Free Secret Keeper by Mitali Perkins Page A

the way she looks through a pair of binoculars. I can’t standthis.” He put his cup down and stalked outside with his cricket bat as though he wanted to bash someone over the head with it.
    Reet sat next to Ma, listening to her future being discussed as though she herself wasn’t even in the room. Uncle, Grandmother, and Auntie reviewed the suitor’s wealth, status, behavior, education, career potential, and child- rearing capacity. The fact that he was still a student weighed against him; he should be established in his career before venturing into marriage. But Reet would be well taken care of; the boy’s family was one of the richest in town; the stars were aligned in the right places.
    “Should we accept this proposal?” Uncle asked once they’d finished their full evaluation.
    “Yes,” said Grandmother.
    “Yes,” said Auntie.
    Ma kept silent, and so did Reet.
    Asha took a deep breath. It was time to implement Plan A.
    She stood behind her sister and placed her hands on Reet’s shoulders, announcing in a strong, loud voice: “Reet doesn’t want to get married. So you’ll have to say no to this ridiculous proposal.”
    The conversation screeched to a halt. Reet’s shoulders tensed under Asha’s fingers. Three pairs of disapproving adult eyes immediately focused on Ma.
    Across the table, Ma’s expression flickered and then faded, reminding Asha of how the small television screen at Kavita’s house sometimes lost reception.
    “These girls were given entirely too much freedom inDelhi,” Uncle said, swiveling his head in that horrible figure eight. “They don’t know how to behave properly.”
    Too much freedom?
Asha thought.
Hah!
“She doesn’t want to get married,” she said again, trying to muster as much confidence in her voice as she had the first time. “Right, Reet?”
    Nobody spoke or moved, except for Uncle, whose head was still dancing with disapproval.
    “I trust my elders to make the right decision,” Reet said, but her voice was flat.
    The atmosphere lightened; the conversation resumed. Uncle launched into yet another description of the new flat and expensive furniture that Lusting Idiot and wife would receive as wedding gifts from his parents.
    Reet half turned in her chair so that nobody else could see her face. “Sorry, Osh,” she mouthed, and her eyes flicked over to their mother. “Can’t do that to her.”
    Asha sighed. “No worries,” she whispered, bending to kiss her sister on the cheek.
    She went upstairs and pulled a brown paper bag out from under their bed. Carrying it up to the roof, she left it in the shelter of the small tin overhang and walked to the wall. It was about to rain again, and neighbors were beginning to close windows and yank laundry off the lines. Down on the cricket pitch, her cousin wasn’t even bothering to break into his buddies’ game.
    Asha was glad that the darkening sky was starting to make people scurry inside. There was something heartening about seeing others dash for cover when you were about to brave a storm. It made you feel ready to take a risk, evenwilling to try something crazy. And that was good, because it was time for Plan B-and Plan B was absolutely insane.
    Asha desperately needed to hash it over with someone before she set things in motion. How she wished Kavita were here! Not only would Kavita listen to Asha’s ideas, she’d add details and anticipate trouble spots. But Kavita was far away in Delhi; Asha hadn’t heard from her friend in weeks. She thought for a moment of finding Raj and telling him what she was about to do, but she didn’t want him
or
Reet to bear any of the consequences. She’d do the deed; she’d take the punishment. Still, it would be wonderful to talk the plan through with another human being.
    Asha turned around to study the shutters shielding Jay’s room. Where was he, anyway? Usually, five minutes or so after she came out to the roof, his window would fly open and the two of them would start