Pride, Honour & Love

Chapter 35

Maggie opened wrapped packet on reaching home. Inside there was a table cloth, hand embroidered beautifully, parting gift from Sarah, as Maggie opened the table cloth something dropped on the floor, it was an envelope with her name written on it...

Maggie quickly took out the sheet of paper.....

'Maggie, my friend, you must be wondering why I am leaving so suddenly, leaving behind the kind of life every woman would want, a man, every girl dreams about but to be very frank my dear, Bani and Jacques have chased me out from this land and forced me to reconsider my decision, after Bani's candid reply Jacques had gone out and did not appear for dinner, we somehow had ours as My Lady did not believe in breaking routines of the house, after dinner Bani retired with Tara to her room and I stood at the window of my bedroom feeling restless, about midnight he came, I saw Toddy and Ismail helping him, obviously quite drunk, in a state I have never seen him in the past, My Lady was waiting for him......she instructed Ismail and Toddy to take him to his room, when Jacques replied yes shove me under the covers fast before the neighbours realise that the man has returned drunk.....always so prim and proper My Lady.....

Jacques, you are not within yourself now and if there is something we will discuss it in the morning....

What is there is to discuss My Lady, I have sired a bastard and her mother who has been allowed play my wife as per our convenience is now being thrown out like a dead fly from my life....

Jacques, you are not within yourself but my dear you always knew the stakes, you had agreed to it, remember before your engagement ....

Yes yes for the Pride and Honour of our family, and what a family, you and me, Tara does not count as she is bastard, do you realise My lady that we survived the journey because of Tara and her mother? A mother with a child in trouble cuts a very heart wrenching picture, people want to help but then our Pride and Honour has to be upheld, has it ever crossed your mind My Lady there is a word called 'love' the meaning of it .....yes we love Dariyaganj, it is our pride, a gem of a place, we are honoured Zamindars of Dariyaganj but if we want to keep Dariyaganj, that is if you do not want to sail 'Home' then my Lady have you ever thought that if we cultivate love our Dariyaganj can become our Home for us and for all our future generation.....this is not the land of your birth but the land where you buried your loved ones...

Jacques, I agree so I am not even thinking of going Home, yes money is not a problem but then we do not know people there and nobody knows us, life will be too lonely......

No Pride No honour there but if we stay here we have to become one of them, yes this revolution the Company may overcome but then it is may not be over, to stay in this land we have to become one of them, the faster we become the better for us....

Our people loves us Jacques for whatever we are....

Yes they do, My Lady but then if it was real love could we be singled out as 'gora'.....our home would not have been burnt.....today we are thinking of Home, home is where heart is, amongst the beautiful snow capped mountains and rolling fields, in the tresses of those silky hair and dark eyes, succulent fruits and full lips.....for me this is home, not those misty morning and cloudy sky where sun refuses to shine the most days, you and me sitting in high chair looking at each other over the fire place.....

Maggie, Jacques was drunk, I realized in his most vulnerable state he saw everybody including Dariyaganj but not me...I realized for him Dariyaganj and Bani are entwined he sees, loves, feels, breathes both with his whole existence, his pain when pointed out their relationship is not pure, I think he remembered his word of honour he gave to his grandmother, not me, no he never wanted me, it was the pride and honour of the family name, the position and his oath to keep it intact and then we had to flee Dariyaganj, we saw the hatred towards our people by the natives, much as I thought they were not justified but for not once Jacques complained, he said sooner or later it was coming, it is the fault of the administration, I do not understand running of governments Maggie but I know Dariyaganj, lovely and comfortable place is no longer standing, yes I have overhead Ismail telling Toddy during our flight that I have not told My Lady but the damage is massive, they were speaking in Hindustani and thought I do not follow it but then I understood it nevertheless.