Secrets We Kept by Krystal A. Sital

Author:Krystal A. Sital [Sital, Krystal A.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

FOUNDATION

—AH DIN WANTAH END UP like Gramma, my mother says to me as she tucks the sheet around my grandfather, who is still in the hospital, his condition after the failed brain surgeries leaving us all in a state of uncertainty. Yuh know how she move een by Grampa muddah and all de tings she hah to put up with. Ah juss wanted to start diffrant.

Arya quit her job before her wedding and, as was the norm, returned with Dharmendra to live in his parents’ house, even though Arya had explicitly said she didn’t want to. They began their life together in a small bedroom at the back of the house. Arya fumed, and Dharmendra attempted to pacify her. Ah juss need ah lil moh time dahlin. We eh goh be hyah long Arya, not long atall. Lemme juss make it moh comfortable for we.

—Ah di feel like ah outsidah livin dey, my mother tells me, and ah din know what toh do wid mehself. E promise de house wuddah be done by de time we geh married boh meh feel as though e di plan dis all along. Geh meh een e muddah house and hope ah wuddah stay dey. Nah mahn!

There was one other daughter-in-law residing in the Sital residence, Dharmendra’s younger brother Vipin’s wife. Her name was Ivy, but she told everyone to call her Sugar.

—Sugah, yuh could believe dat? my mother says. Sugah. She di wahn everybody toh call ah grown oman Sugah. Huh!

Ivy had married Vipin one year earlier and had been living with the Sitals ever since. On moving into the house, Arya had hoped to forge some kind of connection with her, but those hopes were dashed when she walked into the living room one day to discover Ivy whispering with Dharmendra’s three sisters. They hushed one another upon her arrival, grinning and offering her a seat next to them.

Arya was reminded of why she shouldn’t have even tried. Months back, right after Dharmendra had proposed to her, his sisters invited her to a barbecue at their house. Arya had dolled herself up as usual with heels, tights, teased hair, and make-up. Glancing at herself in the mirror, she rubbed off some of the make-up and muted the lipstick, assuming his parents would be there as well. At the door, the youngest sister took her upstairs and into a room.

Ah tinkin it was ah bah-b-que, Arya started.

Doh worry yuhself wid dat. Tak ah seat, one of them said to her. The three sisters sat in a circle in front of her. Confused, Arya dropped into the chair.

We bring yuh here today, the youngest started, before the eldest one interrupted, We wantah know yuh intentions wid we bruddah. Allyuh been going ahrung a while now an ah tink is time toh hah dis conversation.

Arya flew out of the chair, sending her heavy pocketbook crashing to the floor. Excuse meh, she said, dat is de pretense allyuh bring meh undah hyah for? Meh intentions wid Dharmendra is mine and mine alone and frankly is none ah allyuh damn business.

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