Chapter 5
If that is a kiss, she exclaimed, I want no more of them.
Then she knew it was not true.
Of course she wanted to love and be loved.
It was all part of the stories she told herself in which the wildest adventures carried her to the top of Himalayas or along crocodile-infested rivers in the centre of Africa.
Then the heroine would find the man of her dreams and they would be married.
Until till now the hero had never had a face, but now she was certain of one thing: the man who had just kissed her was the villain in her stories.
As she thought about him and remembered his drooping eye-lid and the cynical twist to his lips, she was sure he was not only looked like villain but even more like Devil.
Perhaps that is who he was, she thought as she picked up her basket of eggs and started to walk slowly homewards.
It was fascinating thought, and she wondered what her mother would say if when she arrived at the Vicarage she had told her she had met the Devil in Chanters Lane, and he had kissed her.
Moreover if the Devil had done so, that meant she had now become a Witch.
She had so often heard whispered stories from the villagers of how in the dark woods which is covered a great part of her uncles estate satanic revels took place to which foolish girls had been lured.
Nobody knew exactly what had happened to poor little Bessy. She had been sane before she went one, but they said it was Satan himself who had sent her mad.
Her mother replied to such tales by saying that it was a lot of nonsense: Bessy had been born abnormal and her brain was damaged so that there was nothing the doctors could do for her.
But the villagers much preferred to believe that Bessy was Satans child, and they enjoyed shivering apprehensively when she passed them.
If she was muttering, as she usually did, to herself, they were quite certain that she was casting a curse on those who she did not like.
There was also a story about another girl who had gone into the woods night after night, he finally had been spirited away so secretly that she was never seen again.
Kriya's father had given the explanation that as a visitor to village who came from London had disappeared at exactly the same time, it was quite obvious what had happened.
But the villagers were convinced that the girls fate was the same as Bessys. He had joined in the devils revelries, and he had made her one of his own.
It seemed unlikely, she thought, as she neared the village, that the Devil would ride such an outstanding, well-bred horse or would be dressed by the tailors, patronized by the Prince Regent.
These were, Swayam assured her, the only cutters who could make a mans coat fit as if he had been poured into it.
Thinking of Swayam made Khushi wish that he was at home. He would certainly think her experience amusing, but not even to her adored brother, to whom she confined almost everything, would she admit that she had been kissed by a stranger. Devil or no Devil.
Swayam would laugh at my being so foolish. She told herself, while Papa would be furious!
It was not often her good-natured, happy-go-lucky father was angry about anything.
But she had become aware of this last since she had grown up that he disliked the compliments that the gentlemen who came to Vicarage , although there were not many, paid her.
She had heard him say to her mother that it was a great impertinence and he was not going to tolerate it.
Although she knew it was very reprehensible Kriya had waited outside the door to overhear her mother's reply.
"Kriya is growing up, darling," she had said, "and as she is very pretty, in fact lovely, you must expect men to notice her, although unfortunately there are not many eligible bachelors around here to do so."
"I will not have any man whoever he may be, messing about with her." Mr. Ghai said sharply.
"Nobody is likely to do that," Mrs. Ghai replied soothingly, "but I wish your brother Anirudh and his wife would be a little kinder in asking her to some of the parties they gave at the hall. After all, she is the same age as Taani."
Kriya listening outside the door had given a little sigh and did not wait to hear any more.
She was well aware that her mother resented the fact that the Earl of Milbrook(Earl-A British nobleman ranking above a viscount and below a marquis.)(Millbrook is a village in Dutchess County, New York, United States.)her father's brother and his wife had almost ignored her since she was eighteen.
Not once she had been asked to any of the parties they gave at the Hall for Taani her first cousin.
Kriya knew even better than her mother the reason for it.
Taani was jealous.
During the last year when they had done lessons together, as they had ever since they had been small chidren, she had grown more and more resentful of her cousin's looks and never missed an opportunity to disparage her.
