Mera Naam Ron Weasley Hai (My Name Is Ron Weasley)

PROLOGUE

"AAP KAHAN HO?"

"This has to be a dream," Ron let out in a groggy daze, massaging the wrinkles on his forehead. Running his left hand through his dulling red hair, he let out a deep sigh, staring around the square in utter confusion. Market stands, women in saris that sparkled with beads and bright pastels, a stray pet rhesus monkey? What was going on here?

"Welcome Shrimaan Weasley!" a bright and chipper voice greeted from behind. The singsong pattern in the speech made Ron freeze in nervous disbelief. Turning slowly, his hands on his forehead, he stared into the ebony colored eyes of a woman. She was perhaps in her mid-twenties, with dark chocolate hair that fell behind her back in a long braid. Her forehead was studded with a shimmering jewel or sindoor, and her body was clothed in an elaborately decorated red sari. Upon meeting Ron's eyes, she sank slowly to the ground, touched the pavement next to his feet with both of her hands and brought them to rest on her forehead and heart.

He stood stock-still as she slowly rose to her feet. Taking his hand, she said, "We have Priya ready for you."

"Priya?" he asked in confusion. The woman only smiled and let out a melodic giggle. She then turned and motioned her hands. At once a young girl came running toward them. She was dressed in a salwar-kameez of blue and gold. Her mahogany skin shown out oddly against her bright red hair. Her large brown orbs that were her eyes stared gleefully up at Ron as she approached. She too sank to the ground and placed her hands next to his feet before touching her hands to her forehead then to her heart.

Rising quickly, her thin lips broke into a beaming smile. "Su prabhat, Papa!" she exclaimed excitedly.

"Pardon me?" he let out in positive misunderstanding.

"Oh, Shrimaan Ron, you're always so funny, yeah," the woman giggled, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Priya tells you 'good morning.'"

"Oh, so you're Priya?" he asked quietly.

The woman laughed again and bent down to whisper into the young child's ear, "Your father jokes lots, doesn't he, yeah?" Smiling, Priya nodded her red head, her veil fluttering in the breeze.

"Father?" Ron whispered. "Where am I? What's going on?"

Ignoring his inquiries, the woman stood straight and waved at someone who was fast approaching. "Oh, here comes Kalpita!" Ron craned his head toward the woman's gaze and set eyes on a beautiful woman, wrapped in a turquoise sari, a sindoor upon her forehead. Her long black hair was wrapped in two braids atop her head, woven with sparkling jewels.

The woman approached Ron in an air of pure ecstasy, and followed the same ritual of touching her head and heart after sinking to the ground at his feet. She rose to her feet, her copper eyes melting lovingly into Ron's. His mouth hung open slightly, his eyes fighting to settle the confusion.

"You look at me like you've not seen me in your life before, yeah!" she exclaimed with a laugh. "Husband, is something bother you?"

Searching for words, all Ron could speak was, "I beg your pardon?"

"Shrimaan Ron acts very funny today, Kalpita! He plays game that he does not know his family, yeah," the first woman exclaimed in laughter. Patting Ron on the shoulder, she continued, "It's time you take your family home, Shrimaan Ron. Almost time for supper, it is. And Priya is very hungry, yeah."

As they began to walk away, the young girl's hand clasped in his, the woman that was his supposed wife walked beside him, saying, "Sister Ginny has arrive. She came early this afternoon."

"Ginny? My sister?"

"Yes! She comes to visit. Have not seen her for the past two whole years. She arrives from London this afternoon, with her new husband, yeah."

Shocked, Ron quickly asked, "Who is her husband?"

"Oh, we're home! Ron come, you walk like you've never been here before!" she let out, leading him into the doorway of a large estate house.

"See, uh, Kalpita, that's the thing! I've never been here before. I don't even have an inkling as to where 'here' is!" Ron argued in a flutter. Her laughter as they stepped into the household told Ron that she did not believe him. "No, I'm serious. I'm supposed to be in my dormitory at Hogwarts. I'm not supposed to be grown up." In desperation, he cast his eyes about, shouting, "Where's Harry? Harry? Wake me up, Harry! HARRY!"

