would be driving him and Vishnu to Vikarabad and bringing him back, Nikhil made clear his unwillingness to stay behind. Farhad's idea - that Nikhil wouldn't want to waste four hours riding in a car when he needed to catch up on work after taking time off for the pūjā that morning - had seemed sensible to Mandar, but he had forgotten that Nikhil was grown up now, and Nikhil would decide how to balance his responsibilities at work and at home. Mandar was impatient to figure out, with input from Farhad and Vishnu and Dr. Ramya, what had happened between his hospitalization in Hyderabad and his arrival at the clinic in Vikarabad, but he knew that anything that would implicate Sulochana Kākū could not be discussed in front of Nikhil. Farhad had changed his plans for the evening, just to talk with Mandar. How was Mandar going to tell Farhad that his time would be wasted; they wouldn't get to talk?
Sharada spoke up. "Are Mandar, zātānā zara tumhī cāra zaṇa gāḍīta basalāta, tara tumaçe pāya ākhaḍatīla kā?" Oh, Mandar, if the four of you sit in the car on the way there, will you not have leg-room? "Āṇi yetānā tīna zaṇāṃbarobara tujhyā sāmānālā zāgā nasela kā?" And on the way back, with the three of you, won't there be room for your baggage? "Nikhil-lā gheūna zā, āṇi tyācyā nazaretūna malā suddhā baghūde, mājhyā bāḷālā vanavāsāta kāya bhogāve lāgale!" Take Nikhil along, and let me also see through his point of view what my child had to endure in exile!
Mandar nodded. There was no way to leave Nikhil at home. On Mandar's first night back, fearing that he would be lost again, Bābā had made him promise not to go anywhere alone. And after what Āī and Bābā had heard about Farhad from his parents last night, Mandar thought, they might worry about Mandar in Farhad's company even more than with a stranger driving a taxi.
Farhad pulled up to the door in the car that he had borrowed from Raghav. Mandar sheepishly walked up to him, and said, "Nikhil is coming on this trip with me after all. I'm sorry, Farhad, we won't be able to talk privately. I shouldn't have wasted your time. If you want to back out, I should be able to find a taxi."
Mandar's sheepish posture and sorry face are irresistible, Farhad thought. "Don't worry about it," he said with a smile. "Is everyone ready?" As he spoke, Farhad wondered if he had accidentally voiced his thoughts instead: I want to spend my time with you, Mandar, even if I have to watch what I say in front of your little brother.
By this time, Raghav and Kirti were back at home. Damayanti came bounding along from the living room to meet them at the door. Raghav bent down and took Damayanti in his arms. "Let's hope your Amma is safe now."
Damayanti licked his face. Raghav had an idea. "You haven't met your Māmayya and Attayya yet. We should have a video call with them, but they're both at work right now. Middle-class, you know. So, we'll have to wait. Let's go to the den and get some work done, ourselves." Raghav knew that Siddhesh Sawant wouldn't readily believe what he had to say, so he couldn't afford to touch the whisky right now.
Now Farhad was driving along the highway to Vikarabad, with Nikhil in the front passenger seat, making a video of their journey. Mandar and Vishnu were in the back seat, enjoying Nikhil's commentary. It had been Farhad's idea that Nikhil should sit in front and make a video. Farhad knew that sitting in Raghav's car, next to Raghav's secretary, brought back regrettable memories for Nikhil: the illegal work that he had done for Raghav's business, his arrest at Raghav's order, and the night he had spent in jail. Farhad was sorry that Raghav Anna had ruined this boy's life in his hurry to marry Pallavi. Raghav had been Nikhil's age when Farhad had first met him, and Raghav had had the same guilty look that now came into Nikhil's eyes while serving dinner or prasāda to Farhad. Unlike Raghav, whose motivation to chase easy money had only redoubled after losing his family, Nikhil wanted to change, for he was still beloved by his parents, who accepted his humiliation as their own. Surely Raghav Anna was aware of why Nikhil did not like to be seen with him. Farhad knew that Raghav had given up trying to win the approval of Pallavi's family, but he had never quite begun the effort with her siblings: Amruta, who was disenchanted with him; Manasi, who was discomfited by him; and Nikhil, who was ashamed of him. With Mandar's return, Nikhil's mood had brightened, Farhad could tell, and he hoped that Nikhil would grow comfortable next to him by the end of their two-hour drive.
