Brij Behari chuckled. Chaddha said, to save Tara the explanation, ‘What if you don’t drop the ballot paper into the box and bring it back with you and then sell it to me? I can go later into the polling booth, where no one watches me, and can stuff one hundred ballots into the box.’
‘My God!’ Narottam said, sighing deeply at the thought. ‘They use such devices to get elected so that they may compete for the chance to serve the country and the people? If so, think about what they won’t stoop to once they get to the assembly and the Parliament? Is this any way to elect a democratic government? A dictatorship would be better than this.’
‘How would we get a dictator?’ Tara asked. ‘Now if we want a dictator, we’ll have to elect one. You mean we give away the right and the opportunity to remove the wrong person should we elect one?’
‘What do you mean by dictatorship?’ Chaddha asked. ‘Is it not the dictatorship of the Congress at present? All governments act more or less dictatorially. The power and rights of any government can be constrained only by that government’s volition and commitment to do so. What else would you call these anti-strike laws? Declaring the RSS to be an unlawful organization, the mass arrest of communists, detaining someone on mere suspicion and preventive detention? What else is the government order not to give jobs to communists? What would you call dismissing five thousand workers from your ordnance factory C on the suspicion of being communists? What else is dictatorship? The question is: What is the class outlook of the government? The dictatorship is of thieves or of the proletariat!’
Narottam noticed that Tara was tired and getting bored. He stood up and said, ‘Bhai, it’s late, I’d better leave. Come, I’ll drop you both at Connaught Place.’
The storm of activity surrounding the elections subsided gradually as did the turmoil caused in Tara’s mind by what Shyama had said. She began to have the same feeling of sympathy for Shyama as one has for a sick family member. She would think, ‘If Mrs De can cause such trouble for De, and if what Mercy said has some truth in it, why can’t Mrs Nath do the same? What
rot has set in the life of Doctor sahib! Feelings of mistrust and bitterness can arise between a couple just on the basis of doubt and suspicion, but those doubts and suspicions can also be dispelled.’
Tara would imagine, ‘What would Mrs Nath be like? Like Mrs De? Mrs De has some reason to complain, what reason could Mrs Nath have? Perhaps she did see me with Doctor sahib.’ Tara was appalled by the thought. She decided, ‘If she suspects something, she must not do so any more. But there has to be an occasion to do so.’
She had made up her mind to somehow meet Mrs Nath, ‘I’d clarify my position at that time.’ Nath had ignored her request to meet bhabhiji. Although she wanted to telephone him and to meet him, she decided against it.
Narottam had taken Tara to the club on the last Saturday of March. When Tara came back home at nine, Purandei told her, ‘The same doctor had come.’
Tara at once rang Nath’s house. The familiar voice of the old peon answered, ‘I am sahib’s chaprasi. Which sahib is calling?’
‘This is Tara Puri speaking. Give the phone to bibiji.’
‘Which bibiji? This is the bungalow of the sahib from Planning.’
‘I know. Call memsahib to the phone.’
‘Huzoor, I don’t understand. Should I get sahib on the phone?’ the peon muttered. Then came Nath’s voice, ‘Hello!’
Tara apologized for not being home and suggested, ‘May I come to your bungalow tomorrow?’
‘Have you got the car? And have you learned to drive?’
‘Not yet. Narottam said that the one I had in mind was not the right choice. I’ll come by taxi.’
‘Hmm. It’s very far. You don’t know the area. I’ll come by tomorrow afternoon.’
Tara reminded Nath, ‘Achcha, listen, you have to bring bhabhiji along. You haven’t introduced me to her yet. I’ll not accept any excuses. You must bring her.’
‘All right. I’ll come tomorrow by four.’
‘Don’t forget to bring bhabhiji.’
‘All right. I’ll try.’
‘Not only try. I’ll be waiting for her.’
‘All right.’
Tara made preparations with great enthusiasm to receive Nath. That evening and the next day also she thought carefully about explaining
everything in a way to clear the air. Her father’s high regard for Nath, about her own working as a tutor at the mansion. ‘I’ve known Doctor sahib since I was this small.’
Nath arrived alone.
When Tara expressed her disappointment at not seeing bhabhiji with him, Nath smiled cryptically, ‘All right, next time.’
Her attempts to meet bhabhiji would be in vain, decided Tara. Nath did not want her to meet his wife. ‘But what can I do? Being insistent wouldn’t be good manners,’ she thought. ‘Their relations may have become so bad that Doctor sahib finds it beneath his dignity even to talk about it. Perhaps he’s given up all hope. Maybe he was hurried into marrying her, and now can’t stand her. If so, he made a blunder. But how could he?’
