Read Online The Onus of Ancestry by Arpita Mogford - Free Book Online

done slowly and steadily without jeopardising her prospects in the company. In the end, quite unexpectedly, Dwita helped to expedite matters.
    When Gerald Downe left on another posting, Brojen Halder was promoted to the position of managing director. This was a natural consequence of company plans for Indianisation at senior management level. They were falling in with the demands of the Indian government, whose policy was then to nationalise or Indianise industry and institutions as soon as possible. This was nothing new or unexpected and Brojen Halder’s promotion was equally in line. But he took this opportunity to recruit his brother to a senior position in the company. He was from a national steel company and had no knowledge or experience of publishing. He was also made Parna’s line manager which infuriated her. She considered it thoughtless and insensitive on Brojen’s part. She pointed out her reservations about the appointment to him.
    He probably assumed that Parna was so dependent on him that despite initial objections she would no doubt accept his decision in the end. But Parna, if nothing else, knew publishing inside out and was no less ambitious herself. She only had two obsessions in life, work and Dwita, and nothing was allowed to come between her and them, all else was geared to promote or nurture her interests in them. Brojen became aware of the sting – it had begun to burn.
    Brojen still came to the house, but his visits were not as frequent, nor as relaxed. Parna did not make open gestures of protest as she wished to play her cards right. She did not want to make it easy for Brojen – she kept her calm and her head in front of him and the public. But she became quite unbearable at home. Her dissensions with Maheshwari increased, Shivnath’s
bazaar
accounting became a nightmare and her interest in Dwita’s scholastic pursuits became even more obsessive – her meetings with the class teachers were both more earnest and regular.
    In addition to all this Dwita’s movements were further restricted. Bhajan Singh followed her everywhere, sat patiently outside friends’ homes when she visited them and Parna rang them often to verify if she had arrived or departed. Dwita failed to understand and withdrew into herself to avoid discussion or confrontation. Their life at home became more and more difficult as Parna’s relationship with Brojen declined and deteriorated.
    Then one day he came to invite them to join him and his family on a holiday by the sea in the heart of coastal Orissa. He had rented a house in the hope of their going together. The invitation seemed strange unless Brojen wished to restore their lost friendship. Dwita was sure that under the present circumstances her mother was going to refuse it – but to her complete surprise and consternation she in fact decided to accept.
    *
    It was the second week of the holiday and Dwita felt the steaming heat and humidity of the summer afternoon, sitting quietly in her own bedroom of the rented villa. She decided to go out into the garden to read and relax under the cool shade of a banyan tree which stood rather regally at the back of the villa. She had no one to talk to; Maheshwari had not accompanied them on this holiday as Parna was well aware of her disposition towards Brojen Halder and she also felt more at ease without Maheshwari’s accusing eyes following her every move. The tension between them was silent but unabated.
    Dwita stopped reading, hearing voices behind her from an arbour of roses. She raised herself and strolled up to the arbour with no particular thought in mind, but just to satisfy her idle curiosity. What she saw froze her with horror and amazement.
    The young woman who worked in the kitchen of the rented villa was lying on the grass, stark naked, laughing and wriggling, whilst Shomnath, Brojen Halder’s second son, also naked bent over her, his hands ranging feverishly all over her