What? Aman hesitated, but then said gently, ‘Ma, have a seat. I’ll get you a glass of water.’

‘Just get me the bat, please! That’s all I need.’

Aman gave her a bewildered look but obeyed. Upasna grabbed the bat from his hands. Turning around to face the wall with the yellow plaster, she closed her eyes for a second and then, as if with new-found purpose, raised the bat over her head and brought it down on the wall with all her strength. Surprisingly, it wasn’t the crack of cement but the thud of timber that echoed around him. Aman’s heart stopped momentarily. Upasna aimed at the same spot and swung the bat again and again. Eventually, an opening appeared. The plaster was ripped apart, and the wooden plank behind it broke into pieces.

2

Upasna

Upasna put her hand through the hole in the wall and kept removing the pieces of plaster until there was just enough space for them to enter.

When she pointed the flashlight inside, it lit up a room Aman had never seen—it looked like a storage space with shelves. ‘What’s happening?’ Aman coughed as they brushed away spiderwebs and entered. The room stank of mice droppings.

Upasna stepped over cartons and moved them around, rummaging about with purpose. Going to some shelves in a corner, she pulled herself up to the topmost ledge. Her fingers turned a cardboard box around until it came half off the shelf. Aman jumped to help, and the box slid into his arms. It felt heavy and the contents rattled.

Upasna and Aman climbed out of the storage space with the box and took it to the dining table. Upasna gently wiped the dust away and opened the box.

It didn’t seem to contain much: a few photographs, a small string pouch, a jar and—tucked to one side—heaps of palm leaves tied together. Aman pushed the photographs aside to look at the palm leaves, and his mother stifled a scream. Her eyes widened in panic. ‘Wait, Aman!’ she said. ‘Hmm . . . this is too dirty. Let me go and clean this properly . . . umm . . . outside. I’ll be right back!’

Before Aman could react, Upasna took the box and walked out to the hallway.

What is on those palm leaves? What is she hiding? He wondered if this Uncle Deepak they were going to meet would be able to shed some light on all this strangeness. Aman suddenly felt weary with all the thoughts in his head. Curiosity about the contents of the box swirled around his mind, along with thoughts of his father and the events of the day at school.

It was well past Aman’s bedtime. Upasna returned after an hour, with the cardboard box thoroughly dusted. Her eyes shone with tears as she ran her fingers through his hair, leant forward and kissed him on his forehead. She then left him with the box and went to the kitchen, which was nothing more than a stove and some utensils at the edge of the room the two called home.