The Unsaid

Chapter 13

There was a lot more commotion going on downstairs than normal, making Pallavi wonder who it was that had arrived at their house.

“Pallavi! Can you please come down?”

“Yes Atthaiah! Coming!” She rushed downstairs but slowed down with self-consciousness seeing the men seated in the hallway, who had all turned their heads towards her along with Prithvi, Amar, Ravi uncle and her father-in-law.

“Is this your new daughter-in-law?” a hefty man, who features seemed vaguely familier to her, asked her father-in-law.

“Yes. Pallavi. Amma Pallavi, this is P O Gunana and his brother C O Gunana and this is P O gari son,” her father-in-law said pointing to his guests.

Pallavi quickly folded her hands and said, “Namastey,” to each of them with a smile. She glanced at prithvi with a slight question mark on her face but he replied with a blank face himself. Turning around, she walked to the kitchen where she knew that her mother in law and co-sister would have all the answers to her questions.

“Pallavi, get the milk from the fridge! And… and yes, cut a few apples too. We only have one snack in the house,” Jaya said as she kept the container for tea on the stove.

“Who are these people? I think I have seen of them somewhere,” Pallavi whispered as she opened the fridge.

“Oh! You don’t know P O G? He was an MLA in the past, though he lost the last couple of times. He comes a lot on T.V.”

Pallavi raised her eyes, suddenly remembering. “Oh yes, right. I think I have seen him speaking in T.V. “

Pallavi was by now used to the constant stream of guests that came to their house. The whole village was aware of the hospitality provided by Pratap Rao’s family. As if the burden of cooking fresh food three times a day was not enough, there was this unwritten rule that if anyone happened to arrive during breakfast, lunch or dinner time, they would  most definitely be served food, even if they didn’t have enough food and had to start cooking from scratch.  Pallavi resented the appreciation showered in her father in laws name by the villagers, when it was her mother in law who wholeheartedly toiled with all the work necessary. “What does he do, other than order us to cook?” she thought bitterly.

“Why did they come to our house?” she asked Prithvi later that night.

“They were offering me a ticket to run for election.” He replied, lying on the bed.

Pallavi’s eyes opened wide . She propped up on her elbow and stared at him.

“They did? What did you say?” She asked excitedly.

“I said I am not interested,” he replied, closing his eyes. She kept staring at him when he suddenly opened his eyes and stared back at her. “Why? Did you dream of being a powerful politician’s wife?”

The center of her forehead creased as she struggled to answer him. “No, but why did you say no? You would be in a much better position to influence change if you have power, right?” She asked, snuggling by him and resting her head on his forearm.

“Perhaps, but it’s not my thing. I like growing plants and experimenting. I have extensive experience in that area and am happy with my career. I am doing whatever I can for the community. It’s not that I am against joining politics, but you need to be involved wholeheartedly in whatever you do.” He turned towards her, wrapping his arm on her waist and pulling her towards him.

“Hmm. Were they upset that you said no?”

“They were. But I would have just been a scapegoat for them. They wanted someone with good reputation, so they could cover up their own corrupt background. They were desperate to win this election, otherwise, they would not even have stopped to say hi.”