Because she could not find anything unkind to say about her face she concentrated on her clothes.
"That gown you are wearing is almost in rags!" she would say when Kriya arrived at the Hall early in the morning. "I cannot think why you are content in make a scarecrow of yourself!"
"The answer is quite simple," she would reply. "Your farther is very rich and mine is very poor!"
She had not spoken resentfully, she had merely said it laughingly, but Taani had scowled and tried to think of another weapon with which she could hurt her.
It did seem to Kriya very unfair, even though her mother had explained to her, it was traditional that the oldest son of the family should have everything, and the younger sons practically nothing.
"But why Mama?"
"I will explain it to you," her mother had replied quietly. "Larger estates like your Uncle Anirudh's must be passed intact from father to son. If they once started to divide up the land and the money amongst other member of the family there would be soon no great Landlords in England, but only a lot of small holdings."
She paused to see if her daughter was listening to what she was saying before she went on:
"That is why in all the great aristocratic families the oldest son inherits everything, including the title. The second son generally goes in the Army or the Navy, while the third son becomes a Clergyman because there is always livings of which his is the Patron."
"So that is why Papa became a Patron."
Her mother had and smiled.
"Exactly, I think in fact if he had a choice he had become a solider."
The first time Kriya realized she was not to be asked asked to a Ball that was to be given at the Hall and to which she had looked forward excitedly, she wept bitterly.
"How can Taani leave me out, Mama?" she had sobbed."We used to talk about what would happen when we were grown up and how we would share a Ball together."
She had given a little sob as she said:
"It sounded all such fun, and we told each other how we would count our conquests and see who was the winner."
Her mother put her hand around her and held her close.
"Now listen, my darling," She said."You have to face the truth as I had to do when I married your father."
Kriya checked her tears and listened as her mother went on:
"You may have wondered sometime," she began, "why your Aunt Shravani , and sometimes even your Uncle Anirudh, are so condescending to me."
"I have notice the way they give themselves airs and graces, Mama."
"This is because your grandfather had planned that your father should marry a very rich young woman," her mother explained, "who lived near the Hall in those days, and who made it very clear that she loved your father."
Kriya smiled.
"This is not surprising, Mama! He is so good-looking that I can understand any woman thinking him fascinating."
"That is what I found," her mother said."To me he is the most attractive, charming man in the world."
She spoke very softly and her eyes were tender as she went on:
"But I was the daughter of a General who had spent his life serving his country, and retired with only a small pension which left him very little money for his children."
Kriya sat up and wiped the tears from her cheeks.
"Now I understand, Mama," she said."Papa married you because he loved you and was not interested in the girl with lots of money."
"This is exactly what happened," her mother said."Your grandmother and your uncle pleaded with him to be sensible and think of the future, but he told them that was exactly what he was doing!"
"So you were married and lived happily ever afterward," Kriya said, her eyes were shinning.
"Very very happy," her mother replied."At the same time, darling, you have to suffer for it, not only because you are my daughter, but also because you are very lovely."
Kriya was startled. It was something her mother had never said to her before.
"I am telling you the truth and not paying you a compliment," her mother said. "I believe it was because your father and I were so happy and so very much in love that both our children not only have beautiful faces, but beautiful character as well."
That was certain true of Swayam, Kriya thought.
He was outstandingly handsome and because she resembled her mother she was aware that she was very pretty.
When there had been any sort of parties at the Hall all the male guests whatever their age had always seemed to want to talk to her.
"You know, her mother had gone on reflectively, we always have to pay for everything in life. Nothing is free, and you darling, while you may find it a great advantage to be beautiful, will have to pay for it by knowing that other women will be jealous of you and will often make things difficult in consequence."
That was exactly what Taani had done, Kriya thought, when the invitations no longer came from the Hall, and her aunt looked at her with an expression of hostility even when they were in church. Edited by AbhiyaMaaneet - 11 years ago
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