THE FIRST WEEK of August had dawned. 15th August, it had been announced, would be the day that would usher India into an era of independence after two centuries of servitude. Only a few days were left for this momentous occasion, but growing bloodshed was turning the soil of Punjab a deeper shade of red with each approaching day.
The city of Amritsar and the rural areas surrounding it were rife with shootings, bombings, stabbings, hackings and arson. Major thoroughfares within the city were deserted and people formed groups of five or ten if they wanted to traverse these roads. Train journeys were like an invitation into the lap of death. Corpses floating down the various irrigation canals had become a common sight.
Almost the entire city of Amritsar, its interior and outskirts, were beginning to look like a fortified garrison. Every bazaar, mohalla and lane had created its own barricades and fortifications. Some had gone so far as to creating gun holes in hastily constructed brick walls from where the enemy could be spotted and guns aimed. Weapons, ammunition and explosives were being stocked up at a frenetic pace. It was common knowledge that these were being supplied by certain provinces. The names of Hyderabad and Patiala often came up in this context, although it is hard to say anything definitive in such matters.
Krishna woke up early and heard the hawker shouting headlines of the morning’s newspaper. ‘Fresh carnage by Muslim Leaguers in Lahore … Several Hindu and Sikh neighbourhoods burnt to ashes … Rawalpindi’s Muslims force Hindu and Sikh girls to parade naked…’
She hurried across to the vendor to buy a copy. Sitting in bed, she read some of the main stories before setting the paper aside. Her eyes had clouded up with tears and she found it difficult to read.
Pushing the paper away, she leapt from the bed with the determination of one who was going to take some decisive action. Biting her lips, her hands clenched into tiny fists, she furiously paced up and down the room for a while. Once again, she was seeking some divine blessings, some supernatural power that would let her fly to Lahore and Rawalpindi, the power to swoop down and destroy the ones setting entire neighbourhoods on fire, the ones parading naked women with impunity. But how could she have that power? Gritting her teeth, she sat down on the bed and dug her fingers into her hair, her helplessness reminding her of the proverb that a poor man can only vent his frustration on himself.
Krishna’s face showed that she wasn’t her usual energetic self this morning. The sleepless night had left her with a heavy head and a lethargy in her body. The events narrated by Satnam had also cast a malevolent shadow on her. She was particularly anguished by his description of Sudarshan’s vengeful behaviour. She was also painfully familiar with the dangers posed by an impetuous and pig-headed fellow like Sudarshan. That someone as resolute as Satnam was worried to the point that he wanted them to move out of the house spoke volumes about the gravity of the situation.
The curfew lifted in the morning and Kesar Kaur went along with the Baba to the Golden Temple. It was clear that if the Baba was to step out of the house, he needed someone to assist him. And since Krishna was busy with the school in the morning, Kesar Kaur had taken the responsibility of escorting him.
Being alone in the house through the morning meant that there was nothing to stop Krishna’s mind from racing all over the place. Several plans were formed and discarded because none of them appeared practicable. Seeing reports of innocent persons being butchered and young women being disrobed and paraded in public by her own religious compatriots had sent her into a tizzy. It was as if her heart had lodged in her skull while her brain had descended into her chest, the displacement of the two organs leading to a situation where thoughts and emotions got so intertwined that it was impossible to distinguish one from the other. A random thought would arise momentarily from some dark corner within her before disappearing back into the darkness.
After struggling with herself for an hour and a half, she reached a point from where she could neither proceed forward nor retreat. There was one and only one solution that could save her soul. Death.
‘That’s my final decision. If I can’t save innocent humans from being killed, if I can’t smash the faces of those who have stripped my sisters naked, then I have absolutely no right to stay alive. None. I too must die.’
The decision was taken but there was one complication. Her Bapu ji.
‘Can I inflict so much pain and suffering on Bapu ji? He who can’t let me out of his sight for a moment. Will I leave him alone in this world? No! I can’t do that. I can’t die yet. I can’t desert Bapu ji while he is alive.’
The second decision flew in the face of the first one and Krishna pondered over her dilemma. She had to stay alive even though she felt that she had no right to live. And how could she earn the right to live? That answer continued to elude her.