"Oy, Ron! What are you shouting about?" a familiar voice called out. Turning around in a fit of joy, Ron stared over at his best friend, who stood in the foyer, his black hair tossed wildly over his scarred forehead, his hand clasped tightly with that of Ginny, who had a hand rested on a round and pregnant stomach.

Ginny smiled. "Ron, Harry and I have such good news. We're going to have a baby!"

CHAPTER I

A GLIMPSE INTO THE PAST

His chin hanging down nearly to his collarbone, Ron blinked his eyes once... twice... three times before clearing his throat and straightening up. Staring across the foyer at his dumbfounded friend, Harry grinned widely and said, "I know. I did the same thing when she surprised me with the news." With a laugh, Harry walked to Ron and embraced him like a brother. Ron rigidly and robotically fell into the embrace, his eyes unmoving from Ginny's round stomach.

"It's been far too long, Ron. I hardly know what you've been up to out here!" Harry let out with a very excited laugh. "But," he went on, walking to the strange woman who watched from several steps away, "it's always so wonderful to see Kalpita!" And with that, he embraced the woman as though he knew her like a sister.

"Kalpita, you continue to grow more and more beautiful every time we see each other," Ginny piped up after a long silence, walking to a bench near the doorway and wearily sitting down.

"You are very very beautiful too, sister Ginny," Kalpita exclaimed with a wide and most gorgeous smile from which Ron could hardly look away. Something inside of his stomach jumped up into his throat as he watched this woman in her movements, some feeling that he could not explain.

"No," Ginny interjected, laying her hands on her stomach, "I look fat!"

Sensing his gaze, Kalpita's eyes shifted to Ron in what seemed slow motion. As he watched her long black lashes blink over her chestnut eyes, he could not help but believe that an invisible and unfeeling wind was blowing the loose strands of the woman's long hair gently in a small halo around her. The wind came up and rustled her sari in a flowing wave, creating a cushion of air between her mahogany skin and the cloth. She was indescribably beautiful to him. She seemed more entrancing than Fleur and her silvery hair even.

A nervousness erupted in his stomach, and he broke away from her trance, scouting the area with his eyes for any open windows. There were none. There was no wind, no breeze, no draft. Yet, when he looked back at the Indian woman, every stray strand of hair, the soft linens of her sari, flowed in this imaginary wind that he could not blink away.

Once more, as he stared at the woman, something inside of him moved in excitement and fiery passion, and his mouth opened. He felt music flowing through his blood, and all he felt compelled to do was sing at the top of his lungs--to serenade this beautiful Indian enchantress that had captured his heart and his passion in the last few moments. A song of the moon and stars, their radiance and everlasting glow, passed into the realm of thought that compelled Ron to bow to one knee and sing.

But, just as he felt his knee begin to bend and the vibration of his vocal chords preparing to erupt into song, Kalpita spoke, "Ron, husband, tell sister Ginny you're happy for her, yeah!" The loving and passionate glance in her eyes told Ron that she knew what he was thinking, that she knew what he had almost done, and he inwardly sighed in relief at her rescue of him from almost certain embarrassment.

He quickly turned to his grown sister, opened his mouth to speak, but his eyes fell onto her round stomach. His open mouth fell into a silent gape, his brow twitching in astonishment and shock. Ginny's smile flickered at Ron's stupefied expression, and she reached hesitantly for Harry's hand, seeking some pillar of support. Was her brother upset with her?

"Ron?" Kalpita questioned, approaching her silent husband slowly and nervously. "Are you all right, darling?"

"Darling?" Ron echoed in confusion, shifting his gaze to the woman that now had a hand on his arm. As his eyes fell upon her face, they grew wide and traveled to her hands that rested just below his shoulder. "Who are you?"

Silence ensued, a heavy cloud that choked the very air they breathed. Was he jesting? Harry and Ginny stood frozen, their eyes fixed upon Ron, who only stared nervously at each of them, his left foot slowly turning inward in anxiety and discomfort. Kalpita looked very concerned as she gazed up at her tall husband. He refused to meet her glance, afraid that he would be compelled to do something as mad as singing. She had to have been a very powerful witch, to have put such a spell on him without use of a wand.

