In the evening Jagat, Dhumma and the boys walked home for the evening meal. Seeto helped Sujata in cooking and served everyone. Jagat noticed her especially happy, in particular when serving him. After the men left for the khooh Seeto took Sujata to Jagat and Preeti's old room with the two unoccupied cots left in the house other than the one in the dlaan, the big room, where she usually slept, near the older women, in case she needed anything at night.
"This is Bhaaji and Preeti sister's room, your room for tonight," said Seeto.
"I'll help you clean up in the kitchen and then we can sleep near Ruhi and Seeto Ammas on one bed; Hassan can snuggle between us because I don't want to seep away from you and someone needs to be near the Ammas. I know it's a time of sadness but it feels good to be here."
"It's your home, our mini-ashram. You know, I see Preeti sister in you, the same gait, the same smile. Like her you seems strong," said Seeto.
Sujata chuckled wishing Jagat would see all of that in her but immediately checked herself. The embers of Preeti's pyre still burning bright in Jagat's mind and she didn't want to be coveting her widower, not even in her thoughts, but she was having a hard time keeping him out of them.
At the khooh Jagat went to his room in the hut after saying to Dhumma,
"Call Gamma and Jodh the bomb maker for their food. They can eat in my room."
Jagat lit the lamp. The men took their seats and began eating.
"Wow, the food tastes different, more like Zillapur's than Qaadian's," said Jodh looking at Jagat.
"It's all Qaadian's. Your Bhaabi Seeto cooked it. Sujata only packed it," said Jagat.
He suspected Jodh was just needling him; like him Jodh must have found Sujata attractive, too. Like it was to Jagat the caste was anathema to the Soviet trained bomb maker.
"Bhaaji, there'll be no need for you to go to jail anymore. At least now we can bounce our plans for the khooh of you. But there is one thing, don't know how to say it. None can replace Preeti Bhaabi, but the children need a mother," said Dhumma.
"Children's Seeto Chachi is going to look after them. She's been caring for them while Preeti had been teaching. And the children would have lots of love around them with both of you, Seeto, Puro and Ruhi Amma. We'll make a go of it. I might take up teaching college again. The family could do with some extra money and if I go regularly to Chajjuwara I can keep an eye on the bungalow too," he continued.
They sat late night reminiscing about their lives and losses. In the morning Jagat and Teg were ready to leave for Chajjuwara and waited for Sujata at the khooh who was a little late coming from home. As she approached the car Jagat said,
"Get into the car. we don't want to be late for the train." But he really didn't want them to go; he wished he had the time to drive them to Zillapur; he had a meeting at the college about the teaching job.
Sujata quickly jumped into the front passenger seat. On the way to Qaadian she wanted to be in that seat but dared not claim the right to sit as an equal to Jagat. But at night lying awake in bed she cursed herself for her deference to caste and gender; unknown to her that Jagat too had wanted her in the front seat but was afraid of people's whispers. Both wanted the same thing but were afraid of the world's and each other's reactions.
The car was on the road going at the usual speed. Jagat didn't want the ride to Chajjuwara to end so he slowed the car and he couldn't get Sujata out of his mine. He wanted to drive on to Zillapur and beyond. They reached the station bare moments before the train was due.
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