Nikhil opened the window to get a better view, and a cloud of dust blew into his face. He began to cough, and searched for a bottle of water. Opening the glove compartment, he found a bottle of what looked like iced tea. He gulped it down gratefully; it soothed his throat, but as he felt warmth throughout his body, he turned to Farhad and asked, "What is this drink? I thought it was iced tea!"
Farhad's hope to make Nikhil comfortable in Raghav's car? Gone! "Sorry, Nikhil. It must be Raghav Anna's leftover drink. It's called a Long Island Iced Tea, but it's very alcoholic. Don't drink it. Mandar, there should be a water bottle near you."
Mandar found the water bottle and handed it to Nikhil, who took several gulps. But it was too late. Nikhil was already starting to feel intoxicated.
"Raghav stores alcohol in his car?" Mandar was shocked. "What other surprises are there, Farhad? You should have made sure the car was safe before you told us to get in. I don't want Raghav's example to corrupt my little brother!"
"Too late! Dādā, it's too late," Nikhil giggled. "I already went to jail! I went to jail, Dādā! Because I did Raghav's work."
Yā Allāh, Farhad thought, is this what You have written for me? I didn't want to hurt Mandar like this. Please allow me to redeem myself.
"Farhad, please pull over so that Nikhil can swap seats with Vishnu." Mandar tried to be calm. "That drink of Raghav's is so strong that Nikhil is already swaying in his seat. I don't want him to hit his head."
"Jī, Mandar. I am really sorry." Farhad found a spot to pull over, and Mandar and Vishnu helped Nikhil into the back seat, where he rested his head on Mandar's shoulder. Farhad pulled back onto the highway.
"Now, Farhad, please tell me if what Nikhil said is true. He worked for Raghav and went to jail?" It was no use to try to be calm; Mandar's thoughts were racing and his voice was unsteady with anger.
"Yes," Farhad admitted, "Nikhil carried packages for Raghav Anna. Nikhil didn't know who the boss was, and neither Anna nor I knew about Nikhil. Usually, the police leave our boys alone. But then, just when Pallavi jī refused to marry Anna, he happened to find out about Nikhil, and he told the police to arrest Nikhil. Anna made it clear not to hurt Nikhil, just to arrest him, so that Pallavi jī would have to say yes in exchange for Nikhil's freedom. I am sorry, Mandar. Nikhil spent a night in jail, but he was cleared of wrongdoing and set free in the morning, while the wedding was happening."
"I misjudged Pallavi," Mandar sighed. "When Āī and Pallavi said that Raghav put pressure on her to marry him, I thought that Pallavi was disgraced and destitute because of Raghav's lies, and Raghav's mother insisted to legitimize and provide for Pallavi as atonement, so Pallavi accepted her wishes. But no, Pallavi wouldn't have compromised her self-respect to fit society's warped idea of respectability. She only submitted to Raghav to protect Nikhil, because I had asked her to consider my family her own family."
Vishnu reached back for Mandar's hand to comfort him.
"How can Raghav actually be worse than everything I heard about him so far?" Mandar asked. "I knew that he falsely accused Pallavi of trading sexual favours for the shop and asking him to register Bābā's business in her own name. Now you've told me that he's a smuggler who shifted his own guilt onto Nikhil. I knew that he is a gūṇḍa, of course; he caught Pallavi at night to threaten her; he abducted her to tie her in front of a truck; he sent fake police to kidnap her and confined her in his house. But to hold an innocent boy in jail with who knows what dangerous criminals! This is how Raghav respects his mother's wishes? This is how he forced Pallavi to accept marriage as his 'sorry' for dragging her name through the mud? Tell me, Farhad, have you ever asked your boss to stop hurting innocent women and children?"
