Alexander:

"--And then that foolish Mrs. Brown told this to everyone." My mother said with a twinkle of humour in her eyes. She was telling me a recent doing of her slightly-slow-in-the-head neighbour.

I laughed as I led my mother through the market towards our way back.

It had been three days since my mother had come and I was showing her around the city's famous places. Today I had taken her to the famous Calcutta market, but she got frightened by the packed place so we decided to go back home.

Since it wasn't far, we were walking on the dusty undeveloped roads, which mother didn't quite like but we couldn't do anything as we had already sent the driver back.

"Alexander, tell me about your time here." My mother asked me as she stared at a cattle and their keeper in the far distance.

A face of a certain woman flashed in my mind. I shook my head because I can't...won't tell my mother about her.

"It's been...pleasant? Yes." I answered her. I quickly took notice of the surroundings. We had reached another small market which sold food grains and other stuff, mostly to the locals.

"Son, what is that pink...toys they are selling?" My mother pointed slightly towards the sugary delights I loved.

I explained to her that they were a local sweet and I could buy her those if she would like. She politely refused, saying that she didn't know if they were fresh or not and who made them. I felt an urge in me to tell her that these sweets were made side by side as they were sold to the customers and they were made by clean, hardworking hands but I didn't say anything.

Maybe because I had no reason why to correct her.

Another flash of that face.

This time I growled slightly and Mother took notice of this. "Did I say something wrong?" She said with a slightly hurt tone.

"No-no! I just--nothing." I dismissed.

My mother stopped and looked at me, raising her eyebrows.

I gave her a reassuring smile and looked away. Call it fate or something else, but at the same time I caught the sight of the woman who had been invading my mind for long.

Time seemed to slow down

I watched her walk beside a man with a huge mustache and a protruding belly, probably her father.

Anvesha was talking to her father, slight vexation in her intense eyes. She didn't look at me once, but for a reason unknown, my heart seemed to thud loudly in my chest.

In the sunlight, her raven hair seemed to shine brightly and her smooth dusky skin seemed radiant as ever. I didn't know why I was taking notice of these things, but my chest was filled with a fluttering sensation.

She's beautiful.

"--Alexander!" My mother's loud whisper brought me back to reality and I looked at her, traces of daze vanishing away. And then I realized my mother must have watched everything. There weren't many people here and it was easy to guess where you were looking at.

I lookes at her eyes, clear of any lurking secrets and said, "Yes?"

The suspicion in her eyes seemed to have intensified as she held me by arm and we walked away from the market.

"Did you know those people?" My mother asked me, no hint of any humour in her voice.

I gulped and said, "I...that fat man did business with father." My father was in the council, what business could he have with that man? Such a foolish, white lie.

"Yes? What business?" My mother persisted.

What business...what business...WHAT BUSINESS...wait, mother would never be able to guess about my association with Anvesha, because that is not common, not in the least. I shouldn't be fearing of her knowing anything.

"I don't know, I just saw him leaving father's office a few days back." I answered with utmost confidence, praying that mother didn't caught me in my lie.

My mother's lips turned up in a smile which soon vanished. "I am most certain that the man was a he and not a she. And that he was most probably not...beautiful."

My body literally froze on the pavement in front of the apartment gates. I said that aloud! I moved my head to look at my mother's eyes which were void of emotions, just a questioning tilt of her eyebrows.

I didn't say anything for a while and I felt like I was caught red handed in an act. My mother's questioning soon turned into confirmation.

"Oh dear..." She muttered as if she just realized that I did a grave a crime (which is not an exaggeration if my father was the one knowing about this instead of her).

"Yes...I-I was talking about the woman with him." I said in a small, guilty voice. I didn't meet her eyes in the fear of the disapproval or disgust they might hold.

My mother's eyes widened. "In general or...did you know her?" She asked me slowly, as if she didn't quite believe she was saying those words.

I remained quite and walked towards my room, my mother following me, not saying anything. Matthew and Jordan were also out with Amelia and their mothers, so as I brought mother with me in the room, I fell into my bed with a thud.

"Promise me you won't say anything until I'm finished?" I asked her.

My mother gave me a slow nod, with the same stoic face.

So, I told her everything from the beginning. Every little thing. Every small detail of what I felt towards Anvesha in the past few weeks.

I watched as my mother's hands flew towards her mouth and she sat down on the bed, as if needing support. I hurriedly grabbed a glass of water and gave it to her. She drank it and wiped the small drops of sweat on her forehead.

"Alexander... this-this is wrong son!"

I stilled. I had never heard my mother speak like this. She looked distressed and her voice was strained, as if she was struggling to form words.

"This will go away mother..." I said to her as my throat constricted.

My mother shook her head quickly, "You don't understand! If your father got to know..." My mother stopped, her eyes widening.

My heart slammed in my chest. I stood up quickly. "He won't know mother! Nothing is going to happen. We will leave soon enough when father is transferred back to Britain. Everything would be fine!"

Mother shut her eyes and took a deep breath. The she looked at me and held my hand as she made me sit beside her. "You know of the laws against this, right? And you know how society looks at this?"

I looked away. There was something in my voice that hurt me as I said the next words. "She's a mere acquaintance. She knows nothing of what I...unfortunately feel and neither will she ever. I will just stop meeting her."

My mother sighed and said, "Alex, I never believed in these things. But some divisions are made for a reason. I'm sorry this is happening with you, my child."

You do believe in this mother. I'm sorry this happened to me too.