"Aap ab bhi jawaan ho... Akeli ho... Aur aapke jaan ko bhi khatra ho sakta hai, Thakurain Ji. Mai sach batau toh... Pehle nazar se aapse mohabbat karta tha."

(You're still young... You're alone... And your life is also in danger, Thakurain Ji. If I'm being honest, I've been in love with you since the first time I saw you.)

I froze at Paramesh's confession.

What?

Was he kidding me?

"Aur agar aap haa keh de, toh in sab se dur lekar jaane ke liye bhi taiyar hu-"

(And if you say yes, then I can take you away from all this-)

My nose flared as I slapped him.

"Tum sab mujhe kya samajhte ho? Ek zalim se to maine apni zindagi chhudayi hai, aur ab kya main doosre zalim ki tamanna karungi? Baldev se to mujhe aisi baat ki umeed thi, lekin aapse? Maine samjha tha ki aap mere pati ka adar karte hain. Par aap to bas mauke ki talaash mein the unki peeth mein chhura ghonpne ke liye, hai na? Bhaad mei jaiye!"

(What do you people think of me? I escaped from the clutches of one villain, and now I'll give in to the wishes of another one? At least I expected something like this from Baldev, but you? I thought you respected my husband. But you were just looking for an opportunity to stab him from behind, right? Go to hell!)

Paramesh gulped. I hadn't seen him look as flustered before. We were standing at the doorway of the classroom, and he glanced around to make sure that nobody had seen him get slapped. It was highly unlikely.

"A-aap galat samajh rahe hai, mai toh bas-"

(Y-you're mistaking me, I just want to-)

As an angel sent from heaven, I heard the familiar honking of a car horn. To my surprise, Keshav himself was driving, and he had a bright smile on his face when he saw us.

"Ah, Barrister Ji aap yaha kaise?" He asked as I got in at the front. I shot him daggers to shut up and just drive away, but the idiot couldn't catch a hint.

(Ah, Barrister Ji, how come you're here?)

"Bas aise hi... Thakurain Ji se baat karne aaya tha..." Paramesh replied hurriedly before making up an excuse and leaving.

(I was just passing by... Thought I'd chat with the Thakurain..)

"Jaldi nahi aa sakte the?" I muttered, fixing my sari, "Aur khud kyu aa gaye? Agar kisi naukari ko bhejte toh ab tak Ghar pahunch jaate..."

(Couldn't you have come a little sooner? And I thought you were going to send someone else to pick me up. I could have reached home by now...)

"Maaf kijiye Maharani sahiba," he sighed, "Lagta hai aaj phirse Barrister Ji ke karan tumhara tabiyat kharaab hai..."

(Oh, forgive me, dear Queen. Is your mood spoiled again because of the Barrister?)

He eyed me when I refused to say anything. Keshav turned the car towards the place where the kids were playing. I saw that Saarang and his friends were trying to teach my babies how to play cricket. We watched them from afar.

"Baldev bhi aaya tha... Kuch der pehle..."

(Baldev also came a while back...)

Keshav gulped, "Sanjana, khatra badta jaa raha hai... Mai kehta hu tumhe sheher jaakar rehna-"

(Sanjana, this is getting really risky... I think you should go to the city-)

I groaned, "Aur vidyalay kaun sambhalega?"

(And who'll take care of the school?)

He squeezed the steering wheel tighter, "Vidyalay ke chakker mei agar tumhe kuch ho gaya toh Bade Bhaiya mujhe swarg se teer markar khun karenge, pata hai?"

(If something happens to you in the name of the school, Bade Bhaiya will shoot arrows at me from heaven and end my life.)

I was quiet. But how could I run away?

My husband wanted to fight for this village. There were still many kind souls here who respected me more than when he was alive.

How could I run away just because two or three were rotten?

"Parmesh mujhse pyaar karta hai... Yeh baat karne ke liye woh vidyalay aaya tha."

(Paramesh is in love with me... He came to the school to say that.)

Keshav's eyes widened a little, "Aur?"

(And?)

"Aur maine thappad mari."

(And I slapped him.)

He sighed. At this point, he wasn't even surprised anymore.

