At around 10 p.m. Ashok served food in two plates and poured the Pepsi into glasses. He offered one glass to Shanti. She drank half the glass in the first gulp. They continued talking while eating kebabs. The dinner got over and by that time alcohol had found its way into Shanti’s blood. She could feel sleep in her eyes. Thoughts came to her heart with great speed. She remembered Ashok intentionally leaning on her back. When her entire being was intoxicated, she declared to herself, ‘I’m in love with Ashok Uncle.’

Ashok turned up the fan. They lay on the bed and fixed their eyes on the ceiling fan. Ashok’s fingers intertwined with Shanti’s. She was enjoying the feeling. For her love was that feeling, the feeling that aroused from brushing against each other. She had just crossed the bloody line of female adolescence nine or ten months back. After her first menstruation, her mother had explained to her the relationship between the womb, uterus and the deep red blood. She had shared her secret with her friends. Girls who were older than her by four or so years increased her knowledge on the same. Most of the information was exactly what Jamila Miss had taught Asrar from the class nine biology book. There was a girl named Rakhi who was around nineteen years of age. She had already slept with twelve bachelors, two married men, two boys younger to her and a close relative. She interrupted what the other girls were saying and said, ‘The womb is the Kurukshetra of a woman and a man’s love.’

All the girls burst out laughing after hearing that. She also told them that the womb was a spell of God through which the universe was created. Perhaps, this was what her relative had explained to her on having sex. She told them that there was a spot inside the vagina where the universe and nirvana rested together. To make sure that making love didn’t end up on a funeral pyre, it was important to reach that point. She had read this line in some Marathi book and had memorized it. She had made most girls around her aware of themselves and they wished to enjoy the pleasures of making love deep inside their hearts.

Shanti was silent. Ashok said, ‘I really like you.’

She turned towards him without replying and looked into his eyes. Her eyes were intoxicated. Ashok turned towards her too. The fan suddenly speeded up. Maybe the voltage had increased. He placed his palm on her cheek. His gesture was met with her silence. He turned off all the lights. That very moment Shanti could see nothing but darkness. Before Shanti could adjust to it, Ashok bent over and whispered into her ears, ‘You are my wife now.’

Her overwhelmed emotions translated into tears.