"I wasn't innocent, Dādā!" Nikhil mumbled. "I knew what I was doing. I'm sorry. I needed the money to pay off my online gambling debts. I'm sorry. My creditors were the ones who sent fake police to kidnap Pallavi Dī, so I had to take the smuggling job to make quick money. I'm sorry."
This was news to Farhad. "Mandar, I can't defend myself; I knew that Raghav Anna's orders were unjust and cruel when I chose to follow them. But I think Nikhil is telling the truth. Raghav Anna has never denied his crimes against Pallavi Bhābhī, except that when she accused him of sending fake police to kidnap her, he insisted that he knew nothing about it. Nikhil may have a good reason to think that his creditors did that. Mandar, I was with Raghav Anna when we found Pallavi Bhābhī lying unconscious in the road. Anna was drunk, and like Nikhil right now, he was being honest. His natural reaction was to protect Bhābhī by taking her to his house and putting her in the guest room."
"Well, you were sober, right, Farhad?" Mandar felt himself getting enchanted by Farhad's calm and reasonable voice; if he let it control him, he would believe in Raghav's humanity, but he didn't want to be gullible. "And you didn't think to call my family? You let Pallavi wake up and wonder what Raghav might have done to her while she was unconscious! Listen, you can stop calling her Bhābhī now. She has chosen to stay married to me."
Farhad felt stunned. He knew that Mandar was trying to believe in his marriage, but to hear that Pallavi Bhābhī had already decided! Had she told Raghav Anna? Probably not, as the Raghav that Farhad knew would have been furiously assaulting Mandar, not answering Mandar's questions and instructing the police to investigate the hit-and-run seriously. Regardless, the news was awful. Farhad had no doubt that married life would be a mistake for both Pallavi and Mandar. He would have to find an opportunity to speak to Mandar alone about this.
Nikhil had shut his eyes and his mouth was hanging open. Mandar's one hand was steadying Nikhil's head as the car sped along the highway.
Vishnu noticed Farhad's silence in response to Mandar's announcement. Losing his wife would undoubtedly put Farhad's boss in a bad mood. Vishnu decided to change the subject. "Farhad, what can you tell us about the events after Mandar's accident?"
Mandar, hearing Nikhil's even breathing and thinking that it would take him a while to sleep off the drink, decided to allow this topic.
"Raghav Anna took Mandar to S. K. Venkatesh Criticare Hospital, where he was treated by Dr. Janaki," Farhad began. "Mandar, do you remember Dr. Janaki? Is that why you asked me where to find her?"
"No," Mandar said. "Vishnu overheard someone talking to Dr. Janaki, telling her to keep quiet about me." Mandar passed his phone to Vishnu to show Farhad a photo of Sulochana Kākū from the wedding album that Pallavi had shared with him.
Farhad glanced at the photo and returned his focus to driving. It wasn't surprising that Sulochana Deshmukh had a guilty secret concerning Mandar's disappearance. That woman was capable of the most convoluted plotting to humiliate and disunite her own family members, especially Mandar's Bābā - Vijay jī - and Pallavi Bhābhī. Farhad was determined to stand by Mandar against that deceitful woman.
"Promise me, Mandar, that when you go to talk to Dr. Janaki, you will take me with you," Farhad demanded. "I can convince her to tell the truth to you. And I want to make sure that her contact won't find out what you know and do anything further to you for revenge. Please, Mandar, maybe you don't know what could happen, but I do."
Mandar heard the concern in Farhad's voice, and in spite of his indignation over Nikhil and Pallavi, he melted. "I promise," he said softly, thinking of how easily Farhad handled people. "You can be at my side, every step of the way."
"Good. Now, about how you left the hospital." Farhad paused and clarified what he meant. "Raghav Anna didn't get to see the hospital records, but this is what Dr. Janaki said to him, face-to-face, a few weeks ago. She said, a woman came to the hospital and identified you as Parijat Padhye, and herself as your sister, Suhasini Joshi. Dr. Janaki didn't say that you had memory loss; she said that you confirmed your name and your relationship, and willingly left with Suhasini in a taxi."
