‘I am not sure what she would want, Rano, give me time to think. I don’t know what we should do.’ The chirping of the crickets in the sooty dark night completed their silence.

‘Sometimes I wish we could go back to the village when we were growing up and that things would be the same.’ Rano sighed as she looked at the calm serene lake and smelt the jasmine drifting in the air.

‘Things are the same, nothing much has changed, just that we are on the other side of the tracks,’ Karam sighed.

‘And I would not want to go back there at any cost, Karam!’ There was a steely edge to Rano’s voice. The decision sat between them. Rajjo sat between them. Rano remembered her as a fierce warrior of a sister with a relentless spirit and Karam remembered her beautiful soft face under the moonlight as she spoke about her love to Karam, her first love. They both fiercely wanted to protect her.

‘Heard Saroj tai has decided to go back…’ Karam said in a gruff voice. Rano waited for more to come – Karam was still undecided, it seemed. With a sigh, Rano let it go for now but knew they were going to have to decide soon. ‘It’s better as she won’t be able to see what is about to unfurl.’ Karam gave her a puzzled look. Taking another deep breath and inhaling a bit of Karam, Rano muttered, ‘You need to take over Sheru’s role as well. In the next few months he will be fading out of the system.’

‘Does Rajjo know?’ Rano nodded. Rano stood facing him to take her leave, but she stepped forward and hugged him instead. They both held on to each other, drawing comfort and strength. The love and longing had bound them together in a way; both were suffering from unrequited love. Rano shut her eyes to capture his breath on her cheek. He was kissing her again – he had become hard. Rano pressed her full breasts against him, his heart next to hers, his hand on her hips. She wanted time to stand still and lose its way. She could hear the lake whispering sweet nothings and the leaves quietly rustling. A sweet smile sat on her lips. She hoped one day there would be more.

As Karam lay spent on the grass for a second time and Rano savoured each moment she had snatched with him, Karam asked her in a small broken voice, ‘Where in Ahmedabad do they meet?’ His pained question destroyed the moment, a violent feeling attacked her body. It was dark, perhaps purple, it was blinding. It made Rano choke. Rano resisted it but with years it had only grown stronger. As they were two decades ago, she could not battle the urge to inflict the pain he had given her. The stench of her own failing and her wanting doused her.