14 The Queen of the Hearth Part 14

That night, Jassi slept fitfully. Maa is with her even after her death but now, she did not know what she wanted to do anymore. Her primary purpose of coming here was to trace Maa's whereabouts and take her home. Now that she was there only in spirit, everything seemed useless to her.

At 4 am, she took and bath and sat down for meditation. She needed to talk to Maa.

"Maa, are you here?"

She could hear Maa's voice in her mind – "Yes, child."

"Maa, I cannot do this without you. Can't you take me with you?"

"Don't say such things. Wahe Guru will decide when your time's over. You are alive and well, which means that you still have a purpose to serve."

"What should I do now?"

"We had a plan before we came here. Bring it to fruition. Find out more about your uncle and whether you can seek help from him or not. If you cannot rely on him, you'll have to survive on your own."

Jassi nodded. Her body was still trembling but now she had a purpose, she had a plan.

At 6 am, she set about cleaning the house according to Sukkhi aunty's instructions. When Sukkhi aunty stepped out of her room for her morning walk, she gave an approving smile to Rani (Jassi) for getting up on time and doing her work diligently.

Her uncle came out of the room right after Sukkhi aunty left, and sat down in the dining hall sipping the lemon tea Jassi served him – just as Sukkhi aunty had said. She did not make any attempt to talk to him.

Kamal looked up from the newspaper and stared at her face,

"Jassi, why have you come here?"

"Huh!"

Jassi had not expected this. She had an idea that her uncle might want to communicate with her when they were alone but she did not expect him to ask 'this'. What did he expect her to do? Where could she go?

She asked in a small voice, "What do you mean? Where should I have gone?"

"When you ran away with your boyfriend three years ago, I was distraught. I thought you would at least share with me that you like someone. I was hurt. I never restricted your freedom. I did not understand what I did to make you cut your ties with me like this. I never told Sukkhi that I was still spending money on you or were looking after you. I loved you like my daughter. Your running away seemed like a betrayal. When I went to visit you and you were missing, I was terrified. I had to tell Sukkhi that I was still looking after you. She almost left the house. And now, just as suddenly as you left, you are back and I don't understand a thing."

Jassi tried to say something but her uncle put up her hand to say that he wanted to complete his statement first.

"A man came after six months of your disappearance and said that you were living in a foreign country with your husband and if I give him money, he can put me in touch with you. I refused to give him money for two reasons. First, why should I give anyone money to meet you if you didn't want me in your life? And second, what kind of friend was he to try and sell your information to anyone whom you don't want to meet. He proved my assessment of him was right when he saw that I am in no mood of helping him. He threatened me that I will never see you again.

About one year ago, police came in search of you and said that you have murdered your husband and that you are 'wanted'. According to them, you married a man from a small village in Haryana and not an NRI. I truthfully told them that I didn't know where you were. Since then, they have come twice.

About five days ago, an old woman said that she saw you running with a dog in a traditional suit through her village somewhere in UP. This was all she had to share. She promised me that she would try to trace you but she didn't call again. Now, you turned up yesterday as Rani – and that too with my friend Balvinder's recommendation. I want to know what the hell is going on here. Where did you disappear and why you have come here as a maid now?"

Jassi knew most of this story but that she was 'wanted' by police was something new to her. Was Rajeshwar dead? Did the hot oil scald him enough to kill him?

Before she could tell uncle her side of the story, Sukkhi aunty rang the doorbell.

Jassi could just whisper, "There is so much to tell you, uncle. You don't know many things. May be some other time. For now, let's continue with the act."