"You're not well, husband," Kalpita let out in concern, reaching up and touching his face gently with long, slender fingers. "Come, you must lie down, yeah." At this, she moved to guide him away further into the home.

As he walked along with her, he looked back at Harry, and silently mouthed, "Don't leave me!" At this command, Harry took Ginny by the hand and followed, his scarred brow furrowed in a mixture of concern and confusion.

As they followed the two into the next room, Harry and Ginny watched as Kalpita sat Ron down upon a wide sofa and said, "I'm going to get you some water, darling." With that, she disappeared through a doorway, her small feet brushing along the ceramic floor.

"Harry..." Ron let out with a whimper as he watched Kalpita go, "Harry..." His voice was a whisper, his eyes squinted in confusion and desperation. He let his red head fall back against the wall in a form of emotional surrender, and Harry took Ginny by the hand.

"Gin, darling, why don't you go and see if Kalpita needs assistance in the kitchen," he said softly, brushing her cheek with a gentle hand. "I would like to speak to Ron alone for a minute."

"Of course," she replied and sidled off happily, with a hand supporting her buckling back. Harry watched her go with a small smile playing at the corners of his mouth. His eyes sparkled in love.

Walking to the sofa, Harry sat next to his friend and asked, "Ron, what's wrong, mate? Are you sick? What's happened?"

Ron, who had been staring blankly off out of a curtained window, moved his eyes slowly over to Harry and let his mouth slowly fall open. "That woman? Who is she?"

Letting out a laugh, Harry said, "I know that you like to tease, Ron, but this is getting somewhat ridiculous!" Ron only stared into his friend's eyes in a manner of helpless desperation, and Harry's laughter quickly subsided. "All right, I suppose I'll indulge you..." he let out, making a jest at Ron's play. "Kalpita is your wife, mate."

"And the girl?"

"You're daughter... Priya... She's getting very pretty, actually," Harry let out a chuckle. But Ron's panicky face made his smile fade, his eyes twinkling in a sudden realization. "Ron, what's happened?"

His eyes dodging Harry's concerned stare, Ron asked with a croak in his voice, "How long have we been married? How did we meet? Why am I in India? Where's Hermione?" His panic quickly escalated to an anxious fit as he shook his head, closing and opening his eyes as though to rid himself of the current situation.

"Uh--You've been married for about 7 years..." Harry let out hastily, stifling what revealed to be an onslaught of tears. Ron stared fearfully into Harry's eyes, green eyes that were forcing back hot tears. Something inside of Ron's stomach twitched, his throat caught as he saw a stray tear escape from the corner of Harry's eye.

"What about the rest, Harry? What's the rest?" Ron asked quietly and slowly, unsure of what to think. Inside, he only wished that he was dreaming. But the pain in his stomach and the comfort he felt as Harry placed a hand on his shoulder made him doubt that all was a dream.

"Uh--" Harry let out softly, biting down on his back teeth to push away those tears that were so evident in his eyes. "Why don't you talk to Kalpita, Ron? She knows the story better than I do."

"But I can't talk to Kalpita! I don't know Kalpita!" Ron nearly shouted. "Why must I be married to a woman I don't know?! What happened, Harry?"

There was a pause as Harry regained what he could of his composure, and he asked, "Ron, you haven't been seeing some other woman, have you?"

"No! I would never betray Hermione's trust like that, Harry! Not even with Lavender, who has been getting sexier every day, mind you!" Ron let out in borderline anger.

Grabbing Ron by both shoulders, Harry held him hard and exclaimed, "What in the bloody hell are you talking about, Ron?! We aren't in Hogwarts any more! We haven't been for years, mate. Why are you talking like you have no memory of the last fourteen years?!"

