IT GOES WITHOUT saying that Monday evening’s meeting brought about a complete transformation in that small, secretive group. Krishna’s timely intervention averted the catastrophe that had been planned for Wednesday night. It also turned the group’s youthful members away from the destructive path on which they had embarked.
On Wednesday evening—yes, the same Wednesday that the group had earmarked for its disastrous action—its members gathered at a different location to resuscitate the dormant Unity Council and agreed to place their faith in the leadership of Satnam and Krishna.
The following day, the Unity Council’s office was moved outside the walled city to a new address on Queens Road. The need to relocate was felt because the architecture of the council would remain incomplete without a proper representation of Muslims in addition to its Hindu and Sikh members. And this wasn’t going to be easy if the council continued to operate its office from the heart of the walled city.
The rebirth of the Unity Council also meant a new set of rules and a new oath that was to be taken by all its members. It said:
I swear by my conscience that I will devote my mind, body, and wealth to following the principles set out by the Unity Council. I will never take any step that is influenced by notions of religious identity and runs counter to the Council’s guidelines. Regardless of their religious affiliation, I will give each person the same respect that I give to my own relatives. I will do everything within my power to bring an end to communal strife and I am willing to lay down my life for the cause.
Meanwhile, seeing Krishna as an avatar of Naseem had also opened a new chapter in Satnam’s life. His affection for her grew into a deep respect after hearing her speak about her early years, something that neither she nor the Baba had ever mentioned. It had also infused a fresh wave of energy into his flagging spirits. And the way she had managed to turn the young men away from religious fanaticism had left him astounded. The only holdout, unsurprisingly, was Sudarshan who had always followed a ‘my way or the highway’ kind of approach.
A girl entering the public arena for the very first time and succeeding in winning such a stubborn bunch over to her side? In Satnam’s eyes, the whole thing was nothing short of a miracle. Perhaps an even greater miracle, one that made Satnam bow before her in respect, was the absolute devotion with which she tended to Munni for almost five weeks. Week after week, the poor child’s fever had refused to subside. A simple case of malaria appeared to have morphed into something much more dangerous. Munni’s condition was deteriorating by the day and when the Baba’s medicines didn’t have the desired effect, they turned towards specialist doctors. But the Baba’s diagnosis of her ailment wasn’t far off the mark. He had maintained that she would get well only after the fever had run its course and that’s how it turned out.
Krishna’s penance eventually began to bear fruit. It was well into the fifth week when the persistent high temperature started to come down. Her cherubic face looked emaciated and her healthy body had been reduced to a skeleton. Spending night after night by Munni’s side had also taken a toll on Krishna’s own health. Kesar Kaur and Satnam had tried their best to persuade her to get some sleep and allow them to take turns. The Baba had also weighed in with his concern. But Krishna wouldn’t hear a word. She had decided that she would stay by Munni’s side at night until she got the child back on her feet, no matter what. Fatigue and lack of sleep were writ large on her face. Every time Satnam looked at her pallid face, a shudder went through his body. But there was nothing he could do about it.
The nights had become unbearably hot, and it was decided to move Munni upstairs to Satnam’s room where the open windows allowed a bit of fresh air to circulate. Satnam had moved his own bed to the terrace and was sleeping under the open sky.
It was a dark, moonless night. The small lamp was emanating a faint yellow light that made Munni’s face look even more pale. The timepiece had stopped working since the previous night and it was hard to get a sense of the time. Satnam was trying to get some sleep but a slight rustle from the bed inside the room caught his attention. He didn’t move for a while, but eventually his curiosity got the better of him and he tiptoed to the open door. In the dim light of the lamp, he could see that Munni was alone in her bed.
Where could Krishna have gone at this time of the night, he wondered. His eyes went to a corner of the room and there she was, kneeling on the floor. Her eyes were focused on the ceiling and her palms were outstretched in front of her bosom, giving the impression that she was waiting to catch something that might drop from the heavens. She appeared oblivious of the world around her, lost in a prayer so intense that tears were streaming down her face. Her lips were moving slowly, or perhaps they were quivering as she sought something special from her Creator.
Satnam stood in the door for a while, expecting that Krishna would soon finish her prayers and turn around. But she stayed where she was, her stillness suggesting that she was in a trance. Seeing no indication that she was aware of his presence, he eventually returned to his bed. He was wide awake, ears straining to pick up any sign of movement. But there was no rustle from the bed and after a while, his tired mind drifted to sleep.
The next morning, Munni’s temperature was checked at the regular time. The thermometer showed that it had come down by one degree. That trend continued for the next few days, finally reaching normal on the fifth day and settling at ninety-seven degrees on the sixth day.
Much like the hen that gives the warmth of her body to her inanimate eggs and imparts life to them, Krishna’s care, devotion, and prayers, along with all the sleepless nights she had endured by Munni’s bedside had given a fresh lease of life to the child. For the first time in five weeks, Krishna slept peacefully that night.
‘Krishna,’ Kesar Kaur was caressing her when she finally woke up. ‘I gave birth to this child the first time and you’ve done it the second time around.’
‘It wasn’t me, Maasi ji,’ she protested and turned her eyes towards the sky. ‘It was Him.’
Kesar Kaur’s eyes welled up with tears that reflected not just the love but perhaps the reverence that she felt towards this girl. ‘But look at your own condition. Have you seen yourself in the mirror lately?’
‘Just wait for a few days, Maasi ji. I’ll soon become so plump that you won’t be able to recognize me,’ Krishna smiled to hide her growing discomfiture over the praise being showered on her.
‘How?’ Kesar Kaur smiled back at her. ‘Have you ordered a tin of ghee for yourself?’
‘Not one, Maasi ji,’ she laughed. ‘Munni’s brought me a hundred tins of ghee.’
‘My child,’ Kesar Kaur murmured as she wrapped her arms around Krishna in a warm embrace.