Satnam had left the home very early in the morning. He returned after a while and saw Krishna lying in her bed. Instead of going up to his room, he walked towards her door. She spent the night awake and must be sleeping now, he thought. But her eyes were fixed on the ceiling and her face suggested that she was lost in some particularly dismal thoughts.
‘Krishna! What’s wrong?’ he sat beside her on the bed and asked.
She glanced at him but did not speak.
‘Why are you so quiet, Krishna?’
She moved her gaze from the ceiling and fastened it on his face. Sitting up in bed, she asked, ‘Where did you go off so early this morning, Bhaji?’
‘Remember what I had told you about Sudarshan last night? Well, the matter has taken a serious turn.’
‘What matter?’
‘Sudarshan is spreading rumours that Satnam has given shelter to a Muslim girl in his house and that she is an informant for Pakistan.’
‘What?’
‘That’s what he’s done, Krishna.’
Krishna gulped and took a deep breath.
‘I understand that this must come as a huge shock to you. Try to imagine how I feel about it. I felt the ground slip beneath my feet when I heard about it. When I came home last night, everyone was asking me why I didn’t want dinner, why I wasn’t speaking with anyone. You tell me, Krishna. How can anyone think of eating or making conversation when your mind is in such a state?’
Krishna looked pensive. She could now see the urgency behind Satnam’s suggestion for Bapu ji’s eye operation.
‘Krishna!’ Satnam had a tortured look in his eyes. ‘I swear that I won’t think twice about sacrificing my life if anyone dares to point a finger at you. So, my dear sister, you’ll have to take responsibility for saving yourself and saving my life too. I think getting Bapu ji admitted to the hospital is the most advisable course of action. It will get his eyes mended and it will remove you from the public eye for a few days.’
‘I agree with you, Bhaji,’ she responded even as she tried to get a measure of the situation.
‘And there’s another matter too. Mr Shafi is very keen to meet you, but I don’t think it’s prudent to bring him home.’
Krishna had heard a lot about Shafi during their conversation the previous night and also on an earlier occasion. She was aware of the courage and audacity with which he had advocated the message of religious harmony amongst members of the Muslim community. Only a true braveheart could have acted like that and Krishna was keen to meet him and convey her own appreciation for his deeds. But the wretched curfew had kept her movement limited to their own lane and she hadn’t been able to see him.
‘That fellow’s condition is similar to yours, Krishna,’ Satnam continued. ‘Several adversaries have cropped up around him. Some maulvi from the Muslim League showed up at their factory and now seems to show no intention of going away. Had the maulvi not been around, Shafi would have managed to get at least a hundred Muslims to join our council. But the poisonous discourses of that maulvi have turned the tables to such an extent that poor Shafi is now trying to save his own life.’
‘I’d love to meet him, Bhaji,’ Krishna tried to rise above her own worries as she spoke. ‘I’ll try to boost his morale and also advise him to stay clear of the fools who have come under the maulvi’s influence. Who knows when someone might attack him?’
They were still talking when Kesar Kaur returned along with the Baba, her hand on his walking stick, guiding him through the door. The conversation turned to the preparations needed for the Baba’s imminent hospitalization. He was duly admitted and the operation was carried out the following day.
The hospital was overflowing with patients of all kinds. Whether it was the ophthalmology ward or the ENT one, all were bursting at the seams with the injured and the wounded. From the humble sweeper to the civil surgeon and his team, everyone was stretched to the limit as they struggled to bandage open wounds and fix broken bones.
There was fear that even the hospital could fall prey to the menace of communal violence and soldiers were deployed in each ward as a preventive measure.
There was a verandah next to the Baba’s bed and an extra cot was being arranged for Krishna to sleep there. Meanwhile, a new problem had surfaced. Munni was adamant that she wouldn’t stay at home without Krishna. All efforts to persuade her failed and the elders finally had to give in. It was agreed that Munni would sleep alongside Krishna in the verandah.
While most of the arrangements were now in place, one loose end remained. Who would supply the meals for the patient and attendant? One option was the small kiosk and tandoor near the hospital that could provide chapatis and some basic food. But the place looked quite unhygienic and Satnam insisted he would bring fresh meals from home. Curfews and the prevailing atmosphere of violence made a simple task like that a challenge. But Satnam had a curfew pass and could also take recourse to the jeep to manage things safely.
