The story begins a few months ago with Sheikhbhai, a 40-something cloth merchant from Jamalpur in Ahmedabad, visiting his relatives in Lalukhet in Pakistan. One of those relatives was fellow 40-something Roshanbibi, distantly related through his mother. Their situations were improbable; he was married (to Mahira) with eight children; she, too, is married and has 12 children!

But something obviously sparked off between them and so, when Messers Vajpayee and Sharif were discussing better relations six-odd weeks ago, Roshan was thinking of a trip to India on much the same lines. She saw plan through and came to India sometime in the last week of February.

Relatives say Roshanbibi saw her visit to India as a break from the pressure of looking after her mentally challenged husband. Her children are also said to be a great source of strength to her; her eldest son, about 25 years old, and a teenage daughter want to stay in India.

Roshanbibi came on a 40-day visa, which will expire on April 6, but she wants to stay back in Jamalpur with Sheikhbhai as his second wife. That, however, is posing a problem.

The first objection came from his wife, Mahira, who tried to convince Sheikhbhai but with little success. Mahira then sought the help of her in-laws and brothers to reach an amicable solution, but that didn't work either. Finally, she approached the Gaekwad Haveli police station and submitted a written complaint.

Sources in the police station said Mahira had lost all hope of winning over Sheikhbhai and was consoled by her brothers and neighbours. The police smelled trouble and, using their long arm, called Sheikhbhai to the station and scolded him for his attempt at bigamy.

More trouble was in store from across the border when some of Roshan's relatives began to talk of an affair between Roshan's teen-age daughter and Sheikh's second son. That effectively queered the pitch as far as priorities went.

Sheikh has also faced opposition from his children (or at least those who are adult), who believe that the whole affair is a myth. This, despite Mahira having reportedly collected more than a dozen amulets (taviz) which, she alleges, Roshan had used to influence her husband.

With few options, and knowing that he will have to stay in India, Sheikh has decided to follow the police's line and today denies everything, even the fact that he and Roshan were in love. That leaves Roshan, as it were, holding the baby; she has a few days still to change his mind, but deep down inside knows she's lost out.

Come April 6, and chances are there'll be one broken soul making a lone journey back to Pakistan.

(Names of the persons have been changed).