Her father bowed reverently as they crossed the black deity on the muddy roadside. Since it was a Friday only a few dry garlands graced the deity and it was not slick with oil. Saturday would be a different story. Rajjo looked at the deity and quickly said her prayers, promising to come back and make her offerings later.

‘If it was all up to Shani, then why is he making things difficult for you, father! You are a devout!’ asked Rano aloud.

‘Why do you think Reet got married in such a good house without any glitch? He’s going to make sure all of you get married in good houses and that my son conquers the world… just my business needs to pick up! He will show mercy, I am sure. He has his ways.’

Rano rolled her eyes at such obstinate faith. Rajjo whacked her.

‘He is right!’ Just then a wave of nausea and something else hit her. She ran a few steps across to throw up on the side of the road.

The father stood their worried, watching his daughter anxiously. As the bile rose in her mouth Rajjo knew she was in trouble. Fear glided in, freezing her bones.

The black deity looked on.

Sheru sat in the corner of his house, near the blackened stove, eating his mini snack, looking at his beautiful sister. Her lustrous curls piled up in a rough bun. Her sparkling brown eyes were dry and arid, her lips slightly parched, her face pale. Their mother watched her like a hawk and Totu howled whenever she crossed him, like he was angry she had not offered him water in the past week or so, or whistled at him. Totu’s sulked and caused havoc in the house, screeching. Sheru in turn ate more to cope with the tense atmosphere around him.

Moreover, he had his own issues to resolve. He looked forward to going and watching the Test cricket being played between India and England on their neighbour’s rickety TV set.

The new second-hand TV their father got after haggling till his voice ran dry was just metal scrap. It did not work. As soon as it arrived, their mother had reverently wrapped it in a bed cover lest it got scratches before they used it and shoved it under the bed.

Could anyone tell her it was second-hand? wondered Sheru.

It needed to be opened and fixed!

Sheru wanted to get the TV fixed; his friend’s father could open it and fix it, but Saroj rejected the idea outright. According to her no one was allowed to touch the TV till his father got some expert to look at it.

Rajjo was too lost to get involved in the fight, Rikki was happy to let Sheru do the bickering with the parents and Rano was too worried for Rajjo to intervene in the TV battle.

However, it was clear he could not broach the subject with all the simmering tension in the house. Their mother was in a bad mood. She would forbid him to go and watch the match at their neighbour’s house. All she did these days was open her prayer books and read out aloud, after she finished her cooking.