by Palvi Sharma
CHAPTER THREE
“Look.” he said raising his hands. “I’ve just come to apologize on Samar’s behalf. He’s been having a rough week, so if you could...”
“I don’t care and just leave me alone, okay?” Raina said and started to walk away. The nerve of that guy! Did he really think he could placate her by giving some lame excuse by how hard life’s been for Samar? Or maybe it was just a trap; to distract her so that when she least expected it...
“Uh...one other thing.” the boy said.
“What?” She asked without turning around.
“I live down the street, so I’ll be going this way too.” he said. “I just don’t want you to misunderstand me, because I’ll be pretty much following you and you might jump to conclusions...”
Raina turned to look at him and raised an eyebrow. The boy grinned and scratched his head.
“Sorry, I tend to babble on and on when I’m nervous. I just never saw a girl beat up Samar before.”
Raina started to walk again, trying to hide her smile. She had surprised herself too and hadn’t thought she was capable of doing so and she wondered how much anger was festering inside of her. She looked at him through the corner of her eye, making sure he wasn’t up to something, but the boy was walking at least five feet apart from her and she willed herself to relax.
A few minutes later, the boy called to her again. “I live in the next house and uh...wanted to, I mean suggest, if you would like to come inside and wash up?”
“Excuse me?”
“I was referring to your beer soaked hair.” He said quickly. “You could use the bathroom. My parents are in there, so you’ve nothing to worry about.”
“I’m fine.” Raina said and bit her lip when she was about to thank him for the suggestion.
“Won’t your parents object?”
Raina shuffled her feet, wanting to give him a piece of mind about minding his own business and then remembered about Uncle Rabindra. If he saw her walking in, stinking of alcohol, he was bound to punish her. She looked around her and realized she didn’t know if there was a mall nearby or even a restaurant where she could wash up.
“Fine.” she said. “Lead the way.”
The boy walked over to her and held out his hand. “I’m Ahan, by the way.”
She looked at his outstretched hand and then hesitatingly put her hand in his. “Raina.”
“Here we are.” He said and walked up the porch. Raina followed him quietly and winced when she saw her reflection in the glass. She was a real mess! Her hair hung in damp tendrils and her face looked flushed and what little makeup she had worn had been smudged.
Ahan held the door open for her and she walked in, hoping she wouldn’t have to meet any more people in the state she was in.
“It’s upstairs on the right.” Ahan said. “There are some extra towels on the shelf near the shower.”
Raina nodded and walked slowly upstairs, keeping her ears pricked for any sounds from Ahan’s parents. Were they really at home or was Ahan lying. Then she heard voices from the den and let out a breath. So far so good.
Once in the bathroom, Raina locked the door and made her way to the basin. She picked up a random bottle of shampoo and bent her head. As she applied the shampoo in her hair, she thought about how terrible the last few days had been. This had been her first night out and it had been ruined thanks to Samar.
She rinsed off the shampoo and wrapped a towel around her head. Another week to go and she would be back home, just in time for the new term to start. Her classmates had made all sorts of plans about what they were going to do after high school and which college they would go to and here she was- without ambitions or a plan.
“Do you need anything else?” Ahan called from outside. “My mom’s hair dryer is broken, so...”
“I’m fine.” Raina said and shook herself from her thoughts. She opened the door and walked outside with the towel still in her hands. “Thanks for letting me use your bathroom. I’ll leave now.”
Raina heard footsteps coming from the stairs and turned to see a woman in her late forties with friendly eyes looking at her. “You must be Raina.” she beamed.
Raina forced a smile back. “I just wanted to thank you for letting me wash up.”
“Ahan’s told me what happened.” His mother said. “Samar is such a rogue. I’ve told him time and again to stay away from him.”
“Mom, your lecture can wait. I’ll just go and drop Raina home.”
“I can go by myself.” Raina said.
“It’s the least I can do.” Ahan said.
“Would you like something to eat?” his mother asked.
“I really have to get home.” She said looking at her watch. It was a quarter to nine and Uncle Rabindra was sure to give her a hard time if she missed her curfew.
“Let me walk you home.” Ahan said and without waiting for her to respond, went downstairs.
Raina said her goodbyes to his mother and followed Ahan out the door.
“I really don’t want you to drop me home.” She said.
“Because you’ve just met me?” Ahan said. “You’re not really from here are you? Because people in this town are very hospitable.”
Raina started to walk. She really had to make her curfew and she couldn’t waste precious minutes arguing with Ahan.
“Where do you live?” he asked.
“Around.” she said and then a thought occurred to her. If Ahan knew who her Uncle was, maybe he would leave her alone. “Do you know Rabindra Savera?”
Ahan whistled. “Who doesn’t know him? Everyone in this town is so proud of what he’s done for the country. He’s really popular.”
Raina frowned. If the people in this town knew what her Uncle was really like, she wondered if they would have the same opinion. He wasn’t a savior, he was a tyrant. “I’m sure he must be.” she said dryly.
Ahan paused and narrowed his eyes. “You can’t be his daughter. He doesn’t have one.”
“I’m his niece.” Raina replied.
Ahan looked puzzled and then nodded. “Oh, I get it. You’re from his wife’s side of the family.”
“Um...no. But why would you say that?”
Ahan hesitated and looked down at the sidewalk. “You know...”
“No, I don’t!” Raina said and looked up ahead to see that they had arrived.
Ahan still had a confused look on his face. “Are you saying that he is your real uncle? I mean his kids aren’t your second cousins, but first?”
“Yeah! Why is that such a puzzle to you?”
“Because of the curse.” Ahan said.
“Curse?”
“You must know.” Ahan said, but now he looked a little scared of her. “There aren’t any girls in your family. You must have noticed.”
Raina smiled suddenly and then turned away from him. She licked her lips and then looked back at him. “That’s just absurd.”
“Everyone in town knows it too.” he continued. “People still remember Aadita and what she said.”
“Aadita?”
"Your great Aunt.” Ahan said. “Are you telling me you haven’t even heard of her?”
Raina tried to remember if her parents had ever spoken to her and realized they hadn’t. “Even Grandpa never spoke about her.”
Ahan shrugged his shoulders. “True to Aadita’s words, there wasn’t a single girl born until...well you of course.”
“That’s just stupid. You’re obviously pulling my leg.” Raina said and started to walk towards the house. The house was in complete darkness except for the study where she could spot her Uncle and Aunt talking about something.
“I’m not.” Ahan said. “You can ask anyone any one in town. Heck, ask my Grandfather. He was there when Aadita died.”
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