Ladies Coupe Read Online Free

Katherine, that her mother was also her father’s niece. Katherine had stared in shock. ‘But how can anyone marry their uncle? It is incest!’ she had cried, her mouth a round ‘O’.
    ‘I suppose it is incest,’ Akhila agreed. ‘Maybe that’s what made them so comfortable with each other.’
    ‘I can’t understand what your religion is all about.’ Katherine shook her head. ‘You consider eating an egg a sin. But it is perfectly acceptable to marry your uncle!’
    Akhila could see Katherine’s point of view but for some strange reason, she felt she had to defend her parents. Explain what their marriage had been like. ‘They were very happy together. The happiest when they were together. Sometimes I think it was because they had always known each other. Imagine, my mother must have dribbled down my father’s back when she was a baby. Perhaps even peed all over him. She must have heard his voice crack and seen the first hairs on his upper lip.’
    ‘All that’s fine. But you don’t have to marry your uncle to be close to your husband,’ Katherine had argued. ‘In that case, you might as well marry your brother.’
    ‘No, that’s not what I mean. But you know what, a few years ago when I still wanted to be someone’s wife, I would have agreed to marry anyone. Even an uncle,’ Akhila had said, only half in jest.
    Akhila glanced at her watch, impatient for the bell announcing the arrival of the train to ring. The Udayan Express had come and gone and now the platform was filled with passengers for the Kanyakumari Express. The elderly couple had moved a few paces ahead. She wondered how long they had been waiting there.
    The man was beginning to look restless now. He asked the woman a question. She nodded her head. He edged out of the crowd and went up to the kiosk at the entrance of the station. He returned with a soft drink for her. She took a sip and offered it to him. He shook his head.
    Why am I wasting my time watching them? Akhila pursed her lips. Here is proof of everything that my family has told me. A woman can’t live alone. A woman can’t cope alone. She was saved from further rumination when the signal changed. The headlight of the train moved towards the station and the PA system announced its arrival.
Akhila picked up her suitcase and gripped its handle in readiness to board.
    The swell of passengers surged forward as the train drew to a halt. Akhila felt fear propel her. The train halted here for just two or three minutes. How would all of them board the train at the same time? She elbowed her way through the crowd. When she got to the door, she discovered the elderly man there. He was helping his wife climb up the steps into the carriage. ‘Go on, get into the train quickly,’ he said, turning towards Akhila. He held the other passengers back while Akhila hefted her bag and found her way into the compartment.
    The ladies coupé was at the beginning of the carriage. She entered it and looked for her seat number. There were six berths in the coupé. Three on either side. She had a lower berth. But, for now, all six passengers would sit on the lower berths till it was time to sleep. Then the middle berth would be raised from its place against the wall and fixed to the upper one. Akhila stowed her bag beneath her seat and looked around her. The elderly lady was opposite. Her husband had pushed a suitcase beneath the seat and was blowing into an air pillow. When it was puffed and plump, he patted it and put it beside her. He raised the window and adjusted the catch so that it wouldn’t slam down on her hand. ‘Do you want help with your window?’ he asked, turning to Akhila.
    She smiled and refused.
    ‘You will be alright, won’t you?’ he asked, turning to his wife. ‘When you are ready to sleep, pull down the wooden shutters. That way you’ll get a good breeze and you don’t have to worry about anyone snatching your chain or earrings. Don’t forget to take your medicine. I am in