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Authors: Pema Donyo
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not belong with white men, but no Indian man will ever have me either. All my other friends are married. No respectable family wants to marry a daughter of dirty blood.”
“Dirty blood? That's ridiculous.” His kindness toward her was a special form of torture. The more he gave, the more Parineeta realized she could never have, not for long, in any case.
“Everyone does.” She clenched her fists so the tears would not fall again. She could not count all the times she’d wished her mother had married an Indian man instead of falling for a British soldier. She wished her mother had guarded her heart away, far from the man who wanted nothing to do with her after she fell pregnant. At least her daughter would have had an identity then, instead of an absent father. “The more the tension between the British and Hindustanis grows, the more I am ignored in my village. Raj is my only real friend anymore, and he talks to me because I’m his sister.”
“Am I not your friend?” Warren lifted her chin with his thumb and forefinger. Strands of dark hair fell across his forehead, and he swiped it back with his other hand. “I think trusting our lives with one another qualifies us enough to be friends.”
Parineeta smiled in spite of herself. She supposed they were. “Yes, we are friends.”
“Good.” He let go of her chin but remained close. “Do not allow anyone’s opinion to cause you to doubt your own worth. Your race determines nothing about who you are.”
She nodded. “Of course. It’s just difficult when you know there is something about you that you can never change. And everyone seems to think it’s all you are. It defines your entire identity.”
“It doesn’t define a thing. I’ve only known you for a few days, but I can already tell you are … you are…”
For a single moment, she saw a flicker of desire in his gaze. He leaned forward, his head inclined in her direction. Her heart lurched. She stood still, waiting for his next move.
Then as quickly as she’d seen the look, the longing vanished. He turned his head away from her. Warm air filled the growing space between them, and she felt her heart plummet. Warren cleared his throat as he dusted off the length of his shirt. “We had better get going. There could be other soldiers behind the ones we just heard.”
Parineeta stepped back, stunned. Had she only imagined that moment?
Harsh voices cut through the night. “There they are! That has to be them!”
Warren grabbed her hand and started running forward. “And we better get going
now!
”
Her feet sprang into action. They sprinted through the foliage, gripping onto one another’s hand. The footsteps behind them grew louder, and so did the voices. She brushed the low-hanging
haldu
leaves in her way as she ran, jumping over each gnarled root of the gigantic tree as her body hurtled through the air. She didn’t dare to turn around, fearful of the consequences from slowing down.
“Get them!” a clear, loud voice called out again.
Chapter Six
“Duck!” Warren hissed. She followed his lead and moved her head beneath a low, thick branch before leaping to the other side of the tree. She heard several thumps against the branch behind her as well as low curses. No doubt the men had not followed the same advice Warren had offered her.
The dense vegetation of the teak and
haldu
trees soon gave way to a smooth dirt clearing before a village. No one else wandered the outskirts of the village at this time, with the exception of a motor scooter crossing the road every now and then. Even if the two British soldiers were on a special patrol for her and Warren, at least there didn’t seem to be any other soldiers here to back them up. The heavy footsteps and the cries of continued marching could still be heard behind them. Several of the houses before them were lit by lanterns propped up in each of the windowsills.
Parineeta’s eyes widened in recognition. “I know this place!” She
“Dirty blood? That's ridiculous.” His kindness toward her was a special form of torture. The more he gave, the more Parineeta realized she could never have, not for long, in any case.
“Everyone does.” She clenched her fists so the tears would not fall again. She could not count all the times she’d wished her mother had married an Indian man instead of falling for a British soldier. She wished her mother had guarded her heart away, far from the man who wanted nothing to do with her after she fell pregnant. At least her daughter would have had an identity then, instead of an absent father. “The more the tension between the British and Hindustanis grows, the more I am ignored in my village. Raj is my only real friend anymore, and he talks to me because I’m his sister.”
“Am I not your friend?” Warren lifted her chin with his thumb and forefinger. Strands of dark hair fell across his forehead, and he swiped it back with his other hand. “I think trusting our lives with one another qualifies us enough to be friends.”
Parineeta smiled in spite of herself. She supposed they were. “Yes, we are friends.”
“Good.” He let go of her chin but remained close. “Do not allow anyone’s opinion to cause you to doubt your own worth. Your race determines nothing about who you are.”
She nodded. “Of course. It’s just difficult when you know there is something about you that you can never change. And everyone seems to think it’s all you are. It defines your entire identity.”
“It doesn’t define a thing. I’ve only known you for a few days, but I can already tell you are … you are…”
For a single moment, she saw a flicker of desire in his gaze. He leaned forward, his head inclined in her direction. Her heart lurched. She stood still, waiting for his next move.
Then as quickly as she’d seen the look, the longing vanished. He turned his head away from her. Warm air filled the growing space between them, and she felt her heart plummet. Warren cleared his throat as he dusted off the length of his shirt. “We had better get going. There could be other soldiers behind the ones we just heard.”
Parineeta stepped back, stunned. Had she only imagined that moment?
Harsh voices cut through the night. “There they are! That has to be them!”
Warren grabbed her hand and started running forward. “And we better get going
now!
”
Her feet sprang into action. They sprinted through the foliage, gripping onto one another’s hand. The footsteps behind them grew louder, and so did the voices. She brushed the low-hanging
haldu
leaves in her way as she ran, jumping over each gnarled root of the gigantic tree as her body hurtled through the air. She didn’t dare to turn around, fearful of the consequences from slowing down.
“Get them!” a clear, loud voice called out again.
Chapter Six
“Duck!” Warren hissed. She followed his lead and moved her head beneath a low, thick branch before leaping to the other side of the tree. She heard several thumps against the branch behind her as well as low curses. No doubt the men had not followed the same advice Warren had offered her.
The dense vegetation of the teak and
haldu
trees soon gave way to a smooth dirt clearing before a village. No one else wandered the outskirts of the village at this time, with the exception of a motor scooter crossing the road every now and then. Even if the two British soldiers were on a special patrol for her and Warren, at least there didn’t seem to be any other soldiers here to back them up. The heavy footsteps and the cries of continued marching could still be heard behind them. Several of the houses before them were lit by lanterns propped up in each of the windowsills.
Parineeta’s eyes widened in recognition. “I know this place!” She
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