Trishala swished up to him, holding the telegram in her hands. 'News regarding your son,' she said peremptorily, plopping the telegram in his empty steel bowl.

Prem Kumar fingered the telegram with caution. He was of the idea that telegrams were dangerous things . Too often than not, they were bearers of bad tidings, and this one was to be no different.

BABO SEEING ENGLISH WOMAN stop LOOKS SERIOUS stop WHAT SHALL WE DO stop

Trishala hovered like a suicidal moth beside her husband, waiting for his response. He looked truly surprised. Obviously, he hadn't given any thought to this as Trishala had. He'd thought of education, money, work. He hadn't set aside contingencies for emotion.

'What a fool boy,' he said simply, folding the telegram and placing it on one side. After a tense moment of silence, he snapped, 'Am I getting fed tonight or am I performing some fast that I don't know about?'