He drove out of the house, her face arresting him and once again she was like a lost dove with a broken wing as she waved at him long after he was gone.

Soon after she had called on his cell. ‘Don’t hang up. I want to talk,’ and there was silence. Guilt sat on his shoulder as he indulged her. ‘Describe the sky,’ he heard her ask. The glistening gleaming chopper invited him. He just wanted to get the phone off his ear and take off into the skies. He looked up at the evening sky. Dotted with perfect white clouds against the giant blue. To complete the picture he spotted a raven flying across. The raven suddenly reminded him of his Rajjo. She always wanted to feed them. She would make rice balls and leave them outside. She would look at the sky, open her arms and invite the ravens to come and eat. Harsh was beginning to like ravens, even more so when he learnt they were messengers of the dead.

‘I like Ravens,’ he said into the phone after a short silence. She said, ‘They are bad omens.’ He said, ‘Their croaking call and diets of carrion have given them a reputation. They could be just lost souls.’ There was an odd pause and she said, ‘Apollo sent a white raven, or crow in some versions to spy on his lover, Coronis. When the raven brought back the news that Coronis has been unfaithful to him, Apollo scorched the raven in his fury, turning the animal’s feathers black. That’s why all ravens are black today.’ There was a deathly silence. Harsh was more than suspicious if he heard something in his wife’s voice. There was nothing he could do about it. He was unable to stop himself or turn around. He decided after this meeting he was going to tell her the truth. She deserved to know that he was in love with another woman. In fact, he wanted to tell her right away. There was never a better time. ‘I want to confess something. I am really sorry, really very sorry, but I need to tell you.’ She cut him midway. She knew what the confession was and she was not ready for it. Perhaps it was for the best and she deserved to know in person and not on a phone call. Harsh controlled his urge to come clean.