against his aunt and cousin would do nothing to dispel Megha’s fears and misery. So he held his own emotions tightly restrained.
As he pictured the gruesome scene in his mind, Kiran shuddered inwardly. Thousands of young brides perished each year in India because of dowry, or the lack of it—heartlessly killed—some crushed to death, some thrown out of high buildings, others strangled or poisoned, many burned like so much refuse. How could one human being do that to another? In this day and age, in a middle-class, educated family no less? How could his aunt and cousin dream of doing that to a sweet, innocent daughter of the house? And all that, for money. How sickening!
Well, he wouldn’t let those monsters succeed. Never! He glanced at Megha, suddenly feeling possessive and custodial of her. “Shh, try not to think about it.”
She raised her gaze to him, her exquisite eyes still damp and rimmed with red. “Kiran, why are you being so supportive of me?”
Kiran asked himself the same question. Though he knew the answer, of course—he was in love with her. Was this a good time to be honest about that with Megha? Probably not. She was too distraught and fragile to handle that kind of confession from him at the moment. On the other hand, he couldn’t altogether lie to her either. “Because I care…you’re family, Megha,” he said finally, making it sound harmless without being dishonest.
“But I’m the outsider. The Ramnaths are your family.”
“That’s not the issue here. This is a matter of life and death—your life. In fact, I was hoping Amma was planning on getting Suresh to divorce you.”
“You were?” She stared at him as if he’d suddenly grown an extra pair of ears. “Why would you want to see your cousin divorced?”
“Because I…uh…realized you were being mistreated in that house.”
Her expression looked uncertain. “How did you guess that?”
Kiran chided himself privately for his outburst. It had only served to make her suspicious of him. But part of the truth had slipped out and there was nothing he could do to take it back. At least he’d had enough sense not to confess his deeper, more personal feelings for her. It was time for some damage control. “It didn’t take much to guess, Megha,” he said. “I’ve watched you wither away under Amma’s thumb and Suresh’s weakness.”
“How? You were only a visitor.”
“I’m not blind. I noticed the way Amma treated you and how Suresh never lifted a finger to defend you. Despite the smile on your face at all times, you’ve lost weight and there are dark shadows around your eyes—you weren’t like this when you first got married. I could tell you were unhappy with the Ramnaths. I came to the conclusion that divorce would be your only way out of there.”
“Hmm.” She continued to look skeptical.
“You could have done a hell of a lot better than having Suresh for a husband. I can’t imagine why your father turned you over to him.”
“I think the Ramnaths lied to my parents about a lot of things. My father was told Suresh earned a high salary and the family was cultured and well-off.”
“Is there no end to Amma’s deceit?” Kiran groaned. “I’m convinced you should get a divorce, Megha. I’ll help you in any way I can.”
She turned to him again, her expression hopeless. “But you can’t really help me all that much, Kiran. Suresh and Amma can force me back. You won’t be able to stop them.”
“I won’t let them harm you, Megha,” he assured her. “I went there to save you tonight. After I returned home from dinner at your house earlier, I just couldn’t relax. At first I tried to tell myself that my imagination was running wild. Since I thought it was divorce that Amma was planning, I decided I’d let it take its course, because it would be the best thing for everyone, especially you. But then, those printouts I had seen in her bag kept bothering me. The possibilities were ghastly. I couldn’t let them come true, so I came to look for you.”
“Even if it meant antagonizing your family?” When Kiran nodded, she said, “But I still don’t understand. You’re one of them, Kiran.”
“Being one of them doesn’t mean I support them in everything. I happen to believe in things like decency and integrity, you know.”
“Oh.” Megha looked away, apparently not quite convinced.
“Listen, Megha, I just thought of something. Part of my future plans is to quit my job and move to Mumbai to take over my father’s branch office. I’ve already purchased a flat there in preparation for my move. Maybe you can stay in the flat for a while?”
“I can’t stay—”
“You’ll be safe there. Mumbai’s a huge city and it’s easy to remain anonymous there. When the police give up their hunt, Suresh and Amma will file for divorce on grounds of desertion. They’re desperate to find Suresh another wife. I believe they’ll welcome this opportunity.”
She shook her head, still looking troubled. “You can’t do this. What about your parents?”
“In time we’ll let them know—when things settle down—when your divorce is under way.”
“No, Kiran. The idea of a runaway wife, their nephew’s wife, seeking shelter in your home will destroy them. Divorce in itself is enough to upset them.”
Kiran snorted with typical male indifference to convention. “This is the twenty-first century, Megha. Look around you. Divorce is not all that rare these days.”
A wry smile touched the edge of Megha’s mouth. “That may be true, but the injured party’s cousin sheltering the offending party is unheard of. You and I still live in Palgaum. We were born in an orthodox Brahmin caste and culture mired in a swamp that goes back a thousand years. The world goes around, but our traditions remain static. Don’t you see that? Besides, it’s not my divorce I’m worried about. It’s your reputation that concerns me more.”
“You have a way with words, you know that?” Kiran said, trying to help ease her anguish. “I’ve noticed it—the way you express yourself is so colorful, interesting. And you can quote poetry learned in high school as if you read it only hours ago.”
“That’s what my English professor often told me.” Her answering smile was wistful. “I’ve always loved writing and reading.”
“I’m not surprised. Some day you’ll have to show me what you write. But right now you need to get some rest. You’ve had a traumatic night.”
He noticed the doubts cloud her face once again and realized all this was too much for her to absorb at present. She was still in shock. After some rest she would be able to think rationally. Tomorrow he’d explain his plans to her in detail and then she’d see some sense, recognize the logic in his thinking.
But first she needed to get cleaned up. She was clearly embarrassed about her appearance. He noticed how she was trying to hide the dirt on her sari and tuck her hands and feet out of sight. And those scratches on her arms and face combined with her heartbreaking tears were tempting him to rush over to Amma’s house and strangle the fat old bitch with his bare hands. He had never been particularly fond of his aunt, but now he detested her. He wasn’t a violent man by nature, nor was he vindictive,
