"You should have seen the look on his face!" Arundhati whizzed through the laughter.

Madhav was on the ground, holding his stomach. His whole body shaking with laughter.

"You are a genius!" He said, wiping his eye.

"You had declared me stupid just a little time ago." She said with a flip of her hair.

"Oh you are stupid--"

She narrowed her eyes at him.

"--But this time your genius won out."

She made a face at him to which he burst out laughing again.

"You tell me." She began. "What did you do today?"

Suddenly his expressions turned somber. He started running his fingers through his hair, the way he does when something bothers him.

Arundhati got up on her elbows and looked up at him with raised eyebrows.

He sighed.

"There was this protest today at the town center." He began. "The protestors were demanding the right for widow remarriage."

Arundhati gasped. These protests were growing frequent day by day. And she, with all her heart, wanted to support one. But both her and Madhav's family were strictly orthodox. Now she understood Madhav's earlier agitation when he found out what she was up to. He thought she had been part of the protest!

"I am not that stupid." She said and he gave her sheepish look. "I mean, I am all for their cause but I won't risk my father finding out about it."

"I know!" He said pleadingly, "It is just that-- sometimes-- you tend to do rash things."

She gave him a sour look, to which he raised his arms.

"The protestors were brutally beaten with mud and cow dung." He added simply.

Arundhati sighed.

"I know what I am up against Madhav." She said. "I know all about the cost but I also know the difference it will make. Things need to change Madhav, for better."

He sighed but nodded.

"Okay look, all I want you to do is promise me that when next time you plan on going against those things, at least let me know beforehand. Please. I need you to trust me."

His eyes were earnest. Arundhati nodded. Who better to have her back than him?

The next few days the talk was all about the protestors and their punishment. The outrage was unbelievable. The protest was greater than Arundhati had initially thought. How she had missed it on her way to the school and back was still a mystery.

But her absence on that particular day was not taken amiss by her family. Her father was growing suspicious about his daughter's behavior in general. Her mother even stopped allowing her for evening meet ups with Madhav.

With tempers running high through the house, she satisfied herself by sneaking into her father's study for a quick peek at the very many books he owned which no one read any more.

She would have read them, but she didn't know how to. One of the many things that she wanted to change.

On one such visit of hers, she came across a very odd note. On the corner of that note, written in a neat handwriting, was her name. Picking it up, she scanned it for any other similar letter or word that she might understand.

Those were the times when not being able to read would bother her the most. After about an hour of looking at it through different angles, she finally gave up. Grudgingly, mind you.

She sat down in one of the chair and closed her eyes.

What was her name doing on that thing? What was it about? If only someone would read it for her.

And her eyes flew open. Of course she can ask him to read it for her.

Folding the paper carefully, she tugged it inside her small purse.

This is not stealing, she told herself. I am just borrowing it. No stealing. Just need to find out what it is about.

That evening she waited patiently near the tree for Madhav to arrive. Getting away from her mother's clutches was not easy. Whenever Arundhati would zone out while thinking about the note--which happened a lot--her mother would throw a very dirty look towards her.

"Someone is early." Madhav said suddenly, making her jump.

Placing a palm on her racing heart, she calmed herself down.

"Don't sneak up on me!"

"Okay...." He trailed off.

She sat down spreading her skirt around her.

"What is it?" He asked upon noticing her expressions.

"This." She said handing him the piece of paper.

He took it from her hand and looked at her inquiringly.

"I found it in father's study. It had my name on it." She said and pointed it out.

He did a double take and his eyes scanned the paper. With every letter, some color seemed to leave his face.

Dread started forming in Arundhati's stomach.

"What?" She asked with all the courage she could muster.

His eyes found hers, full with uncertainty and a hint of fear.

"They are planning to get you married."

And her whole world came crashing down on her. Just like that.