Harsh wanted to gently open her head and take a sneak peek of what really went on in there. Her tone laced with suggestion, he was unable to comprehend. Why would she always play games? Or then she was just making an innocent statement. Harsh turned away from her. He was not ready to delve into any of it. Upasana, sensing her husband’s hesitance, moved away gracefully.

Harsh sensed Upasana’s patience. It weighed on him, growing heavier by the day. She waited for him to come to her, to make love to her, to impregnate her. They had not made love for the past six months, as she did not want to be on the pill anymore.

She was not going to let him enter her if he was not ready to impregnate her. It sounded brutal, but just. She was going to wait patiently for him to be ready. It suited Harsh as he only burned for Rajjo.

The clock was ticking and Harsh had a lot to lose. He was going to run the PVP party that was all set to win the election next year. His political ambition was his to make or destroy. For now he just wanted to be.

He looked at his wife who had gone back to the mirror. She was rubbing the cream on her cheeks again. Her soft brown eyes were empty. Like they were just gazing out of the window at a bunch of daisies – with no hint of a strenuous conflict. She was either a goddess or a witch, perhaps a bit of both. Ironically, he was the only one who did not know.

Upasana, just eight years old, sat all by herself. It was a special day as she laboriously decorated her room to welcome her new baby sister who was arriving from the hospital with her mother. She was going to get another playmate and she wanted to impress her. It had to be a girl as she hated boys and they were not as excited about dolls and other stuff. As per her wish, the servants had fixed twinkling fairy lights in her room – they sparkled as she opened the windows that brought in beautiful sunlight. The mango tree in front of her room happily greeted her. She could see the huge green gate and the long driveway where the car would appear later today carrying her mother and her newborn sister from the hospital.

She arranged her dolls perfectly, taking up the entire bed. They all sat waiting for the festivities to start. Just then her cousin peeped in through the door, and marvelled at the sight. ‘It’s so beautiful! I wish I could have my room done like this.’

Upasana preened as she brushed off some imaginary dirt from the sheet.