‘We looked eagerly as Paati opened it. In it was the jasmine and the basil leaf.

‘“Oh god! We know not what you’ve planned for us. Only you should know!” sobbed Paati and she gave the leaf to my uncle.’

8

‘MAIDS CAME FROM THE RAJA’S palace to dress Chennadevi. Among the many necklaces that she wore, the ruby sat as if it had been made especially for her. She was born to be a rani. All she lacked was a crown.

‘Around the palace, tents were raised for our family and friends to stay. It was just before the monsoon. The wedding was the next day. That night we were all tired and hungry from the long journey. Tall palm trunks had been felled and stuck in the ground with lamps mounted on them, with wicks three-fingers thick, to give us light. Some of us wanted to look around and so we walked up to the cooking area. There was a basket, turned over in a corner. One of the group casually lifted it to see what it was. At once there was panic amongst us, for under it was a chopped cow’s head!

‘We were cursed! Was this being cooked for us? It didn’t matter what followed, we needed to escape immediately, we decided.

‘As per our plan, we left in small batches, as if we were going for a shit. Chennadevi was stripped of all her adornment, the jewels packed and hidden. She was made to wear an old sari and we decamped to gather again in a remote grove. We left without creating a scene or looking flustered.

‘Since no one doubted us, we were not followed. The next step was for half of us to return to the tent, and the other half to escape with Chennadevi, and if we were offered dinner, to refuse saying that we were on a fast and would have breakfast in the morning, and then to silently get away when everyone was asleep.

‘Some of us took Chenna along and sped through a jungle path. The plan was to move south. But we were not sure of which direction we were moving in. The sky was overcast and no star was visible. It could rain at any time.

‘We walked as fast as we could. The path was covered with thorns, but not one pricked our feet. We were not worried about the streaks of lightning or the roar of the thunder. We were more worried about soldiers following us on horseback with their swords held high. We sped along. Even when we were tired, we walked. It was more like a fast jog.

‘We were happy when the lightning lit our path, but were worried that the soldiers would spot us too. When we could walk no farther, we sat down.

‘My uncle told Paati, “Amma, you cannot walk any more. There must be someone of our religion in the village close by. I shall ask them to hide you for some time. Stay here and be brave. In a little while it will be dawn.” He was gasping for breath.