"No, I didn't!" Mandar protested more loudly than he should have, and felt Nikhil stirring. Farhad nodded. "I remember reaching Amma's - meaning Dr. Ramya's - clinic in a taxi. This Suhasini dropped me off there." Mandar extended his finger so that Farhad could see him pointing to Sulochana's photo on the phone in Vishnu's hand. "Amma remembers her quite well, bindī and all!"
Farhad was impressed. Mandar already had a witness against his enemy, and Sulochana Deshmukh hadn't seemed aware of that fact at the pūjā this morning.
"She's not very good at disguise," Vishnu observed. "Same signature bindī, similar first name ... and Pārijāta is one of the five species of heavenly trees, just like Mandāra. I'm surprised that she called herself your sister, and not your aunty."
"She hates to be called Aunty," Mandar remembered. "It suits her personality to pretend to be younger."
"What I don't understand is how she located you at that particular hospital," Farhad remarked. "Your family didn't hear news for many days; why was she the one who got to you first? Your accident was witnessed by an escaped prisoner named Vedant Pillai, who recognized you. Would he have informed her?"
Mandar got goosebumps at the mention of Ved's name, and had he heard Farhad correctly? "Did you say, an escaped prisoner?"
"Yes, Raghav Anna started his business, Jayati Jewels, with Vedant Pillai as his partner. But Vedant was using the business to smuggle drugs, and Raghav Anna didn't tolerate that, so Vedant went to prison. He happened to escape shortly before your accident, and just after Sunny Ahuja drove away from the scene, when Raghav Anna was lifting you off the road, Vedant arrived by coincidence and recognized you."
"It wasn't a coincidence," Mandar admitted. "I was there to meet Ved, and I had called the police to have him arrested."
Farhad was too surprised to say anything. It was Vishnu who asked, "How did you know him?"
"We were classmates. We lost touch after college, but I had given him permission to view my ShakalGranth page, and I guess that's where he saw a photograph of my wedding invitation." Mandar paused, and then said quickly in a low voice, "Ved used to talk about girls in college, and when I didn't have the interest that I should, he guessed that ... he guessed. I hadn't heard from him in about five years, until Bābā told me that Ved called our land line and spoke to him by mistake, trying to blackmail me that he would tell Pallavi unless I brought him cash right away. Ved wanted to meet at a hotel on Outer Ring Road."
Farhad was even more surprised now. Mandar's Bābā knew? He found out on the wedding night? How did he react?
At that moment, Nikhil grumbled, and everyone else fell silent. Nikhil opened his eyes and sat upright in his seat. Mandar offered Nikhil some more water, and told him he would feel all right soon.
Shortly after the four of them had reached Mandar's room in Vikarabad, and while they were packing up his baggage, Pallavi, having finished work at Deshmukh Saree Emporium and returned to Farhad's flat, placed a video call to Pavani Vahinī in Kolhapur.
"Bola, Pallavi," Pavani greeted her with a smile. "Āmacyāpekṣā tyā Farhad-cyā gharaçe tuzhe jāsta lāḍa karatāta, nāhī kā?" That Farhad's family pampers you more than we do, right? "Mhaṇūna tara māherapaṇālā yāyaçe soḍūna tū titheça ramalī asaśīla." That must be why you avoid visiting your own family and enjoy yourself there.
Pallavi smiled back at Pavani. "Vahinī, tū āṇi Dādā doghe gharī poçalāta kā?" Vahinī, have you and Dādā both reached home? "Malā tumhā doghāṃśī bolāyaçe āhe." I want to talk with both of you.
Pavani walked with her phone to where Siddhesh was sitting, only to hear him say, "Namaste, Raghav." Pavani quickly sat down next to Siddhesh, allowing Pallavi to hear their video call conversation with Raghav.