"Bhaiya aur mai baat kar rahe the... Sheher ke baare mein. Woh wahi kahi ek bada ghar lene ki soch rahe hai. Gaon ke kuch zameen bechkar, hum Maa ke saath waha jaakar reh sakte hai. Yaha se zyada surakshit jagah hai, aur ab Bhabhi bhi pet se hai toh... Maine suna hai ki sheher ke vidyalay bahut behethareen hote hai."

(I was talking to Bhaiya about the city... He's thinking of buying a big house there. After selling some land in the cillage, we can go live there with Maa. It's more safer there, and now that Bhabhi is pregnant... I heard that the schools in the city are really good.)

"Par woh zameen Thakur Ji ke naam par the..." I mumbled, glaring at him.

(But the land is under Thakur Ji's name...)

"Haan..." He hesitated, "Aur ab aapke aur bachon ke naam par hai. Sheher bahut surakshit jagah hai, Sanjana... Par phaisla tumhara hai."

(Yes... And now everything is under the children's name. The city is a safe place, Sanjana... But the choice is yours.)

I didn't say anything. It all felt too overwhelming.

"Ah, tumhare liye ek cheez laya tha..." He reached back suddenly and grabbed an English newspaper.

(Ah, I had brought something for you...)

"Bhaiya ne sheher se bheja hai."

(Bhaiya sent it from the city.)

"Huh...? Kyu...? Mujhe kyu de rahe ho?"

(Huh...? Why...? Why are you giving this to me?)

"Isme ek lekhan hai, aakhri panne par."

(There's an article on the last page.)

I frowned and flipped directly to the end. My eyes widened when I read the title of the small article.

To My Notorious Wife.

"Yeh... Yeh... "

(This... This...)

"Mujhe zyada samajh mei nahi aaya, par Bhaiya ne kaha ki is aadmi ne apna biwi kho di partition ke samay... Aur ab unke liye chitti likhi hai... Pata hai yeh apne biwi ko kya bulata hai? My little squirrel." He exclaimed in English.

(I didn't understand it much, but Bhaiya told me that this man lost his wife during the partition... And now he's written a letter for her... Do you know what he calls his wife? My little squirrel.)

My hands trembled a little as I read through the letter.

Was I dreaming?

Bhargav and Keshav thought it was a coincidence that a foreign man addressed his wife with the same nickname as my husband.

But I couldn't believe it was a coincidence.

I clearly remembered Bhairav Ji telling me that he'd write about me one day, and he'd give the title as "My Notorious Wife."

Could it all really beautiful coincidence?

To My Notorious Wife,

As I sit on these steps and watch the waves, it's you that I always think about. I think you would have enjoyed this beach, even the children would.

You were taken from me far too soon. And I still can't fathom how obsessed I've grown in just a handful of years. You, my dear, made life so charming.

If you're still wondering, then yes, I do remember all the little things about you. How you had a strange affection towards scarlet and magenta saris, how you smile when I pin flowers in your hair, and how soft your hands are when you hold my face.

The world is so cruel. I'd give anything to have you by my side again. I'd give anything to annoy you and love you. And I know you'd love the opportunity to bother me day and night.

You became my whole world before I even realised it. Even though I took you for granted, you loved me so much, my little squirrel.

I adore you too, more than words can comprehend. And soon, we'll be united again.

So wait for me.

~-~-~

As I clutched the newspaper in my hands, tears streamed down my face. It felt like a dream. I felt each word in my soul.

But there was something terribly wrong. My husband was far from romantic. Was he even capable of expressing love like this? It was nothing short of a dream.

Keshav looked startled, "Shaant ho jao... Kisi ajnabi ne likha hai..."

(Calm down... Some stranger has written it...)

He wouldn't understand. It didn't feel like a stranger at all. Romance aside, only Bhairav Ji could catch my attention like this. Cocky, confident, ignorant... It wasn't a coincidence, definitely not. I knew that he had written it for me. But how could I prove it?

The backstory that Keshav said didn't add up. And it had been two years since my husband died... Why would something like this appear now?

It didn't make sense.

My only conclusion was that Bhairav Ji had written the letter long back, and someone got it secretly published. If only I could talk to the people responsible, maybe I'd have a chance at finding the truth.