The Forbidden Sitar

Radhika Mann | The Daughter

Radhika sat on the couch, sipping tea Maan had made so earnestly. He was not accustomed to doing so as the Old Radhika always preferred coffee. She despised tea. She used to say that tea is even worse than drugs.

Well, she ain't wrong! He loved tea now. Without tea, he was as good as a dead body.

"Loving tea I see?" She said.

"Yeah. Indian genes inside me will always love chai."

She laughed.

They had spent the whole day discussing her whole life in Jaisalmer.

She looked out the window, the sky had dimmed, and night had made its mark. She told him everything that she had gone through. Everything. Including harassment. He was in utter shock, how could a family be so broken and shattered? How had she kept it all inside her till now?

The royalty is a place of war. Be it external or internal. He thought.

"Wow. I need some snacks with tea. Do you want something?"

"No, I am good. I think these many kachoris and gathiyas are enough Maan. My stomach is normal you see?"

"And I am the abnormal one?" he said, stuffing a small kachori inside his mouth.

"Well..." she shrugged.

"Hey!"

"Well, the good kind! What's the use of being so normal? I for one am, Did I do anything extraordinary? Being abnormal means you see things from a different perspective. I would like that."

"You already do, Radhika- oh no! um"

"For the umpteenth time, Maan, you can call me Jashoda."

"Umm okay. Jashoda ji,"

"I am younger than you! I am still thirty."

"Okay fine! Jashoda, I think you are wrong in this being abnormal thing, I - wait-What age did you say?"

"30."

"You said your children, Jai and Jash are teenagers."

"Yes."

"What age were you when you had them?!"

He put the cup to his lips-

"14."

And spat out the tea right out. And the kachori too.

"What?" He wiped his face with his sleeve while his eyes stayed on her.

She looked at the mess with scrunched eyes on the floor and said, "Fourteen."

"Oh, my god. Then when were you married?"

"14."

His eyes widened. And stayed that way.

For a long time.

She grabbed a newspaper lying alongside, "Tell me when you are ready."

She started reading the newspaper while he tried to absorb that news with all his might. Of course, he had heard that even 5-year-olds got pregnant, so this wasn't that big of an issue compared to that. But seeing a lady in front of him, just about his age having two big burly sons about to enter adulthood, you can understand his shock.

After what seemed like an eternity, he snapped his eyes and looked at her, she was reading an article with unusual excitement. Good, they used to have Rajasthani newspaper still.

He resumed his tea while she gasped looking at a comprehensive significant page covering an ad.

"What happened?"