Lal Banu looked at the door with a fearful gaze. Maleka Begum held her tightly in her arms. Farida Begum was also sitting beside them. In a trembling voice filled with fear, Lal Banu said, “Amma, there was someone here. They tried to kill me.”
Maleka Begum looked at Lal Banu with calm eyes for a moment. Then, in a slightly stern voice, she said, “How many times will you say the same thing? You had a bad dream, and now you’re crying. Nonsense.”
Farida Begum tried to comfort Lal Banu, saying, “If someone had come into your room, we would have seen them. But when we arrived, we didn’t see anyone. Amma, did you see anyone?”
Maleka Begum gave Farida Begum a strange look. Then, in a dull voice, she said, “No. I didn’t see anyone. I just heard the elder daughter-in-law groaning in her sleep, so I came here.”
Lal Banu still couldn’t believe that it was just a dream. She touched her face with her hand—yes, she still felt pain. It didn’t feel like a dream at all; it felt real. When she was writhing in agony, Maleka Begum had suddenly shouted her name, and then Lal Banu felt the pillow being lifted off her face. When she opened her eyes, she saw Maleka Begum and Farida Begum. According to them, it was just a dream. Since Lal Banu hadn’t seen anyone, and neither had they, she had no choice but to accept that it was just a dream—a terrible nightmare.
Lal Banu thought to herself, I never want to have such a horrible dream again. The agony of death is terrifying.
That night, Maleka Begum stayed with Lal Banu. Farida Begum wanted to stay as well, but Maleka Begum didn’t allow it and told her to go back to her own room. Farida Begum didn’t argue and left.
For the first time, Maleka Begum gently stroked Lal Banu’s head. In a soft voice, she said, “Bad dreams must be forgotten. Forget it now and go to sleep.”
Lal Banu closed her eyes. To ease her fear, Maleka Begum told her various stories. Lal Banu listened. At one point, Maleka Begum said, “There are many unknown stories in a household. Don’t let them break you.”
“What stories?”
At Lal Banu’s question, Maleka Begum remained silent for a moment. Then she said, “Complicated stories. To maintain honor in society, many things must be done. The first is to keep family matters a secret. They must not be told to outsiders. Honor is something that must be preserved at any cost. Whatever it takes. Even if it means giving up one’s life.”
“Is honor greater than life, Amma?”
Maleka Begum didn’t take a moment to respond. She immediately said, “Yes, it is.”
Lal Banu fell silent. She thought about the incident from earlier. She had almost felt death creeping upon her. The fear of death had gripped her. It had felt so terrifying that she couldn’t even describe it in words. And yet, was that death insignificant compared to honor? Lal Banu wondered, Is that really true?
In the morning, Lal Banu sat lost in thought. That’s when Nizam came and sat beside her. In a soft voice, he asked, “Is Bhabhi feeling sad because of Bhaiya?”
Lal Banu didn’t respond. She looked at Nizam. Over the past few months, he had grown close to everyone in the family. He was a good person. Lal Banu also enjoyed talking to him. Perhaps because they were the youngest in the house, their conversations always flowed easily. While she was thinking about this, Nizam repeated his question. Instead of answering, Lal Banu asked, “When do you go to sleep at night?”
“Why are you suddenly asking this?”
Nizam was a little surprised. That’s why he asked. Lal Banu said, “Did you see anyone enter my room last night?”
“No. Why?”
In response to Nizam’s question, Lal Banu told him everything that had happened the previous night. Nizam was quite surprised. After thinking for a while, he said, “Bhabhi, if you truly felt like someone was trying to kill you, then maybe it’s possible. The way you described it, it seems like you really experienced it. But can a dream feel that real?”
Nizam’s words couldn’t be dismissed so easily. But Lal Banu couldn’t wrap her small mind around it. Why would someone want to kill her? There was no logical explanation for it. That’s why she was stuck in confusion. Was it really a dream or the truth?
Nizam advised Lal Banu not to overthink it. There was no point in being upset about it. To cheer her up, he told her different stories. At one point, he said, “Bhabhi, you know, I really like someone.”
“What kind of liking?”
Hearing her question, Nizam smiled shyly. Lal Banu was surprised. Nizam said, “I want to love her.”
“Then get married. If you marry her, you can love her.”
Hearing this, Nizam’s voice became pained. “That’s not possible.”
“Why?”
After a long pause, Nizam said, “She belongs to someone else now.”
Lal Banu didn’t understand at first. But when she didn’t respond, Nizam realized she was confused and clarified, “She’s already married.”
Now Lal Banu understood. After thinking for a while, she said, “Then it’s not right for you to love her.”
“Why?”
“Because it’s a sin. Amma says if a married woman thinks about someone other than her husband, it’s a big sin. And if another man loves a married woman, that’s also a sin.”
Hearing this, Nizam fell silent. He stared at Lal Banu’s face for a long time. Then he said, “Does emotion have a sense of sin? If it did, wouldn’t the world be full of sinners?”
Lal Banu didn’t answer. She didn’t want to think about these things.
Just then, Farida Begum arrived. Seeing the two of them talking, she said, “You two seem to be getting along quite well these days. When did you become such close friends?”
Nizam smiled at Farida Begum and said, “Bhabhi, I’m such a good person that everyone gets along with me easily. Just like you did.”
Farida Begum laughed at his words. “You’ve certainly learned to talk well, Nizam.”
Nizam didn’t reply. Then Farida Begum sat down with them, and the three of them continued chatting.
That night, Maleka Begum was about to sleep when Lal Banu entered her room. Seeing her, Maleka Begum looked slightly annoyed. In an irritated voice, she said, “What happened? Why are you here so late at night?”
“Amma, I’m scared to sleep alone in my room.”
“A woman can’t afford to be so fearful. Your husband will go away for work today, then for another task tomorrow. I won’t always be here for you to sleep beside me.”
Hearing this, Lal Banu lowered her head. Maleka Begum looked at her and said, “Go back to your room. Lock the door and go to sleep. Nothing will happen. And if something does? You’re married now; one day, you’ll become a mother. You need to learn how to handle problems.”
Lal Banu nodded. Maleka Begum said a few more things before finally relenting, “Come, sleep in my room tonight.”
Lal Banu was overjoyed. It showed on her face. She immediately climbed onto the bed.
Maleka Begum said, “Just for tonight. After this, you have to manage on your own.”
Lal Banu nodded. She understood. Then Maleka Begum and Lal Banu fell asleep.
