Free Where the Secret Lies by Malika Gandhi

get ahead,’ he said pulling away from
her, breathing hard.
    ‘I am
so embarrassed,’ said Arianna, blushing hard.
    ‘Why?
I’m not,’ Nikhil kissed her on the lips again.

 
    The drive back to Mumbai was a
thoughtful one for Arianna. She could not stop her worries, and doubts of a
relationship with Nikhil made her restless.
    Nikhil
looked at her, questioning her with his eyes. Arianna shook her head. She
leaned against him, taking his hand and let her doubts vanish as she
concentrated on the present. She was...happy.

ANJALI

 
    ELEVEN

 
    ‘This is the haveli?’ Anjali looked
scornfully at the devastation before her.
    This
haveli was not fit to live in. Broken bricks lay in a heap against a large tree
and a burnt motorcar lay on its side a few feet away. The stone wall was
crumbling. This vast haveli was perhaps impressive in its time but Partition
had seen to that.
    She
stepped over the rubble and walked to the entrance, which consisted of a
splintered black, wooden door.
    ‘Mohan
ji, we cannot live here,’ she said.
    ‘Anjali
ji, this is a good haveli. We can fix it with some hard work. It will be our
home.’
    ‘No,’
Anjali shook her head. ‘Absolutely not.’
    ‘Please,
think about it. Where are we going to find somewhere to live as well as this?’
    Anjali
tried the door – it was unlocked. She was not surprised to see newspapers
littering the ground and the garden in mayhem. If the outside looked this way,
what must the interior be like? Anjali shivered at the thought.
    ‘We
are lucky to find a splendid haveli,’ Mohan continued with his hands on his
hips. He gazed up in admiration. ‘There's even space for Chameli.’
    He
pointed to the back of the haveli. Anjali saw no shelter for the poor animal.
Mohan seemed to read her thoughts.
    ‘We
will build a shelter for her in time. She will be happy.’
    ‘I’m
not sure...’ began Anjali.
    ‘Anjali
ji...we can do this – together. We can make this our home. Will you join me?’
Mohan held out a hand. Anjali reluctantly took it.

 
    Anjali and Mohan arrived in
Lucknow a few hours ago, searching for a dwelling to call home. A few abandoned
they saw but Mohan refused to settle. He wanted something else – something
special. He was positive they would find the right one.
    The
city of Lucknow resembled a ghost town as they travelled through, not a soul
seen. The smell of acrid smoke lingered everywhere and the extent of damage
devastating – a black spot that ripped families apart. Closed shops and offices,
singed shutters and broken glass completed the shocking picture.
    Anjali’s
stomach rumbled and she unpacked the food they brought from the camp. She ate
sparingly, making sure she left some for Mohan. They came to a man who was
cooking corn and nuts on an open fire. The smell made Anjali’s mouth water and
she asked Mohan to stop.
        ‘Bhaiya
(brother), please give us two corn sticks and some channa (roasted nuts),’ said
Mohan.
    The
man served them.
    ‘Thank
you,’ said Mohan.
    ‘You
are not from here,’ the man observed.
      ‘No we have come from afar...we are looking
for a place for a large family...can you help?’
    Large
family? But it was just her and Mohan...did he have family he wanted to bring?
Anjali listened intently as her heart fluttered in fear.
    ‘There
is a haveli not far from here,’ replied the man. ‘The last owners fled during
the partition riots and the building is badly damaged.’
    ‘Did
you say it was a haveli?’ asked Mohan. ‘Can you tell me where it is?’

 
    Anjali walked into the gloom and
saw the wreckage. A room once used for entertainment now lay in a mess. Upturned
tables and chairs, ornaments scattered, and thick layers of dust coated the
once red rug and furnishings.
    She
walked from room to room and discovered the disturbance mainly downstairs. The
upstairs rooms, although full of dust were in immaculate condition. Anjali smiled
bitterly at the irony; she was to be the Memsahib of