‘You know the Nawab started as a fat drunkard who was gifting away territories to the British.’ Karam read out from his phone. ‘Just googled his history, he used to laugh with no apparent reason, would abuse others and expected to be abused in return.’ He chuckled. It irritated Rano no end.

‘He had immense respect for people who used filthy language and the more obscene the language, the more he was pleased. He was juvenile, unambitious and would drink with his servants.’ Karam was back to his favourite past time. Pretending that all was well.

Rano snapped, ‘I am not interested in some retarded story. You think they will allow us to smoke in here… What the hell is taking Rajjo so long with those fools? I am telling you I have never taken to that Kuljeet. And I have never liked that man’s nose. Arjan. It’s always up in the air.’ Karam chuckled at her outburst.

Trying to take her attention away from her obsession, Karam pointed to the large arched room they were in, ‘You sit in the world’s largest arched room without any pillars and rant about people and complain? Forget your worldly woes. Can you picture the Nawab holding his public hearings here?’

Rano looked at Karam in the eye and before she could control herself, she spat out, ‘Isn’t it ironic, standing in this place, it feels like we are in a public hearing. Rajjo is losing her marbles and you are getting kicks from discussing some nawab of Awadh?’

Karam chose to ignore the barb. ‘At least I am not wasting my time sulking or throwing a hissing fit!’ He scrolled his phone some more like the answers to all his mysteries would appear on his screen.

‘So did you have anything to do with it? Or is it stupid of me to ask?’ Rano blurted out the question that had been stuck in her throat for the last three months. Karam clenched his jaw. He refused to take Rano’s bait. She was bitter, she was angry and she was disillusioned.