‘Is that all?’ Sivam had spoken with a certain irony. So that’s what these people respected most then?

‘Yes, the family has vast assets in the city. Coconut estates, houses up-country, temples, hereditary properties. And you think you would be given preference?’

‘If she loved me she would make sacrifices.’ It had been a dubiously confident yet pitiful assertion.

‘What could you have given her?’ What was Rajan assessing? Were they discussing the bargaining power of money or the couple’s happiness?

‘Everything. Myself. Would have devoted myself to her well-being, given her what young women desire most, a devoted husband. I wanted to be the father of our children … to adore her …’

‘In such families as ours, we look for other things. There is no place for you there. There never will be. Give up all your hopes. Do you think there would ever be a welcome for you in our family circle? The doors will always be closed to you. To put it bluntly, you are a poor man. You have no wealth behind you. You have still to establish yourself.’

Sivam had turned and walked away. Out of Radha’s life. Out of the lives of these people whom he would no longer disturb.

Yet the interrogation went on endlessly in his mind. He had to confront Renga. Ask him the truth. He met him, questioned him closely.

‘Why, why, why? These letters, the letters with her name, surely she wrote them to me.’

‘Don’t blame me,’ Renga said. ‘My sisters decided that they would teach her a lesson. That family is too proud. Why all the best proposals for her? What about my own sisters? What chances do they have? They too are unmarried. Can you not sympathize with them? We are not rich, we live in a small house, my sisters do not have Radha’s beauty, her talents. … They are such arrogant people. We wanted to teach her a lesson. And so did my nieces. She stays with them and their father, her uncle, the husband of my dead sister, is encouraging all the proposals only for her. What about his own daughters? And we thought in the end it would not really be wrong. What if it worked out? Isn’t it just because you are a poor relation that they didn’t pay any regard to you? There’s nothing wrong with your looks … in fact you’re much better looking than the proposed bridegroom. Only his wealth matters. We know all the inside stories … we could bring them into the open. She’s not in love with him, it’s just a social marriage, a continuance of their privileged heritage.’

‘Then I have been deceived? And by you and the others …?’

‘We didn’t know it would turn out so seriously. My sisters … they were jealous. They would never have the chances that Radha would have. There were no proposals for them ….’