It was the day of Payal's wedding.

I was at Jagdish's house, who was the bridegroom. When I was in school, he used to be one of my classmates as well, and now he was in the same college as Keshav. Bhairav Ji had gone to the bride's place with the baaraat. After all, that was where Paramesh would be.

Bhargav went with his older brother while Keshav, Maa, and Dadi were with me at Jagdish's house. I was busy helping his mother and the other women prepare meals for everybody. Even they prohibited me from attending to chores as I was the Thakurain.

A small hand crept up on the counter where the ladoos were kept. I smacked it away and pinched the ear of the perpetrator.

"Ahh! Didi! Dard ho raha hai!" Saarang groaned in pain.

(Ahh! Didi it hurts!)

"Kitni baar bolu intezar karne ke liye?" I glared at him and dragged him out of the kitchen. There were two boys with him as well, whom I believed were his crime partners. They looked terrified as well.

(How many times should I ask you to be patient?)

"Par didi sirf ek laddoo...?" My little brother looked up with puppy eyes. He was in a nice shirt and shorts that Keshav had bought for him without my knowledge. I was really happy that my Devar cared for him. Even Bhairav Ji never expected Keshav and Saarang to grow so close.

(But just one laddoo...?)

"Nahi matlab nahi," I warned him again and let go of his ear.

(No means no.)

Saarang frowned at me. He clenched his fists for some reason, and I was really itching to hit him.

"Din raat sirf khaate rehte ho. Padhai par koi dhyan nahi dete aur ab bhi tumhe khaana hai?" I snapped at him. His friends giggled while staring at his flushed face.

(All you do is eat all day. You never pay attention to your studies and even now you want to eat?)

"Aap..." He stared down, muttering something under his breath.

(You...)

"Kya bol rahe ho?" I lifted his face.

(What are you saying?)

"Aap ganji chudail ho!" He said and sprinted into the crowd the next instant. His friends roared in laughter.

(You're a bald witch!)

"Saarang!" I yelled, but he disappeared somewhere. My hand automatically came over my stomach. If I weren't pregnant, I could have caught that brat and taught him a lesson. I turned to glare at the other kids, who immediately looked sorry and touched their ears as an apology. I walked past them and into the kitchen.

While the kheer was being made, Maa was in the kitchen as well with the other women. I had to step back because the smell made me a little nauseous.

"Aap theek ho, Thakurain?" One of the women asked, gently touching my shoulder.

(Are you alright, Thakurain?)

"J-ji..." I forced a smile, "Shauchalay?" I mumbled, and she led me to where it was. I had to throw up carefully while keeping my sari in mind. After I washed my mouth and stepped out, I realised that two women were whispering outside the door.

(Y-yes... Where's the toilet?)

They stood up when they saw me. "Thakurain Ji... Aap... Aap pet so ho?" One of them asked, and color rushed into my cheeks.

(Thakurain Ji... Are you pregnant?)

"Bas ulti aayi hai," I mumbled and stepped out of the room with my gaze lowered. The women nodded and came after me into the kitchen. I could feel the whispers around me until some elder addressed Maa in a kind voice.

(No, I just felt like vomiting.)

"Badi Malkin, aapki bahu toh badi thaki hui dikh rahi hai..."

(Badi Malkin, your daughter-in-law seems awfully tired...)

Ma glanced at me, her smiling eyes soft as always. She knew what this was about. We hadn't told anyone outside the family, as it wasn't considered good luck. But I was already at the end of my third month. My arms were starting to get thicker, and one night Bhairav Ji even commented that my breasts were growing deliciously. The thought made a shiver run down my spine.

Maa had noticed those changes beforehand. In fact, she was quite surprised that my stomach had grown quite well in my third month alone. I wouldn't be surprised if the other women noticed as well.

"Do din pehleh bimar thi, isliye," Maa Ji lied smoothly. I knew that she didn't want the evil eye to fall on the baby or me. I was grateful to her.

