The next day she had more pills that gave her cramps and made her throw up. The bleeding continued along with the cramps. Rano’s heart went out to her sister.

A tough night later, Rajjo knew her body and her soul had bled Kashi out of her life forever. She was cleansed and sterile to the emotion of love. She was never going to hope for it! All she could hear was the rain pelting outside and her mother reading out from the prayer book aloud as all the siblings sat around listening to her voice, drawing comfort.

‘By Guru’s grace, dry woods blossom forth again in lush greenery. Why are you so afraid O mind! The flamingoes fly hundreds of miles leaving their young ones behind. Who feeds them? Who teaches them to feed themselves? Why is the mind in a state of unrest when for each and every person our lord provides sustenance?’.

Rajjo wanted to shut out the prayers and focus on the rain beating down on the roof. She wanted to obliterate the vision of flamingoes flying away leaving their young ones behind to fend for themselves. She wanted to stop a flamingo with flaming pink feathers and ask him, where did the faith come from when there was no Lord around?

It was the end of monsoon, the clouds were retreating and the fields were lush and satiated after the pearly showers.

Rajjo sat quietly as they put some henna on her hands. It was going to be a very quiet affair. She was going to be married to a man who lived in a small town somewhere near Ludhiana. He was fifty years old and his wife had died in childbirth. He had taken one look at Rajjo and agreed to marry her. He ran a printing press and Rajjo’s mother was relieved that at least she would not want for material things.

Saroj had not spoken to Rajjo ever since the episode and neither had her father. Rajjo had not made the attempt either. Only Rano and her other siblings spoke to her. Karam hovered around the house only to be shooed away by Rano.

However, on the wedding day Karam had managed to slip inside the house and whispered to Rajjo desperately. ‘Don’t worry, I won’t let you marry the old man. I will marry you! I am just going to talk to my mother again else we will elope!’

‘I dropped Kashi’s baby, tell your mother that…’ Rajjo muttered to Karam in a waterish tone. Karam froze as soon as the words were uttered.

As Karam walked out in a daze Rano assaulted him, ‘Happy! I told you to stay away but you had to buzz around her like a fly. Stay away now, please!’

‘Why didn’t you tell me?’

‘You think we should have given it in the papers? Use your brains! She is going away, getting married, so stop coming over!’ Her voice cracked, and Rano slammed the door shut on Karam’s shocked face.