The Trap

Part 10 – Confrontation with Radha

The Watchful Eyes

Late that night, as Swapna lit her small lamp to write further, she felt the presence again. Someone was outside her window. A faint shadow moved across the wall. Her heart pounded. She blew out the lamp instantly and pressed herself against the cot, her ears straining.

Minutes later, a stone clinked against her door. She crept forward, opened it cautiously — and found a folded piece of paper on the ground.

With trembling fingers, she unfolded it. The note had only one sentence, scribbled hastily:

“Malliah is with them. Trust no one.”

Her eyes widened. The truth was no longer in the shadows. It was standing right outside her door.

The morning sun glared harshly over the temple town, as if exposing secrets buried too long. Swapna tightened her cotton saree and walked briskly toward the large hall where Radha’s eunuch troupe prepared for an evening jalsa. Her frail body shook with nervousness, but her resolve was iron.

She clutched the anonymous note in her blouse — the one that said, “Malliah is with them. Trust no one.” If there was one person who knew the entire truth, it was Radha. And Swapna would no longer circle in fear.

The First Clash

Inside the hall, music echoed — tabla beats, anklets ringing, voices rehearsing ragas. Radha, tall and commanding, stood in the center, instructing the dancers. Tania sat in a corner, eyes swollen from a night of tears, her saree hanging awkwardly.

When Swapna entered, all chatter fell silent. The dancers stopped mid-step, glancing nervously at Radha.

Radha’s sharp eyes narrowed.
“Why are you here, Amma? This is no place for you.”

Swapna’s voice quivered at first, but she steadied it.
“I came for the truth. About Tanish. About Malliah.”

The hall went cold. Even the tabla stopped.

Radha’s Fury

Radha stepped closer, her bangles clinking like warning bells.
“You dare utter that name here?” she hissed.
Swapna didn’t flinch. “Yes. I know Malliah’s body was never found. I know Tanish was forced into this humiliation. And I know you are protecting Jhansi’s lies.”

Gasps rippled among the troupe. Tania’s head shot up, tears brimming with sudden hope.

Radha’s hand twitched as if she might strike Swapna. But instead, she laughed — a deep, mocking laugh that filled the hall.
“Foolish woman. You think you can play detective? Do you know what it takes to keep this community alive? Jhansi gave us shelter, respect, power! And you — with your weak lungs and shaking hands — want to break it all?”

The Emotional Blow

Swapna’s eyes welled with tears, but her voice carried steel.
“Respect does not come by destroying lives, Radha. Look at him!” She pointed to Tania, trembling in her corner. “Is this what you call power? A boy torn from his manhood, forced into a body that doesn’t belong to him?”

Tania sobbed, covering her face. Some of the younger eunuchs looked away in shame.

For the first time, Radha’s face softened — a flicker of guilt crossing her hardened features. But she masked it quickly.
“You don’t understand, Amma. Some truths are bigger than your emotions. Malliah was not who you think he was.”

A Dangerous Hint

Swapna froze. “What do you mean?”

Radha’s lips curled into a cryptic smile.
“If you really want to know, go to the old godown near the river tonight. But remember — once you see what’s inside, there is no going back.”

Before Swapna could press further, Radha clapped her hands sharply.
“Enough! Get out before Jhansi herself hears of this.”

The troupe resumed their practice, though unease lingered in the air. Tania’s eyes silently followed Swapna as she left, a flicker of desperate hope in her gaze.

The Closing Beat

Outside the hall, Swapna clutched her chest, her breath ragged. The confrontation had left her shaken, but she had finally cracked Radha’s armor.

The godown near the river… What truth lay hidden there?

As she limped back toward home, a realization chilled her:
Radha hadn’t denied Malliah was alive.