"Because I have no memory of the last fourteen years!" Ron shouted in return, throwing Harry's arms away from him. "The last thing I remember was kissing Hermione goodnight and going to bed in our dormitory at Hogwarts. I am seventeen years old, and I'm Headboy. And I have my whole life to fulfill my dreams of playing Quidditch and working for the Ministry of Magic."

"Ron, listen to me," Harry said softly after a moment of silence. "You know as well as I do that there is no more Ministry of Magic. You know that, after the fall of Voldemort, a new dark wizard came out from the shadows. You know that he took over the Ministry and killed anyone who stood in his way on his rise to power." Harry's face was contorted and red-hot in rage as tears came back into his eyes. His voice grew quiet and irate as he continued, "After hiding behind his students for so many years, disguised as a caring, loving wizard... God, if I had known! I would have killed him!"

Ron's eyes asked the question that Harry obviously did not want to have answered. But Harry shook his head, asking, "You want me to say it, don't you? Why do you always like to bring this up, Ron? Why do you like to talk about it?"

"I just want to know," Ron whispered hesitantly.

"He hurt me too, Ron! Don't think that just because you were affected so outwardly doesn't mean that I wasn't affected too!" Harry was a mess of anger and tears as he spoke deliberately and intensely. "After all of those years, putting me into situations so that either I would kill Voldemort or else be killed... God, if I had known...!"

"Dumbledore?" An astonished whisper passed over Ron's lips, his eyes focusing in shock.

Harry looked intensely into his friend's eyes and nodded, whispering, "He tried to kill us, Ron."

"I'm in hiding," Ron realized aloud. "So that's why I'm here."

Harry shook his head, saying, "No, you're here because you fell in love with Kalpita. You wanted a new life, Ron, and with Kalpita that was possible."

Ron was about to speak, but he was interrupted when Ginny and Kalpita reentered the room. Kalpita sat next to Ron, giving him a glass of water. Ron gratefully took the drink and sipped from it. Ginny, spying Harry's discomfort and obvious distress, took him by the hand and lead him out of the room, saying, "Don't cry, darling."

Kalpita had taken Ron's hand, and was playfully stroking his long fingers. "Kalpita?" Ron inquired, looking over at her, afraid to let go of her hand and offend her. "How old is Priya?"

"Six years old, darling," she answered matter-of-factly. "Her birthday celebration is in a few weeks. I was wondering if we could hold a special feast for her here, in the big hall. She would just love to see her family and friends."

Nodding, Ron said, "That's fine. I'll invite my parents and siblings." At this, Kalpita looked strangely into his eyes, her own concerned and somber.

"I know you like to make jokes, yeah. But that wasn't funny, Ron," she said softly. There was a long pause as she seemed to withhold from crying herself, and then she sniffed and said, "Priya was outside the door a little bit ago. I caught her crying, but she wouldn't say anything to me."

"Oh, hell..." Ron groaned, rolling his eyes in frustration. "I'm sorry, Kalpita. I just... I don't feel well."

"Why was she crying, husband?" Kalpita inserted her question sternly and with the utmost concern. "She seemed frightened."

"Kalpita... you know, don't you?"

"Know what, Ron?"

"That I'm a wizard," he said hesitantly.

"What?!" she almost shouted, putting her hands to her forehead in shock. "A wizard?! What are you talking about?"

Growing upset with himself, Ron raised his hands to his mouth, unsure of how to calm her. His expression was of pure disbelief, but his anxiety quickly fell away as Kalpita burst into laughter. Putting a hand to his flushed cheeks, she said, "Of course I know. We crossed that bridge a long time ago, darling." And with that, she leaned forward and kissed his forehead.

Her hand went up and ruffled his hair in loving playfulness, and Ron arched an eyebrow as he stared into her eyes. This woman, whom he had never seen before today, was truly mesmerizing. "You're beautiful," he let out. Immediately, he clapped his hands over his mouth. He had no intention to speak those words, and even lesser intention to sing them. They had burst out of him in a soft, throaty melody.

"Oh, Ron," she said with a smile and a giggle, "always singing to me... Sometimes I wonder if you think in song!" And with that, she winked and took his now empty water glass back to the kitchen.