"Now you are playing the detective? There is nothing like that. I just…" Yul paused for a moment thinking what to say next.
"You just… what?" Fariya prompted him to continue.
Yul took a deep breath and continued to lie, "I just… love her. So I married her, and then normally, like any marriage…. Our… son... Inu was born."
"Then why keep it secret for long? And why bring it out now?" Fariya was never going to let him escape with some excuses.
"It's just that the timing was wrong. With all that happened with Yaniv, I couldn't tell mother to make her sadder. Then the chance was gone. As for now, I felt guilty towards her and son. They also deserve to live a normal life."
Yul couldn't believe himself for saying it so convincingly. And it seemed to be worked. Fariya was thinking seriously about what she just heard.
"Then what about mother? How did she agree?" She asked.
"She is still mad. But she is mother. So she will come around." Yul started to make a move to prevent Fariya from asking further questions.
"But what about Isheen, then? How are you going to deal with her? I bet she has got the news and is on a rage now." She asked.
Yul stopped on hearing about Isheen and was a little taken aback on seeing Liya and Inu standing next to Devin, looking at them. They must have heard what Fariya just said.
Before Yul could say anything, Fariya ran to Liya and inspected her.
"So you are my sister-in-law and you are the little guy who is going to snatch my position." She said pointing at Liya and Inu repectively. "Myself Fariya…the youngest princess here," then she introduced herself in the most humble way she could.
"You know, it is a bit unfair to get a nephew this big out of nowhere. It makes me suddenly feel old." She looked back and said to Yul. Then she waved at Inu, but he hid behind Liya.
"Oh! He is so cute. And you aren't bad either. I like you. So I allow you to be my sister in law. As for our mother, I think you will have to work a bit more. Just find me if you need any help." She went on speaking nonstop.
"You better stop here and go and get changed." Yul pushed Fariya lightly to make her leave.
"Alright…alright… I am leaving…" She said to Yul and then waved at Liya while running to her room.
"She is the youngest. So the most pampered." Yul said as if it was some excuse.
Liya didn't mind that at all. Fariya was a nice little girl, all lively and innocent. Liya liked that. It was surely a relaxant when between all these highly sophisticated people.
All this time, Thamina was watching them from upstairs. She came down to them as Fariya ran to her room in the first floor.
"Mother." Yul greeted her so as to let Liya knew who she was meeting now.
"So you must be Liya and this must be Inu." Thamina said while looking at them.
"Yes mother." Yul replied.
Thamina walked around Liya and Inu observing them. Liya felt it like they were some prey on which a vulture was rounding. She kept her composure nevertheless. But Inu was scared by Thamina's looks and hid behind Liya more closely.
Liya was also dressed up similar to Thamina, in their traditional attire. The only difference was in the colour of the dress. It was creamy coloured for Thamina as she was a widow, whereas it was bright red for the bride. Liya also had some ornaments specially worn for the wedding, like the big nose pin with a chain connecting it to the hair pin in the back and layered ear rings that reached upto to the shoulders. She was also wearing few bangles and anklets. Everything she wore was made of gold and was part of the ancestral ornaments passed down to the daughters in law. This meant that, what Liya was wearing now was once Thamina's. A passing down of position had just occurred.
Thamina's hatred and disgust towards Liya was readable from her face. In her view Liya was some vulgar woman who was no better than call girls. As far as she knew, Liya must have slept with her son with a plan for inheritance from him and was waiting for the right time. Now Liya has got a jackpot instead of some compensation. She was becoming the legal wife and mother of next heir to their family. What a load of boloney.
The more Thamina thought, the angrier she became. She stared at Liya for some time and then spoke, "Bygones are the past. From today onwards you are part of this family. So don't be scared and try to get along." Thamina then looked at Inu and said, "Come here boy… let grandma see you," and she extended her hand to hold Inu. But Inu was scared by the looks of her and hugged his mom tight.
Liya was surprised by the tone Thamina spoke. It was gentle and calm unlike the killing stare she just had. If she had just avoided her or spoke angrily it would have been normal and expectable. But she had something in her mind and spoke something else. It was obviously a warning but coated in formality. That woman was not be trifled with, Liya thought to herself. She was a venomous snake under a beautiful flower.
"Your son is now an Amarok. So he can't be a coward like this and moreover he needs to accept us as quickly as possible. And that's your responsibility. So teach him properly. Now, get into the prayer hall. It's already time." Thamina said and walked to the hall.
Liya just nodded in agreement and then looked at Yul. She was thinking how different they both were. Yul was definitely a kind man unlike the façade he keeps whereas his mother was exactly the opposite.