The Forbidden Daughter

by Shobhan Bantwal

  “She is?” Isha sniffled. “Thank you, Harish!” She made a throaty sound that could have been either a laugh or a stifled sob. “You don’t know what . . . this means to me.”

  “I do know,” he said quietly. Before pulling out from the parking spot he waved to Phillip and made sure Diya and her monkey were still buckled in.

  Chapter 35

  December 2007

  Isha looked up when she heard Priya’s high-pitched laughter. It was heartwarming to see her little girl happy. Priya was by nature an upbeat child. Nonetheless, lately she seemed really content, although actually it didn’t take much for children to find contentment.

  At the moment, Isha was sitting in a chair across the room, sewing tiny beads onto the collar of a dress while Priya was absorbed in the book Harish was reading to her. It had become quite a ritual with those two, the nightly story-reading.

  Priya sat cross-legged on the sofa beside Harish, wearing a frilly nightgown, as he made a simple story of a talking camel come alive by changing his voice to suit the different characters and their personalities.

  Diya was fast asleep in Harish’s lap while he read. The little imp had been fighting to keep her eyes open, but fatigue had won the battle. She was walking these days, a typical fourteen-month-old with boundless energy.

  Watching Diya now, peacefully slumbering with her head cradled in the crook of Harish’s arm, Isha swallowed the lump that formed in her throat. She had nearly given up hope of seeing Diya alive after that kidnapping event. The memory of it was still fresh after two months. It still made her heartbeat quicken with anxiety. It still left her feeling powerless.

  316 Shobhan Bantwal

  Meanwhile she empathized with the kidnapper’s wife. That poor woman was now suffering a similar fate as Isha had suffered the previous year: unexpected and instant widowhood and the responsibility of raising two children.

  In many ways Mrs. Gowda had it a lot worse. She had to live with the horror of watching her husband shoot himself, along-side the painful fact that he was a deranged killer.

  Then there was Karnik, the other villain in her life. A few days after the onset of his heart attack, he had suffered a massive stroke. Paralyzed on one side, he was now confined to a wheelchair, speechless, nearly motionless, and more helpless than an infant. Naturally he was incapable of standing trial.

  God had obviously seen fit to punish him in his own way. Living like a vegetable, or barely living, in this case, was probably a lot worse than prison. Meanwhile, his innocent wife and children were suffering unnecessarily.

  Another hoot from Priya drew Isha’s attention. Harish looked very much at home with one child asleep in his arms and another demanding his attention. He was a remarkable man, a miracle that had come into her life almost like an answer to a prayer.

  And she’d come to care for him deeply. She hadn’t told him that yet because doubts continued to nip at her mind. If she indeed considered Harish’s offer of marriage seriously, would his family accept her and her children? They’d been cautiously polite the one time she had met them, but that didn’t mean they would want her for a daughter-in-law, especially when their older son’s wife was such a brilliant and successful doctor.

  What about Sheila and Kumar? Would they resent her if she married again—in essence betraying Nikhil’s memory? In the future, would Harish want children of his own? There was no end to the speculation.

  When Priya bounced over to kiss her good night and interrupted her wandering thoughts, Isha realized the reading session was over. She set aside her sewing and caught Priya in a hug.

  “Did you remember to thank Doctor-kaka?”

  “Yes. I gave him a good night kiss, too.”

  THE

  FORBIDDEN

  DAUGHTER 317

  “Good. Now go get ready for bed.”

  Priya raced to the bathroom, followed by Sundari, who’d no doubt carefully supervise the bedtime ritual.

  Harish rose to his feet, holding Diya in his arms like a precious and fragile piece of glass. “I better put this one in her bed,” he said and headed toward the bedroom that was now shared by both girls.

  Diya had outgrown the cradle and so Isha had bought her a bed. Sundari slept on the floor between the two girls, their self-appointed nursemaid and guardian. Since the kidnapping she’d become paranoid about the children’s safety.

  Isha went in ahead of him and turned down the bedspread so he could lay Diya down. Then she tenderly tucked the baby in and sent Harish a grateful look. “You don’t have to do all this babysitting, you know.”

  “I like doing it.” His gaze remained on the sleeping baby.

  “Amazing how children forget bad experiences so easily, isn’t it?

  Nobody would know she’d been traumatized only two months ago.”

  Isha watched Diya’s sweet face in repose, oblivious to their whispered conversation. “Wish we could all be that way. I’d give anything to be able to forget the nightmares of the past six years.”

  “You could do it, Isha, if you gave yourself half a chance.”

  He took both her hands. “My offer still stands.”

  “I know.” His hands were warm and firm and reassuring. She loved the feel of his hands. She loved the timbre of his voice, the way he tilted his head when he listened to her or the children, the meticulous care he put into everything he did. She loved the whole package. Not a surprise! She’d never thought she’d ever care for any man the way she’d cared for Nikhil.

  “I’d like to try and erase those nightmares from your memory if you’ll let me. Forever, if possible.”

  His eyes behind the glasses were intense, sincere, unblinking.

  The message in them was as clear as the mirror hanging above the dressing table in the corner: he wanted her; he wanted marriage; he wanted permanence.

