In One’s Own Country, a Celebration
At the church of McCluskieganj, Judy appeared thoughtful. She felt that she had perhaps ill-timed her wedding. Dennis was not only enacting the role of her elder brother, but had also arranged for a gala dinner for the guests at Highland Guest House. Judy thought, ‘Neither Liza nor Robin would be there for the occasion.’ Dennis cheered her up saying, ‘Don’t worry, Judy, your wedding will bring back the smile on
McCluskieganj.’
Sure enough, the very next week, good things started to happen. Early one morning, Robin’s lawyer Mr Gupta sent his car along with his junior from Ranchi to McCluskieganj. ‘We have procured Robin’s release order, please reach Ranchi immediately by this very car,’ was the message that the junior brought from Mr Gupta to Dennis.
Dennis was mad with joy. How he wished Liza were here too. The news spread rapidly through the village. So many turned up to accompany him. But Dennis reasoned with them. ‘What is the point in exhausting yourselves?’ As a result, only Neelmani accompanied him. Seeing Neelmani’s anxiety, as well as happiness, written large on her face, Dennis could not refuse her. On the way, she suggested they give Saamu Munda the good news too. And so they did. Saamu Munda was ecstatic to hear of Robin’s release. The scene at the Ranchi jail too was an unusual one. All the prisoners had come to the gate to see Robin off. In the few months that Robin had spent there, he had come very close to the inmates. The parting was a very emotional one.
Before leaving, the jail superintendent had asked Robin, ‘You had wanted to visit Birsa Munda’s cell in Ward No. 5. Do you still wish to see it?’ Robin nodded, and so he was led to that cell. Robin was filled with emotion; he touched the bars of the cell with reverence and thought that Birsa Munda’s vision was still to be realized, both his as well as Bahadur Oraon’s.
Outside the prison, Dennis warmly embraced his son. Saamu Chacha too came forth and held his hand saying, ‘Suffering too is a gift from God.’ Neelmani was smiling at Robin and Dennis drew Robin’s attention to Mr Gupta, his lawyer. He said, ‘It is Mr Gupta who has worked night and day to secure your release.’ Robin instantly thanked him. Then they visited Firaya Lal Chowk on the way to make a call to Liza in Hong Kong. Dennis gave her the good news and said that he would join her in a week’s time to help her wind up and return to McCluskieganj for good.
As they drove back, Dennis remembered some lines from an Anglo-Indian novelist: ‘If England is the land of our fathers, India is the land of our mothers. If to us, England is a hallowed memory, India is a living reality…’ And we have once again returned to that land, which is our mother, thought Dennis. On the way, Robin dropped by at Bonner Bhawan to see Miss Bonner, but she was inert and there was no knowing whether she recognized Robin or not. But McCluskieganj … It was once again bedecked like she was on foundation day. Its residents had quickly got together and, within those hours that Dennis took to go and fetch Robin from Ranchi, they had organized a welcome party for their hero.
Everywhere, on trees and posts, they had stuck handwritten posters of welcome. The Highland Guest House was the venue for the celebrations. Again the fairy lights, again the same standby generator, all the food and fun arrangements, because it was yesterday once more. The children were singing and shouting and, when Robin entered, he was received with a standing ovation of thunderous clapping. Both Dennis and Robin spoke briefly to the people who had gathered, not so much because they didn’t have words, but because they were choking with emotion. Mr Mendez, who did most of the talking, concluded with the remark, which made people’s eyes go moist: ‘Love gives a lot of strength and an impossible courage.’