(She was sick two days ago, probably because of that.)

Soon, the baarat returned with the bride. Jagdish's family proceeded with the rituals, and food was served as well. Paramesh arrived with the baarat as well, to drop his sister off. Jagdish's family treated him like an important guest, and during dinner, he sat next to my husband and Jagadish's father.

As I busy refilled the serving plates with more dishes, I felt a small presence behind me. It was Saarang clutching his ears, "Maaf kijiye, Didi..."

(I'm sorry, Didi...)

He squatted before me many times apologising, and I finally chuckled, "Bhook lagi hai? Isliye aaye ho?"

(Are you hungry? Is that why you came?)

His eyes twinkled, "Haan!"

I sighed and prepared a dinner plate for him, making sure to keep an extra laddoo. He sat beside Keshav and had his meal happily.

The bride, Payal, was in a loud room with the other women who were preparing her for her suhaagraat. She nibbled on milk pedas, her eyes low and hopeless as she listened to all the teasing. I felt sorry for her, honestly.

"Dekho kitni sharma rahi hai! Ab toh suhaagraat shuru bhi nahi hua hai!"

(Look at how she's blessing! She hasn't even spent the night with her husband yet!)

Everyone was giggling, and even I couldn't help but smile to myself as the bride's blush worsened. There were unshed tears in her eyes as well, which made me sigh.

"Utni jaldi haar mat maanna bahu," one of the aunts told her, "Mard ko thoda sataana zaroori hai."

(Don't accept defeat that easily, bahu. It's important to hold your ground against your man.)

The younger girls roared in laughter. When it was finally time, Jagadish's mother handed her a glass of saffron milk and pulled her thick veil as low as possible. She led her to Jagadish's room.

Almost everyone had left by then. Our family had returned to the haveli, but Bhairav hadn't gone with them.

He was outside on the street, smoking and discussing something with Paramesh. I was on the verandah, swatting mosquitoes because he asked me to wait. I really wanted to sleep, but my husband was too selfish to understand that.

"Sanjana!" He finally called me, and I got up from the steps, dusting my sari as I went towards him. It was a chilly night, and I hugged myself because of the goosebumps.

"Thand lag rahi hai, meri gilehri?" Bhairav Ji asked as he wrapped his arm around me, pulling me against his chest, while I was very much startled by his show of affection.

(Do you feel cold, my little squirrel?)

"Namaste Thakurain Ji," Paramesh smiled at me politely.

"N-namaste..." I mumbled. Why did Bhairav Ji have to behave this way in front of Paramesh?

"Panch saal pehle shaadi ki hai toh... Aapne toh bahut se kanun thode hai, Bhairav. Chaudah saal ke pehle ladki ki shaadi nahi karwani chahiye," The lawyer commented, while my husband squeezed his arm around me, "Jo chahe keh sakte ho, barrister saheb. Bacho mei chaudah aur terah saal mei kya antar hai? Unki shaadi kabhi nahi karwani chahiye," He sighed.

(You've broken quite a lot of rules by marrying five years ago, Bhairav. Girls aren't supposed to marry before fourteen.)

(Speak whatever you like, Barrister saheb. What's the difference between a fourteen-year-old child and a thirteen-year-old? In fact, children should never be married off.)

"Aise kanoon sirf in bachchon ka shoshan thehrane ke liye hote hai," my husband commented as if I wasn't around. So did he regret marrying me? I was so confused.

(These laws are around to justify the exploitation of these kids.)

Paramesh returned a pained smile, "Yeh kanoon humein shayad zalim dikhaate hain... lekin yeh unhe asli darindon se bachate hain. Un logon se jo kisi bhi aurat par, uski umar dekhe bina, toot padne ko taiyaar baithe hain... Duniya bahut hi kathor hai. Kathor kanoon zaroori hote hain."

(These laws might paint us as the villains... But it protects them from the real ones who'd ruin a woman without even looking at her age... The world is a harsh place. Harsh laws are necessary.)