  318 Shobhan Bantwal

  Sundari and Priya came into the room just then, prompting Isha to withdraw her hands and prevent her from responding to his remark.

  Priya aimed a gap-toothed smile at Harish. New teeth had grown in, but others were now missing, leaving a wide space in the top row. “You won’t forget my concert tomorrow?” She was taking piano lessons at school and there was a recital by all the children who were learning to play various musical instruments.

  “I won’t forget,” he promised solemnly. “Five o’clock?”

  “Uh-huh.”

  “Who else is invited besides me?”

  Priya started counting on her fingers and reeled off a long list of names including family and friends—even Ayee and Baba.

  “Wow,” he said. “That’s a lot of people. I’m impressed!” He patted the top of her head. “Now be good and get plenty of sleep, so you’re fresh and ready for the concert.”

  “Okay.” In her usual fashion she threw herself with abandon on the bed, giggling when the mattress bounced.

  Isha glanced at him. “Notice how she obeys you instantly?

  Neither Sundari nor I can get that kind of cooperation.”

  “I noticed.” His grin was unabashedly smug.

  “So, what’s your secret?”

  The grin widened. “There’s no secret. Priya just happens to like me.”

  A clearly amused Sundari chuckled and started tucking Priya into bed.

  Harish closed the bedroom door, and Isha and he stepped out into the drawing room.

  He arched a puzzled brow at Isha. “Is it true that her grandparents are attending the concert?”

  She pulled a wry face. “Hard to believe, isn’t it? As you know, since Ayee’s surgery and Diya’s kidnapping, they’ve been asking to become more involved in the children’s lives.”

  “After Mr. Tilak showed up here with his offer to raise the ransom money, I had a feeling he and his wife wanted a recon-ciliation of some kind.” He gave her a measured look. “How do you feel about it?”

  THE

  FORBIDDEN

  DAUGHTER 319

  She lifted a shoulder. Th
e resentment from the past still rankled. “Sheila and Sundari and you have made me understand that the children are more important than my ego, and that they have Tilak blood in their veins. So I’m letting it happen, one day at a time.”

  He gave her an approving nod. “Wise decision.”

  “But if I find my in-laws going back to treating my children like second-class citizens just because they happen to be girls, then I’ll put a stop to it.”

  He put a calming hand on hers. “Give it some time, Isha. The old folks obviously want to make amends. If you meet them halfway, I’m sure things will get better.”

  “I hope so, at least for the children’s sake.” She sat down in one of the chairs and motioned for him to sit in the other. There was new furniture in the room now, a replacement for the pieces destroyed by the abductor. This time she’d bought a brown vinyl-upholstered couch and matching chairs to withstand all the abuse the children dished out.

  She proceeded to tell him in brief about her experience with the sadhu and his strange prophecies, words that came back to her more and more lately. “The holy man was right in so many ways, Harish. Diya has indeed turned out to be my good-luck charm.”

  “How so?”

  “The insurance money was paid out despite months of delay before her birth, so I could buy my two flats. Then my dressmaking business took off unexpectedly, and it’s doing really well.”

  “Hmm.” He frowned a little, looking like a typical man of science, skeptical about prophecies, holy men, and what he probably thought was religious mumbo-jumbo. “What else did the sadhu tell you?”

  “He said Diya, despite the pressure for abortion, was destined to be born and that she’d share her good karma with the people around her. You see, all of a sudden, you came into our lives when we badly needed you, within a day of her birth, and you’ve given us so much and so generously. Then Sheila and her 320 Shobhan Bantwal

  family, and even Sundari came back when I asked her. All of you have proved to be my source of strength and good fortune.”

  “We all happen to care about the three of you. It’s as simple as that.”

  “True, but it’s not mere coincidence. It was all meant to be.”

  Then she recalled the sadhu’s predictions for Priya. “And he said some good things about Priya, too—that she was a very bright girl and a healer.”

  “There’s no doubt she’s exceptionally bright and curious.”

  His voice was filled with parental pride.

  “You know what else? He said Priya would heal that which was broken. I didn’t understand his words then, but now I’m beginning to decipher the deeper meaning. I think he meant the broken relationship with Ayee and Baba. It’s Priya who’s been instrumental in bringing them around. Ayee is convinced she’d be dead if it weren’t for Priya.”

  “I’m glad things are finally looking up for you,” he said.

  “I wish my problems hadn’t touched you, though.” He’d been through hell because of her.

  “Do I look like I have problems?” he asked with a chuckle.

  “Not anymore, I guess.” He did look happy lately. Maybe she and her children had something to do with it. He deserved to be happy.

  “It’s getting late.” He fished his car keys out of his pocket. “I better get out of here.” Before heading for the door he placed a gentle kiss on her cheek. “Now stop obsessing over problems and start thinking about some positive things for a change—like what I said earlier.”

  “I will. Soon,” she promised.

  “Perhaps you should consult your wise friend, the sadhu, about it. He should be able to dispel all those silly doubts in here,” he said, tapping a finger over her temple, “and convince you that you and I and the children are meant to be together.”

