Fiction: Can Alka’s marriage survive deception? Or will a forbidden love destroy her life?

Alka slowly walked back to the house, trying to get a grip on her emotions. The sudden appearance of Mrs Senapathy’s sister had left her reeling. She hadn’t processed things yet and had expected Subbu to empathize with her.

A year ago, when her secret had been exposed and Alka had left home, Subbu had been forced to confront his beliefs about class and caste. Alka had explained everything to him – the way she had lived her entire life, her insecurities, her crushed dreams, and the feeling of helplessness she had endured. She had apologized and he had accepted her explanations. She recalled how he had thundered, “To hell with Mrs Shetty and all of them,” as he had raised his glass of wine.

After that day, they had never broached the topic again, not until today. Their marriage had slipped into familiar patterns, and it was as though the fact of Alka’s betrayal had been completely erased from their relationship.

Alka had often thought about Krish. When Anandi was alive, Alka would get all the news about Krish’s family from her. But with Anandi gone, that bridge of communication had crumbled. After his last visit to the estate, Alka had felt tempted to message him on many occasions, but she had never actually acted on it and reached out to him.

While Alka was lost ruminating about the past, the sounds of the girls running back home and chatting excitedly brought her back to the present. She got busy serving them dinner and then reading them bedtime stories – a ritual she loved dearly. Every night before bed, the girls got to choose the book that Alka would read out aloud from. Tonight, it was Tulika’s turn and she picked What Do You Do With a Kangaroo? It was about an irascible little miss battling to the very end with the animals that took over her bed and tried to order her about. It was a favourite with both the girls as well as Alka, and they never tired of reading it.

Subbu hadn’t returned home even after the girls had been tucked into bed. Alka ate her dinner alone, after which Selvi and Gowramma cleared the table, tidied up the kitchen and finished their work for the day.

Alka pondered whether to call up Subbu or not, despite anticipating the usual outcome – a scenario she was familiar with because it had played out countless times in the past. She decided she would. She tried his number, and then sighed as she hung up. His phone was switched off. She knew he would only return the next morning. Though she had expected it, she still felt the sharp pangs of disappointment. Alka hated it. She suspected he was having an affair. But what right did she have to ask him anything or confront him when, deep down, she was still in love with Krish? Of course, she knew that she would never pursue it. She valued her family and her relationship with her girls too much for that. It had taken her over three decades to get what she wanted from life – her very own home, a heritage bungalow no less, nestled in a magnificent coffee estate, two beautiful daughters who were dearer to her than life itself, and a tranquil existence – and she would never ever jeopardize it. Questioning Subbu would yield no results; it would only strain their relationship further. So, Alka continued to fume in silent frustration.

She couldn’t help but feel that Subbu was being unfair. The fact that he had hurled those accusations at her and walked away meant that things were still simmering within him. Though he had never spoken about the incident after that one day, it was now apparent that he had never really forgiven her. What did this marriage mean then? Did he just need someone to manage the house and take care of his daughters? Was that why he had compromised and accepted her back?

She knew who she had to talk to – Renuka Mavshi. Alka glanced at the wall clock in her bedroom. Renuka Mavshi would’ve probably finished dinner by now, which meant that she would be free to have a conversation.

Alka propped herself up in bed with a couple of pillows and, grabbing the cordless phone from her bedside table, punched in Renuka Mavshi’s number.

“Alka! How have you been?” Renuka Mavshi answered the phone almost instantly, her voice filling Alka with warmth.

“Mavshi, I am sorry for not calling all these months –”

“You don’t have to explain anything at all,” Renuka Mavshi interrupted her. “You had a marriage to save. I completely understand.”

“Yes, that I did. But I’ve so missed talking to you,” Alka said softly.

“Oh, I missed talking to you too. I pray every single day for your happiness. When I don’t hear from you, I just presume that things are busy.”

“Yes, Mavshi. It’s harvest time here in the estate which means things are very busy indeed. What’s the news with Manish and Kavita? How are Ritvik and baby Meera?”

“Oh, they aren’t so little anymore. Baby Meera is walking around and it’s a full-time task to watch over her. Manish and Kavita manage everything, and the restaurant is thriving beyond our expectations. We’ve bought the adjacent plot as well and we’re expanding our space, Alka.”

“Mavshi, that is fantastic news! If only my mother were alive to see this day. She would’ve been so proud.”

“I agree. But you know what? I am sure Seema is watching us from above and smiling at our success. I think about her often,” Renuka Mavshi’s voice trailed off as her eyes misted.

“How I wish she had the courage to stand up to that Mrs Shetty. She might have lived longer. I feel it is overwork that killed her, Mavshi.” Even after all these years, Alka was still angry.

“She did it to protect you, Alka. She always feared that if Mrs Shetty had thrown you both out, you would’ve ended up on the streets. And she was right. The way Mrs Shetty treated Seema was unforgivable. Perhaps the only good thing Mrs Shetty did was to pay for your education.” Renuka was practical and balanced in her approach. But that didn’t mollify Alka.

Excerpted with permission from The Homecoming, Preeti Shenoy, HarperCollins India.