‘Fine, I will let everyone die and never open my mouth, can you let go of my hair now?’

Saroj could see that the girl’s face had almost swollen, her lips trembled and her eyes were moist, her chin defiant. Saroj let go of her in a moment of weakness.

Rajjo simply marched inside the house. She crossed the woven manjis which had become soddy because of the rain water and remembered that if their father got back tonight, he would scream at them for not covering them from the sleet.

But if he heard about the bridge…well nevermind, I am going to run away any way.

Totu yelled with excitement as Rajjo passed by with tired feet and burning face.

The girls were dressed in their Sunday best. Reet was now fifteen, Rano fourteen, Rajjo ten, Rikki six, and Sheru three. Their mother had come to visit her sister in a nearby village after a year.

The kids were asked to sit on a wooden charpoy with their books they had carried, and study.

Saroj threatened them with dire consequences on the way if anyone of them misbehaved or moved about.

They were all to behave like dogs, thought Rajjo.

‘We should be on a leash when she comes to visit her sister!’

‘Shut up and don’t get us into trouble’ Reet commented, running her hand through her hair and pulling at her chest, trying to make it look bigger. She pulled her dupatta lower and looked coyly at the boy standing next to a tea shop.

The shop was small, with four cardboard walls; sweets and eateries were crammed inside. Packets of colourful potato chips were strung on one wall and biscuits had been put up for sale on the shelves. Two wooden tables faced each other where patrons sat and enjoyed the tea served with the savouries that were for sale.

‘Oh! Now they are going to look at each other all the time,’ muttered Rano, noticing Reet blush as the boy checked her out.

Rajjo giggled.

She took in the open area she was sitting in. This was outside their aunt’s house. It had an open porch overlooking mustard fields. Rajjo liked the place. They had six or seven cows and buffalos tied to the logs.

On one side they had the toku machine where a helper was cutting fodder for the cattle. The wheel whirred incessantly, as the machine sprouted out minced and chopped leaves. The dark sunburned arms of the man who worked the machine were chiselled and his torso was bathed in sweat.

The tinkling of bells caught her eye again. An old man was extracting mustard oil in the corner. The cow had a bell on her neck and a lot of paraphernalia with ropes that attached her to a wooden apparatus, that moved in loops as the cow moved in circles. A straight rope from her neck was linked to an arm that moved inside a circular pot where the old man was putting the mustard seeds.