Chapter 36

"Who do you think will want to marry you after having defiled yourself?" Patel went on with his verbal assaults as well as insults. "Who will ever want a lover of monkeys? You must be a slut! A harlot in the family! You have brought us shame and for that you must die."

Patel, who in the past never believed in hearsay unexpectedly found himself believing it when he saw his daughter had only scored a B instead of an A.

He had expected grade A from his daughter. But only grade B? He shook his head in sadness and anger.

It was the romantic affair with the black boy, the monkey, responsible for all this rubbish. It was this love between his daughter and the black monkey, he thought bitterly, which had certainly caused the unexpected results, which in his view were poor.

Seeing his daughter was quiet, Patel continued to accuse her, "You of all people! How could you stand the looks of that boy whose people only think of nothing but sex and stealing?"

Chaudrey remained silent, but the anger in her was warming up.

"He and his people are lazy. They know nothing about business except just wanting to take over our businesses because we are foreigners living in their country," he said bitterly.

Still, Chaudrey said nothing.

Seeing her remain quiet, Patel kept ranting, "What a shame! Don't tell me you're proud of loving a monkey."

He looked quite disgusted. Chaudrey watched him leave the living room as he entered his bedroom. He had spoken his mind and never cared whatsoever she would do.

As a man who had been born and raised in Calcutta, now officially called Kolkata in West Bengal, India, his strong faith in Hindu religion, faith and culture made him quite rigid although he had appeared quite a responsible man who had taken care of her welfare and education.

Chaudrey left the living room and went to her room as soon as she saw her father leave for his bedroom. She felt humiliated.

Outside, the turkey made noise in the compound. She was sure she was going to miss the bird she had grown fond of over the years.

Suddenly, she heard the crow shrieking on the trees in their compound as if mocking them for their inability to understand each other but instead choosing absurd and hopeless paths.

She began sobbing once she was alone in her room. Oh, what a wicked world it was to have such an evil minded father! A mean and selfish man! An Asian racist!

And what a cruel world it was to have a man and father who was unforgiving! A man whose only concern was hard work and success as an industrialist!

Her father had openly castigated her, and this hurt her very much. He had even called her a harlot in the family and suggested she should end her life.

Well, she would end her life and avoid the shame that faced her family. Then she remembered where her father kept the can of petrol for emergency purposes.

She slowly walked into the store and picked it, carrying it on her hands and returned to her room. She was past caring now. And she gave up any hopes of ever convincing him to like and appreciate Esau.

To her, Esau was the love of her life; not a black monkey as her father wanted her to believe. She knew her father and the entire Asian community would never allow her marriage to a black. What a world full of racists and supremacists!

Black racists! Asian racists! White racists! Racists, racists, everywhere!

So what if I die? She decided.

At that moment, Chaudrey held the can, poured the petrol over her entire body, beginning from the head to the toes, and then set herself ablaze.

The fire started roasting her alive, and she cried out when she felt the pain strike into her flesh. Chaudrey knew she was dying and prepared herself for the long trip to the underworld.

Then suddenly darkness began to cover her, and she saw images and figures moving around her. She closed her eyes temporarily and then opened them. Still, darkness covered the place.

And then she saw him. Esau stood smiling as he held out his hand and said, "Quick, darling! Let's quit!"

She stood hesitating but felt him touch her hands as he started leading her away. As she turned and looked behind her, she saw her father following them with a rifle in his hand.

"Come back, Chaudrey! Leave that monkey alone!" Patel was shouting at the top of his voice, his face a mask of unrivalled anger.

And suddenly she saw the great building. It was the Taj Mahal. She ignored her father, and they started running together towards the building. As they approached, the beautiful gates of the Taj Mahal let them in.

And then she realised she was no more as darkness settled over the Taj Mahal; eternal darkness.