"Dādā, Vahinī, Pallavi is my life." Raghav jumped right in to what he had to say. "She says I frighten her, but I love her and I'm trying to change for her. Now that she has chosen Mandar, you have to convince her not to avoid me."
"What?" Siddhesh interrupted, while Pavani looked surprised, and Pallavi cringed. "Raghav, why are you the one calling us to tell us this? When did Pallavi make this decision?"
"Āpakā bahana āpako nahīṃ bolā to maiṃ kyā kiyā?" Raghav muttered, annoying Pallavi more; Raghav had a knack for adding insult to injury. "Dekhiye, Pallavi told me this morning at the pūjā at Mandar's house. Our marriage is headed for annulment, which means that I was never her husband and she was never my wife. I'm calling to tell you this: the first part may be true; I wasn't any good as a husband; but I will never accept the second part. Pallavi was my wife, and that will always be reality for me."
"Raghav, we haven't spoken to Pallavi yet," Pavani said. "I am sure she wanted to talk to you first, so that you wouldn't hear from someone else. Pallavi will tell us her news this evening, and then we can listen to whatever you want to say. Please excuse us for now."
"Wait, Vahinī!" Raghav knew that he might not be sober to say this tomorrow. "You need to hear this. You two are the only people in the world who listen only to Pallavi. Even Sharada Āī has four other children, but you only have Pallavi. So, I'm telling you, if Pallavi ever wants anything that I can give her, you let me know. I promise I will always honour her rights as my wife." Raghav pulled Damayanti in front of the camera. "See? This is Damayanti. Pallavi told me that I should get a dog, and I listened because she's my wife. Damayanti, this is your Attayya, and that's your Māmayya."
"Damayanti, zara mī tujhyāśī Marāṭhīta bolalo, tara tulā samazela nā?" Damayanti, if I speak to you in Marathi, you'll understand, right? Siddhesh said. Pavani gave her a smile and a hand-wave, and Damayanti gave them a friendly bark.
"Ṭhīka, Damayanti, tū Raghav-vara nazara ṭheva." Very well, Damayanti, you keep an eye on Raghav. Siddhesh smiled at Damayanti. "Raghav, thank you for reaching out to us. Pallavi will be all right. We will always look after her. You take care of yourself." He ended the call, and turned to Pavani. "Zaśī nāndī, tase nāṭaka, āṇi zase nāṭaka, tase Bharatavākya!" The invocation was matched by the play, and the play was matched by the benediction!
Pavani held up her phone in front of them both, and said, "Heça sāṅgāyalā phone kelā hotāsa nā, Pallavi?" This was what you called to say, right, Pallavi?
"Ho, Vahinī." Pallavi tried to gather her words. "Tumhālā kāmācyā ṭhikāṇī vyatyaya hoū naye, mhaṇūna saṃdhyākāḷī bolāyaçe dharale." I didn't want to cause a disruption at your workplaces, so I planned to talk in the evening. "Paṇa Raghav-ne je ādhīça tumhālā kaḷavale, te khare āhe." But as Raghav already informed you, it's true. "Kāla dupārī, Mandar-āṃnī malā punhā māgaṇī ghātalī, āṇi mī tyāṃnā punhā pasanta kele." Yesterday afternoon, Mandar proposed to me again, and I accepted him again. "Āza sakāḷī, Āī-Bābāṃnī Satya-Nārāyaṇācī pūjā kelī; tithe mī Raghav-lā bāzūlā gheūna tyālā māzhā nirṇaya kaḷavalā; āṇi maga Mandar āṇi mī gharacyāṃśī bolalo." This morning, Āī-Bābā held a Satya-Nārāyaṇa pūjā; there I took Raghav aside to inform him of my decision; and then Mandar and I spoke to our family. "Raghav-lā zarā dhakkā lāgalāya; to Mandar-āṃśī zarā vicitrapaṇe bolalā." Raghav is feeling rather disturbed; he spoke rather strangely to Mandar. "Paṇa haḷūhaḷū tyālā suddhā samazela kī māzhā nirṇaya yogya āhe." But gradually even he will understand that my decision is appropriate. "Dona-tīna divasāṃta Subhadra - mājhyā vakīla-bāī - māzhe dusare lagna radda karaṇyāçā arza ṭākatīla." In two or three days, Subhadra - my lady lawyer - will file the petition to annul my remarriage. "Toṃvara mī Farhad-cyā gharī rāhīna, āṇi Mandar-āṃbarobara lagnāādhī jevaḍhe phirāyalā miḷāle navhate, tevaḍhe phirūna gheīna." Until then, I will stay with Farhad's family, and as much as I didn't get to enjoy Mandar's company before marriage, I'll get to enjoy it now.
