Pride, Honour & Love

Chapter 28

Part 3 - The Revenge

2 months later

Mrs Wilson cursed the heat and the 'punkha puller' his hands seemed to be frozen....the heat and humidity was killing, the monsoon was about to arrive making the air heavy and standstill, haat me dum nehi hai kya, she grumbled in her Hindustani loud enough for the 'punkha puller' to hear but knowing well that the weather is wearing out the poor man.....she tried to make herself comfortable in the chaise lounge for her afternoon siesta dreaming of the hills where she should have been now with her husband but those blasted sepoys......she heard her youngest one crying out but she had no energy left, she waited to hear the nanny to take over which she did after few seconds, Mrs Wilson closed her eyes when she heard her butler clearing his voice......

Ma'am you have guests, he came and bowed handing over the platter.....

The scrawl was familiar, Mrs Wilson jumped up, here at this hour and at this time of the year and what was the news they heard about 2 months earlier but then, Mrs Wilson went towards the parlour, entering it she froze and blinked....

She saw three women in tattered and dirty native clothes standing, a child holding the skirt of one of them when a voice broke into her thoughts, Hello Maggie are you too stunned to see us that you lost your voice.....

Margaret Wilson saw a man in equally shabbily dressed coming out of the shadows in front of her.....

Jacques .......Jacques Wallace indeed cried Maggie....

Thank God you have recognised me, Jacques smiled

Well I could not miss those eyes.....Maggie added her rejoinder.....I am sorry My Lady, Maggie quickly recovered herself I failed to recognize you, I mean I .......Maggie could not add that the lady who was a picture of elegance, was now standing in front of her in just the opposite state, looking frail and weak.... .have a seat have a seat please...she quickly gestured....

I understand My Lady replied and no Maggie we do not want to have a seat, we will dirty your sofa but please show us the washroom, a good wash and some warm food will do us good, My Lady looked into Maggie's eyes, yes her voice and way of talking are indeed very familiar.....

Yes My Lady, right away, Maggie rang for the butler, asking him to call in the maids from siesta, I will show you the rooms come with me, you wait here she directed Bani, one of the maids will come and take you to the servant quarters.....

Bani picked up Tara, her daughter was about a year old now, unlike normal children she was not allowed to cry, shout or laugh, she now looked at the elders before expressing herself.

Jacques cleared his throat, My Lady turned and said Errr Maggie, I guess Bani can come alongwith me, and Maggie, if you can also arrange some gowns for Sarah and me and some nice Indian dress for Bani and the little one .....

Yes yes right away My Lady, Maggie scurried ahead to show them their rooms, she could not believe her luck, the likes of Jacque Wallace has now finally found her worthy to come and seek their hospitality. There were many questions which can wait till they have been washed and cleaned...

+++++

Margaret aka Maggie had come to India like many before her to work as a Governess of a rich English household in Calcutta. Jacques too had just returned after his studies abroad and paid her employer the Watson's a visit alongwith My Lady for dinner. Maggie had lost her young heart to the young lad. Jacques never noticed her until one day he was attending the races at the race course with the Watsons whose horses were participating. He had gone to inspect the horses before the race when suddenly one of the horses charged towards the audience breaking the barrier trampling people and creating a stampede, Charles who was the handler & trainer of the Watsons horses was next to Jacques who had fallen and was injured, Charles pulled him out taking him back to his owners house for first aid and rest. Maggie had done his first aid, the Watson were very upset and did not know how to face My Lady who had already lost her son and husband and Jacques was very precious. Anyway the injury was not too grave and Jacques recovered by the morning to face his grandmother who on hearing everything presented Charles with a hefty cheque for saving her grandson's life for making the timely moves. Charles left the Watsons and opened his own stud and training firm. Charles always had a soft corner for Maggie and when Maggie realized she was no match for Jacques or Jacques was not simply interested in her she married Charles. Charles now was a rich man, she was rich man's wife. Over the years My Lady & Jacques visited Calcutta once a year, though they often went to the race course on invitation by friends, exchanged pleasantries when they happened to meet on various occasions, Maggie found My Lady to be a hauty woman and Jacques charming but a bit aloof. She often in the past had insisted her husband to call My Lady for dinner, though Jacques had come once or twice with common friends but not exclusively with his grandmother but Charles never agreed. She is a woman who does not mix below her class or convenience, I may be rich man now but I don't think she sees me as her class....

Though curiosity was eating her, she sent a servant with a note to the Turf Club to inform Charles, while calling her cook to see what best she can serve her honoured guests....

+++++

My Lady winced as the maid applied anticeptic on the wounds in her feet and on various parts of her body. Last two months they have endured the greatest heat of the land and survived the toughest conditions and My Lady knew everybody of her group took extra load to make her as comfortable as possible. My Lady looked at her nails on her hands, they were broken and discoloured, the maid getting the cue asked for warm water with soap for manicure to be sent up, while she picked up the towel to dry her hair....My Lady picked up the hand mirror to have a look.....is it really her, she was watching a mirror after 3 months and could not believe what she saw, no wonder Maggie failed to recognize her, her face was sun burnt, her eyes deep inside the socket, her skin much more wrinkled, not a trace of her natural golden hair visible, they were all white now, she put down the mirror to watch Bani entering with Tara after their bath, she gave My Lady a feeble smile, she too must have got the shock to see herself in the mirror but she was young and native, the sun tan will wear off in no time and with good food her health will also recover....My Lady was not sure for herself, her desire to rebuilt Dariayaganj, will it be possible ?

+++++++

Maggie was a good housewife. She knew her guests were hungry as well as tired so she sent up their food to individual rooms while they bathed and cleaned themselves, the maid who brought down their old clothes wrinkled her nose, Maggie instructed to burn them quickly, clean the washroom with cleansers once they were through.....

I thought the Wallaces were rich people but then I see they are worse then us, the maid observed, what has befallen on them....

Well I would like to know myself but I heard of Dariyaganj a rich estate and very beautiful one, though yet to be invited but then I guess it is not money as Jacques sent his man Toddy Bob to make an appointment with the manager of Imperial Bank, there are very many questions which I guess only will get answered once they have rested...

Just then the butler came down, Mrs Wilson, never seen such a funny thing in my life, I went with the food as per your instruction to be served in individual rooms, Mr Wallace wanted his share to be served in his grandmother's room and so did Miss Sarah, though neither of them asked what the other was doing, Mr Wallace went into the old lady's room with his servants and Miss Sarah too, I offered to serve them, but they said they will help themselves, from the slight opening of the door I noticed they were all sitting on the floor except for the old lady and eating with their hands in silence......

Maggie swallowed hard, she became flustered what is this butler saying, the Wallaces specially My Lady was known for her class and grace, her pride and her strive to be perfect, is it really the Wallaces ? Or has she made a mistake but those eyes, identical as his grandmother's, there are many stories going round, the revolutionaries are coming in disguise and looting the rich whites but then how can she mistake Jacques, he often came to her in her dreams in the past, maybe she has not seen him for a year and a year is not a very long time. ....Oh god where the hell is Charles, why isn't he coming yet, on getting the note he should be here now....

+++++++++