Rati's mother is very worried about how to tell grandmother.
If only her sister-in-law (chachi) were here, she could have helped her.
But she can't keep it hidden either.
So somehow gathering courage, she says to grandmother…
"Amma ji… actually… Rati went to the jungle today."
"The jungle!?"
"She was going to the fields with me, but halfway there she said she felt sleepy and went back. So when did she go to the jungle!?"
Hearing this, the mother thinks to herself…
"She is so mischievous. She does whatever she wants, anytime, and I always have to handle everything. Why did that silly girl even need to go to the jungle?"
While she is still thinking, grandfather interrupts her,
"What happened? What has Rati done now?"
Hesitating, the mother says…
"She… she brought a baby girl home."
"What!?"
"A baby girl!? Whose child is she!?"
"How would I know, Amma ji? When I asked her, she said she found the baby near a well in the jungle."
Hearing this, grandmother immediately stands up and shouts,
"That well is in the restricted forest area where no one is allowed to go! Why did she go there? And not only that—she even brought a baby from there!"
Muttering angrily, grandmother rushes up to the terrace where Rati is sitting with Rama, happily telling her stories about what she and her new little sister will do together.
Rati's mother follows behind grandmother, and seeing them go, the uncle also joins them.
When the three of them reach the terrace, they see that Rati and Rama are taking out small clothes from their mother's trunk for their new little sister.
They have no idea what kind of storm is about to come.
Grandmother immediately goes and picks up the baby in her arms and starts to leave.
But just then, Rati notices her and quickly runs to block her way.
"Grandma, where are you taking her?!"
Instead of answering, grandmother slaps Rati hard and says,
"You foolish girl! Do you even realize what you have done!?
You have brought trouble upon us. If the people of the forest find out about this, we will be in serious danger!"
Then turning towards Rati's mother, she says,
"I am taking this child to the head of the jungle."
And then to the uncle,
"You come with me."
Hearing this, Rati runs downstairs faster than anyone else. She quickly shuts the front gate and locks it. Since she is already outside, she runs to the back and bolts the back door from outside as well.
When grandmother and uncle see this, they immediately understand that Rati has done it.
They call out to her and try to get out from the back, but that door is also locked from outside.
Sitting outside near the gate, Rati says firmly,
"You will not give my sister to anyone.
She is mine. Understand?"
Her mother tries to explain gently,
"Rati, dear, open the door. Grandma has to take her, otherwise we will be in trouble."
"What trouble?" Rati asks.
"You know there are spirits in that jungle. This child might belong to a witch."
"So what? I found her, so now she is mine."
Everyone tries, one by one, to convince her in different ways, but Rati doesn't budge. She just sits outside stubbornly, cross-legged.
By now it is 7:30 in the evening, and the electricity goes out.
The battery isn't charged either, so mother has to light an oil lamp to manage.
Time passes, and at around 8 o'clock, they hear the sound of father's motorcycle. Everyone waits for him to arrive.
When father reaches the gate and sees Rati sitting outside alone in the dark, he asks,
"What happened, Rati? Why are you sitting outside today?
Did you fight with Rama again?"
Rati says nothing.
Father honks the horn so that, as usual, mother would come and open the gate so he could park the motorcycle inside.
But from inside, mother calls out,
"Look, Rati has locked the gate and even bolted the back door from outside."
Hearing this, father smiles and looks at Rati, then says,
"What happened to my Rati? Are you angry with everyone?
Why have you locked everyone inside like this?"
Then father picks Rati up in his arms and says,
"What happened, tell me."
Rati explains everything to him in detail.
After listening to her, father says,
"Alright, don't worry. No one will take your new sister away. I am here, aren't I?"
Rati asks innocently,
"Promise?"
"Yes, I promise."