"Mandar rāva kase āheta?" How is Mandar rāva? Siddhesh asked. "Āheta kā tujhyā tithe?" Is he there with you?
"Āza dupārī Mandar Vikarabad-lā gele." This afternoon, Mandar went to Vikarabad. "Tyāṃçe tithale sāmāna gharī āṇāyaçe āhe." His baggage from there needs to be brought home. "Rātrī naū-dahā vāzeparyanta gharī yeūna thakalele asatīla; nāhī tara tumacī tyāñcyāśī bheṭa āzaca zhālī asatī." When he gets home by nine or ten o'clock at night, he'll be tired; otherwise, you would have gotten to meet him today.
"Çālela, tyā nimittāne tujhyāśī zarā mokaḷepaṇāne bolato." That's fine; in that case I will talk to you rather freely. Siddhesh's expression grew quite serious. "Tū pūrṇapaṇe vicāra karūna hā nirṇaya ghetalā asaśīla, tyābaddala malā kāhīça śaṅkā nāhī." You would have considered everything and taken this decision - I have no doubt at all about that. "Raghav-çe tyācyā āībahiṇīṃśī paṭata navhate, mhaṇūna tū tyālā navarā mānaṇyāçā zo svārthatyāga kelāsa, to ātā soḍūna tū svataḥcyā hitāçā vicāra karata āhesa, he aikūna malā bare vāṭale." Raghav didn't get along with his mother and sister, so you accepted him as your husband, sacrificing your own interest; but now you have given up on that, and you are thinking of your own welfare - I felt good hearing this. "Mandar rāva hī tujhyāsāṭhī mājhīça nivaḍa hotī, āṇi te tulā sukhāta ṭhevatīla." Mandar rāva was my own selection for you, and he will keep you happy. "Kuṭumbāta miḷūna-misaḷūna rāhaṇyāçā tuzhā svabhāva āhe, paṇa ātā tujhyākaḍe tyā Deshmukh-āñcyā gharāta aḍīça varṣe rāhilyāçā anubhava āhe." Unifying and harmonizing with your family - that's your personality, but now you have the experience of having lived in that Deshmukh household for two-and-a-half years. "Tyā Sulochana Kākūṃçā jīvagheṇā chaḷa sosaṇyāta, kiṃvā Vijay Kākāñcyā vikṣipta svabhāvālā kuravāḷaṇyāta, tulā yāpuḍhe tuzhe akkhe āyuṣya kāḍhāyaçe nasela, tara Mandar rāvāṃśī vegaḷe birhāḍa māṇḍaṇyābaddala bolūna pahā." If you don't want to spend the totality of your future life enduring that Sulochana Kākū trying to bully you to death, or petting Vijay Kākā's eccentric personality, then try talking to Mandar rāva about setting up your own household.
"Siddhesh agadī barobara bolatoya." What Siddhesh says is absolutely correct, Pavani joined in. "Hakkācyā navaryākaḍūna kāhīhī māgaṇyāta ugāça saṃkoca karū naye." When one has anything to ask of one's rightful husband, one shouldn't needlessly hesitate. She smiled at Siddhesh. "Lāgaleça tara tujhyā bāzūne ubhe rahāyalā āmhī āhotaça." If you ever need someone to stand up for you, you can count on us. "Binadhāstapaṇe rājārāṇīçā saṃsāra karā, taruṇa vayāpramāṇe havī taśī majā karā, āṇi nātavaṇḍe kheḷavāyalā tevaḍhe sāsūsāsaryāṃnā hāka mārā!" Be carefree in your married life, like king and queen, suit your youthful age by having as much fun as you like, and only call out to your mother-and-father-in-law to play with their grandchildren!
