twenty

Warren Hastings had gone back to Calcutta, and had taken with him Rama’s peace of mind. His desire for revenge burned in him. He would go to Calcutta. But first, Rama had to go home. He would need money for the journey and he also had to see his wife and son. After his bath, Rama cadged a lift on a cart to Chitoor. It was evening when he rode into the city. He was completely unprepared for what happened next. Sitting in the garden outside his in-laws’ house, was Mohan.

‘I thought you were going to stay with your family?’ was the first thing he said as Rama came through the gate.

‘Yes. Um … why did you return?’ Rama asked, embarrassed.

‘I came back for my crossbow. Rama, why did you lie to me?’

‘Because I knew you would never let me go alone,’ Rama said.

‘So I take it you have finally finished?’ Mohan asked Rama.

‘No. He has gone back to Calcutta. That’s where I’m going.’

‘When are we leaving?’ Mohan asked him.

Rama smiled. Some things would never change.

The next morning, Rama awoke and asked his wife to go for a walk with him. Sita was a little apprehensive; he had never made such a request before.

‘Is something wrong?’ she asked him. ‘You’re going away again, aren’t you?’

Rama had told her last night that Haider Ali was dead and then shown her his father’s letter.

‘Yes, I am,’ he replied.

‘Where to this time?’

Rama hesitated, ‘Calcutta. Hastings has left Madras.’

‘How long will you be gone?’

‘I don’t know, Sita. It might be a while.’

Sita walked on for many minutes in silence, assimilating all this information. As her parents’ house came into view, she turned to her husband. ‘You have a family. If something should happen to you, my life will be over. And your son will grow up an orphan. Have you thought about this?’

‘I have to do this, Sita,’ Rama replied simply. ‘I’ll be fine. Nothing’s going to happen to me.’

‘I’m just scared for you.’

‘Don’t be. I will come back to you, I promise.’

Rama and Mohan began their journey the next morning. They had decided to ride to Madras and then take a ship to Calcutta. It was late night when they reached Madras, too late to find any ship. They rode down Clive Street towards the harbour. It was filthy, with rats scurrying everywhere and the smell of stale sweat and dead fish. On the dock, they found a little inn where they took a room. They spent the night there and the next morning, after breakfast, they went out in search of a ship that would take them to Calcutta.

It took them a while. Most of the ships they approached were heading eastward. Finally, they found a tiny cargo boat that was carrying rice to Calcutta. The captain was willing to take them for one gold piece each. They bargained hard and at the end, settled on one gold piece for both of them and their horses. The boat was sailing in the afternoon, so they had time to go back to their inn and get their belongings.

The tide came in at two-thirty, and they set sail. Rama was determined to write the final chapter in Warren Hastings’ life.