23 The Queen of the Hearth Part 23

Jassi kept sitting on her bed for a long time. What is going on with her? Why can't she have a normal life? Since childhood, she has been struggling as an orphan in a heartless world. At least, her uncle provided her with an excellent education but he couldn't provide her with the emotional support and parental guidance every child needs.

She fell in love and her dream boy turned out to be a human trafficker. She did not want to think Rajeshwar and his family for now. Then, she met Maa who brought her back from severe depression. Shera – she almost forgot the loyal dog – had run with her leaving the family he was born and brought up in and now, he is there at Guru ka Taal and not with her. Only God knows how he is!

She came here to find Maa and Maa is dead and now, Maa is telling stories about angels and demons and the end of the world! She had seen one ray of hope of escaping it all and living a normal life in a foreign land, as Sukkhi aunty suggested, but now Maa needs her help.

She wanted to talk to uncle about it but was afraid whether he would consider her mad for it. She had to take that risk. If what Maa is telling is true, she might end up being the only link between the Human and the Spirit World.

Sukkhi put her head in her hands. If Maa can't go out, she can and she will.

There are three people that she would like to find:

• Renny (a Human Trafficker who might end up ruining so many lives)

• The Girl (Angel who is sucking up people along with their souls and aura)

• The Beggar (who wanted to tell something to Maa and tried to warn her about the truck that appeared suddenly)

She needed to discuss this with Kamal uncle, even if he thinks she has gone stark mad.

She wanted to start with Renny though. At least, she knew what he looked like and where he lived. She did not know who the beggar was or where he could be dwelling, and she did know whether the baby angel was ever born or is Maa has started hallucinating after death.

Jassi understood that the number of lies she and her uncle had fed Sukkhi can come back to bite her anytime. Sukkhi already suspected Kamal was the father of Jassi. Now, she believed her to be Jasvinder who came to her home disguised as Rani. She hasn't yet realised that this Jasvinder is in fact Jassi who has been a thorn at her side for so many years.

She was also aware that if her truth comes out, this time, Sukkhi will not be so easy to pacify. All this made her head ache.

Sukkhi stopped her morning jog as winters came and Jassi could not find any opportunity of discussing her predicament with her uncle. But she could be a bit more like herself now and hum English songs easily in Sukkhi's presence.

Sukkhi even gave her Shelley's old clothes and treated her like an educated girl she was. However, she kept asking Jassi about the jobs she had applied to and would now and then discuss the best countries where she could move.

Many of the Sukkhi's relatives were settled in the US and in London and she used to tell her what kind of opportunities she could find for herself there. She would also tell her stories of girls and boys who went to foreign countries with nothing in their pockets and then, hit it big with sheer hard work and determination.

Jassi knew that she hardly had a month or two to accomplish what she wants and then, she will have to move out of the Kamal and Sukkhi's flat.