"Dādā, Vahinī, malā kharaṃça bharalyā gharātaça rahāyaçe āhe!" Dādā, Vahinī, I really only want to live in a full house! Pallavi insisted.
By seven-thirty that evening, as expected, Mandar's baggage was all packed into the car. Vishnu had said goodbye and headed home, and Farhad had driven Mandar and Nikhil to a dhaba for a quick dinner, and then to Dr. Ramya's house. Mandar had announced his plans with Pallavi to his Amma and was saying goodbye to her when his phone rang. It was the ambulance service.
"Raja, the police want to take a statement from you about one Mrs. Sandhya Narahari, whom you transported three days ago. How soon can you come to Vikarabad?"
"I'm actually in Vikarabad right now, at Amma's - Dr. Ramya's house." Mandar gave the address, ended the call, and turned to Farhad, Nikhil, and Dr. Ramya. "Amma, the police are coming to take my statement about a domestic violence case. Farhad, I am sorry about the delay, but we can't leave yet."
"No problem, Mandar. This is important," Farhad said.
A few minutes later, while they were waiting for the police, Dr. Ramya's phone rang.
"Mandar, beṭā, I have to go," Dr. Ramya said. "One of my patients tried to hurt himself, and he's in the emergency room, asking for me. I could be out all night. So, when you leave, please lock the door and leave this key with my neighbours on that side. They have gone out of town, but the grandmother is at home."
"Yes, Amma."
Dr. Ramya left, the police came, and Mandar gave his statement about the condition in which he had found Mrs. Narahari. As soon as the police left, Mandar locked Dr. Ramya's house. He was walking over to the neighbours' house when his phone rang. It was Amma.
"Mandar, beṭā, are the police still at my house with you?"
"No, Amma, they left a few minutes ago."
"That's too bad. My patient's family is very upset; they think I did not try hard enough to cure their son. His father and uncles and brothers threatened me. I am staying at the emergency room all night, so I'll be safe, and the clinic has a night watchman, but I am worried about my house. There's only the grandmother next door."
"Amma, I understand. Let me talk to Farhad." Mandar turned back and walked up to Farhad, who was standing with Nikhil near the car. "Amma has been threatened, and she is worried about her house because she will be out all night. It's already nine o'clock. Could we stay here tonight, and go back to Hyderabad in the morning?"
Farhad knew that if he tried to hire security guards now, they wouldn't get back to Hyderabad until after midnight. "Yes, Mandar, we'll watch your Amma's house until she gets back."
Chapter One on page 1
Chapter Two on page 2
Chapter Three on page 2
Chapter Four on page 3
Chapter Five on page 4
Chapter Six on page 4
Chapter Seven on page 5
Chapter Eight on page 5
Chapter Nine on page 7
Chapter Ten on page 7
Chapter Eleven on page 8
Chapter Twelve on page 8
Chapter Thirteen on page 8
Chapter Fourteen on page 9
Chapter Sixteen on page 10
Chapter Seventeen on page 11
Chapter Eighteen on page 11
Chapter Nineteen on page 11
Chapter Twenty on page 11
Chapter Twenty-One on page 11
Chapter Twenty-Two on page 12
Chapter Twenty-Three on page 12
Chapter Twenty-Four on page 12
Chapter Twenty-Five on page 12
Chapter Twenty-Six on page 13
Chapter Twenty-Seven on page 14
Chapter Twenty-Eight on page 14
Chapter Twenty-Nine on page 14
Chapter Thirty on page 14
Chapter Thirty-One on page 14
Chapter Thirty-Two on page 14
Chapter Thirty-Three on page 15
Chapter Thirty-Four on page 15
Chapter Thirty-Five on page 15
Chapter Thirty-Six on page 15
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