"Bacho ka mann akarshit karna bahut aasaan hai..." The barrister replied, glancing at me. His eyes looked at me like I was worth nothing, and I glared at him.

(It's quite easy to win over children as well...)

"Mann todna bhi aasan hai," Bhairav Ji replied, "Aapne behen ke saath wahi kiya hai, Paramesh."

(It's easy to break their heart as well. That's what you've done with your sister, Paramesh.)

The lawyer coughed uncomfortably, "Maine uski jaan bachai hai..."

(I've saved her life...)

Bhairav Ji smiled, the kind he did before saying something vile, "Jaan bachani thi toh sheher bhejte padhai ke liye. Ya khud padhate. Aur aapne kaha hai ki aap kisi ladki ki zindagi barbaad nahi karne chahte, isliye shaadi nahi ki... Ab bataiye, Barrister saheb, apne behen ki zindagi toh barbaad ki hai."

(If you really wanted to save her, you could have sent her to the city to study or taught her yourself. And you've told me before that you haven't married as you didn't want to ruin any girl's life. But Barrister saheb, you've quite easily ruined your sister's life.)

Paramesh glared at my husband, "Sheher bhejti toh haath se nikal jaati. Maine uski zindagi barbaad ki hai par woh sirf mujhse naraaz rahegi. Agar woh us behenchod ke saath kahi jaati... Toh zindagi bhar khud par naraaz hoti."

(If I had sent her to the city, she'd be hard to control. I may have ruined her life, but she'll be mad only at me. If she had gone with that fucker, she would have been mad at herself for the rest of her life.)

Bhairav Ji looked amused. Even I was surprised by Paramesh's words. I couldn't classify him as a friend or enemy, but I knew that my husband liked him very much.

Paramesh sighed, "Acha... Ab raat bahut ho rahi hai... Mai gaadi mei wapas jaata hu." He bid us goodbye, and Bhairav Ji stood there, his arm around my shoulder as we watched Paramesh drive off.

(It's getting late now... I'm going back in my car.)

"Kaafi chalaak aadmi hai..." He said. I hugged his arm as we walked back to the haveli, "Phir aap kyu dosti kar rahe ho unke saath?"

(He's a very clever man...)

(Then why are you friends with him?)

"Ise dosti nahi kehte," he told me seriously, "Alliance bolte hai, angrezi mei. Gathbandhan. Dono taraf phaide hai, meri gilehri. Aur ache se suno... Woh ladki bachi hai, aur pados mei sirf tum hi ho jo uska saath de sakti hai... Ache se bartaav karna. Bacho ka dil jeetna aur thodna bahut asaan hai. Uska dil abhi toota hua hai. Jis ladke se woh pyar karta tha, woh ab nahi raha... Aur uska karan mai aur Paramesh hu."

(This is not called a friendship. It's more of an alliance. There are advantages on both sides, my little squirrle. And listen... That girl is still a kid. You're the only one in the neighborhood who can give her some sort of company... Be kind to her. It's quite easy to win over a child and break her heart as well. She's broken currently. The boy she loved is no more... And the reason for that is Paramesh and me.)

I blinked at him, "Aap... Aapne... Maar daala?"

(You... did you... murder him...?)

He shrugged, his eyes cold and distant again, "Ek apratikshit dhurghatna mei woh guzar gaya... Uske baare mei socho math. Jo keh raha hu, waisa hi karna. Payal humse aur apne parivar se nafrat karti hai... Tumhe uska dil jeetna hoga. Zindagi bhar sabki dushman banakar nahi jee sakti."

(He died in an unforeseen accident. Don't think about that now. Just do as I say. Payal hates our family... but you have to win her over. She can't spend her life considering everyone her enemy.)

I gulped. Why did I have to get involved in their mess? If the girl were so problematic, I'd rather stay away.

"Sanjana."

"Ji- Haan... Samajhi..." I sighed. He wouldn't let me live in peace.

(Y-yes... I understand.)