  “Maybe I will consult him,” she replied. Of course, she didn’t need a sage to tell her that together with her daughters, Harish Salvi was the best thing in her life.

  “Then do it soon, will you? The New Year is coming up in THE

  FORBIDDEN

  DAUGHTER 321

  less than two weeks and I’m not getting any younger. Saroj-bayi says if I wait too much longer I may not have any hair or teeth left.”

  “Oh dear! In that case I better make an appointment with him.”

  “Be sure to tell the holy man it’s extremely urgent, ” he said with a mocking grin.

  She couldn’t help smiling. That grin of his was infectious.

  “I’ll see if he can fit me into his tight schedule before the end of the year—before all your hair falls out.”

  Author’s Note

  Dear Reader,

  The practice of selectively aborting female fetuses in India is the central theme of The Forbidden Daughter. While the plot is a product of my imagination, there is an element of truth in it.

  Truth can often be not only stranger but significantly more disturbing than fiction. In this case, it may very well be.

  Some two decades ago, patriarchal cultures like India discovered that ultrasound or echogram technology could be used for purposes other than what it was designed for. Overnight, the sonogram went from being a way of detecting tumors, abnor-malities, and life-threatening conditions in unborn children to an easy method of detecting the sex of a fetus.

  Consequently, millions of couples in India have allegedly resorted to female feticide with the help of medical practitioners.

  In a culture where a daughter is viewed as a burden because of the dowry and other archaic but persistent customs, ultrasound has become a useful as well as dangerous tool in empowering families to rid themselves of female children before they come into the world.

  The Lancet, a British medical journal, reported in January 2006 that, according to a study, nearly 10 million female fetuses may have been aborted in India over the past two decades. Besides the moral issues involved in gender-based abortion, the un-balanced female-to-male ratio could lead to severe social repercussions in the future: a disproportionate number of males with no hope of marriage or healthy long-term relationships.

  Just imagine how that could affect crimes against women!

  Earlier, under pressure from activists, the Indian government had passed The Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PNDT) Act in 1994, banning the use of ultrasound machines to reveal fetus gender. Furthermore, a 2002 amendment stiffened the penalties.

  324 Shobhan Bantwal

  And yet, the practice of selectively destroying female fetuses apparently continues.

  When I wrote The Forbidden Daughter, it was not only to draw my readers’ attention to an alarming social issue in the world’s largest democracy, but also to tell a compelling story that brings to light the spirit of a woman, and a mother’s strength and conviction in standing up to societal pressures when it comes to protecting her children.

  And as a hopeless romantic, I love stories written in a positive vein with love at their center.

  I sincerely hope you enjoy reading and sharing with others The Forbidden Daughter as much as I have enjoyed writing it.

  Best Wishes,

  Shobhan Bantwal

  A READING GROUP GUIDE

  THE FORBIDDEN DAUGHTER

  Shobhan Bantwal

  ABOUT THIS GUIDE

  The suggested questions are included to enhance your group’s

  reading of this book.

  DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

  1. The protagonist, Isha Tilak, makes the decision to keep her baby and not abort it despite repeated attempts by her in-laws to coerce her into doing so. Do you think this is wise on her part, considering she will alienate them and may have to give up a comfortable lifestyle for her first child? What would her life be like if she decided to obey her in-laws instead?

  2. In the opening of the book, I have quoted a folksong from northern India. How do you view the sentiment in that song? Does it portray the dilemma some women from certain cultures may have to face?

  3. Are Isha’s in-laws entirely wrong in thinking their
would-be grandchild should be aborted because it will be the second female child when they want a boy? Or is this a valid concern for certain families?

  4. Isha’s opinion about arranged marriage is that it always comes as a package deal—the in-laws and extended family come hand-in-hand with a husband. Do you think this is a positive thing for a woman’s emotional and mental growth, or is it a hindrance? Discuss the pros and cons.

  5. Isha, although college educated, chooses to be a house-wife and mother. Do you think this is a wise decision on a woman’s part in the twenty-first century? What are some advantages and disadvantages for most women of choosing a career versus staying at home?

  6. Is Palgaum, the fictitious and conservative Indian town in this story, reminiscent of any town that you know?

  Discuss whether contemporary small towns are essentially the same, no matter where in the world they are located.

  7. Do you think the kidnapping in the story perhaps helps Isha gain a better understanding of her in-laws and a more tolerant attitude to them and to life in general? What lessons does she gain from almost losing her daughter?

  8. What role does Sheila, Isha’s sister-in-law play in the story? Discuss how she becomes a catalyst in Isha’s life as well as her children’s.

  9. Was it a good idea to add romantic elements to this story? Does the romance help the story become more interesting?

  10. The Lancet, a British medical journal, reports that, according to a study, nearly 10 million female fetuses may have been aborted in India in the last two decades. How do you feel about this? Will selective abortions have a significant impact on the world?

  11. Do you think ideas about producing male heirs are likely to change in the male-oriented cultures of the world? If not, what are some of the things that are likely to bring about change?

  12. Isha feels guilty about developing a fondness for Harish because she is a recent widow. Is she justified in her feelings? How does widowhood affect women like Isha, who live in a society that still treats widows differently than other women?