The first couple of days were pretty hard on the Baba. The pain from fresh incisions made it difficult for him to catch any sleep the first two nights. By the third day, things started to ease and an improvement was discernible.
Satnam brought meals twice a day and spent a fair bit of time chatting with Krishna, mostly about the work of the Unity Council in the context of the deteriorating situation in the city. They had much reason to be worried. The violence was rising relentlessly but unfortunately, some of their own members seemed to be losing their ardour and a few had already drifted away.
Satnam had told Krishna that he would arrange for Shafi to meet her at the hospital itself. Krishna was waiting for the meeting and even reminded Satnam a few times. Four days had passed but he hadn’t managed to bring Shafi. He would deflect her query with the response, ‘The poor fellow doesn’t have a moment’s breathing space. He’s plunged headlong into the work of our council and is completely engrossed in its activities.’
The unknown young man’s stature grew even higher in Krishna’s eyes when she heard such praise from Satnam. Her desire to meet him and salute him for his commitment to their cause also became more acute.
The bandages covering the Baba’s eyes were to be removed after ten days and both Krishna and the Baba were waiting impatiently for the moment to arrive. Their anxiety rose steadily as the appointed day approached.
It was late afternoon. Krishna was standing in the verandah as she waited for Satnam. He was late in delivering the food that day.
She finally heard the sound of the jeep and saw it approaching in the distance. It made its way through the winding driveway of the hospital before coming to a halt. Instead of Satnam, it was the driver Gulab Singh who emerged from the jeep with the usual tiffin.
Krishna took the food from Gulab Singh and in response to her query about Satnam, he replied, ‘He got tied up with some important work today. There was an incident, it is unlikely that he’ll be able to come until late in the evening.’
Krishna stared at the jeep as it left, her thoughts focused on the mysterious incident that had kept Satnam away. She wanted to probe the driver further, but he was clearly in a hurry to leave.
She spent the afternoon fretting about the unknown incident, worrying that Satnam had met some kind of injury. It must be something major that’s kept Satnam from bringing the food today, she agonized. It was only when he finally showed up after sundown that she could breathe a sigh of relief.
‘What happened, Bhaji?’ she hurried out of the verandah to meet him as he arrived. His face was ashen and he seemed deeply perturbed. Krishna also spotted a trail of bloodstains on his shirt.
‘Someone attacked poor Shafi. He’s been hurt, Krishna.’
‘What? Shafi?’
‘Yes.’
‘Who did it?’
‘Someone from his own religion. A fellow Muslim.’
‘But why?’
‘I’d told you about that maulvi from the Muslim League. His incitement spurred a worker from the factory into stabbing Shafi with a knife.’
‘Oh! The poor fellow!’ Krishna murmured. ‘Is the injury serious or…’
‘It doesn’t seem to be terribly serious. The doctor has assured us that he’ll be fine. The man is such a committed and tireless worker for our council. God willing, he should recover quickly. Every minute of his is as precious as gold for the council.’
‘Where was he stabbed, Bhaji?’
‘The assailant had aimed the knife at his heart, but Shafi bravely leapt forward to catch the knife before it hit him. It ended up pushing through a chunk of his shoulder. And he also sustained cuts on his fingers.’
‘And where is he now?’
‘In ward no. 5 of this hospital. You may have to attend to him tonight, Krishna. Will you be able to do that? You don’t have to worry about Bapu ji. If required, I can stay with him.’
‘I’ll be happy to do that, Bhaji. I can go there right now if you want.’
‘No. There are several persons with him right now. He’ll need help at night. I’ll stay with him for now and after he’s had his dinner, I’ll come and take you to his ward. The doctor has cautioned that the wound on the shoulder is quite deep, and it is important that he has someone by his side to make sure that he doesn’t have to move around unnecessarily.’
‘Does he have any relatives around?’
‘No, Krishna. He doesn’t have anyone. He’s completely alone, the poor chap. Anyway, let me go across to see him. Please be ready around nine.’
‘Okay.’
Satnam walked briskly in the same direction from where he had come.