The storm of excitement caused by the elections was finally over. The castles in the air built by some people about the downfall of the Congress government were blown away like wisps of mist. Congress ministries were formed in all the states of India. In Parliament, thirty out of the 500 MPs were communists and socialists. The Communist Party of India was no longer banned. Communists and socialists had also been elected to the state assemblies. The Congress had a decisive majority in all state assemblies, but the number of people who were critical of its policies had vastly increased. After a few weeks, everything reverted to normal. The future of the five year plan, and the efforts to ensure its success were frequent topics of conversation in the government circles. Tara had been transferred to the ministry of trade and commerce.
Narottam rang Tara one evening, ‘Daddy would like to meet Dr Nath. He has old business relations with Nath’s family firm Gopal Shah & Sons. Daddy wanted to know if it would be better to invite Nath for dinner or for tea. If Nath takes drink-
wink
, dinner would be better. You are also invited.’
Tara had no idea about Nath taking drink-wink. Perhaps he does, she thought, after spending so much time in England. She told Narottam, ‘If you want me to come, make it tea.’
Narottam said, ‘Sister Mercy had mentioned Mrs Nath. It would be proper to invite her too.’
‘Yes, certainly,’ Tara agreed.
The invitation from Mr Agarwal was for Sunday evening. Tara could not suppress her glee as she thought, ‘That’s good. Now Doctor sahib will have
to bring his wife. Let me meet her once. I’ll take care of the rest.’
Tara arrived at AA on Sunday before Nath. As soon as he saw her, Narottam grumbled, ‘What made Sister and you imagine the existence of Mrs Nath?’
‘What do you mean imagine?’
‘Daddy said to Dr Nath on telephone, “Do bring Mrs Nath along.” The doctor was taken by surprise. He replied, “There’s no Mrs Nath. I am not married.”’
Tara was nonplussed. Hiding her confusion behind a smile, she said, ‘You yourself had said that Sister had mentioned something about Mrs Nath.’ But thought to herself, ‘I must find out what’s going on. Doctor sahib did say “my bibi doesn’t have such good taste”. He had also promised to introduce me to her. This is turning out to be a mystery.’
Mr Agarwal welcomed Nath amiably. He brought up the subject of his old relations with Nath’s family business, and that he had met Nath’s father Devi Lal Shah in Lahore. He told Nath that he had bought stocks of sugar this year also from Sonwan and Gadari mills. Mr Agarwal had many questions about new business opportunities in private and public sectors under the five-year plan.
Mrs Agarwal jumped in the conversation with a word of praise for Tara, ‘She’s such a fine girl. She’s like my younger sister. She loves our children. She stayed with us for six months. The children got very attached to her and listened only to her. When she told us that she had been the children’s governess in your family, we thought, “Who could be a better candidate?”’
‘Children’s governess?’ Nath said in a tone of surprise. ‘She has been the governor of many mother centres.’
Mr and Mrs Agarwal laughed heartily at Nath’s comment. Encouraged by her remark being turned into a joke, Mrs Agarwal continued, ‘But I’ll say a thousand times that she is not at all snobbish like a government official. She was in such a miserable condition when I first met her at the camp.’
Tara quickly looked at Nath, but his eyes were elsewhere, as if he was willing himself not to look at her. He absently took out a cigarette case from his pocket and held it open for Mr Agarwal.
Mr Agarwal slid a tin of 555 towards Nath, ‘Here, the cigarettes were right in front of you.’
‘You go ahead. I’m used to Capstan,’ Nath’s thoughts were somewhere else.
Mrs Agarwal prattled on, ‘I said to Rawat Sahib that she’s such a talented girl.’
As Nath got up to take leave of the hosts, he asked Tara, ‘You’ll stay behind or can I drop you at your place?’
Tara also took leave of Mrs And Mr Agarwal.
As the car reached the road, Nath said, ‘What a comic situation you put me into! Who is Mrs Nath? Who else have you told about this?’
‘You’re bad. I won’t speak with you,’ Tara blurted out. Despite the feeling of having said something rude, she added, ‘You have fooled me for so long.’
‘It was I who was made a fool of. You got even with me. But how did you believe it without having any doubts about it? You’re quite sharp otherwise.’
‘Didn’t you say to me that “my
bibi
doesn’t have such good taste” and that you’ll introduce me to bhabhiji?’
‘Arey, I meant old Bhoop Singh, my peon. Kothari calls him my bibi. The servant I had stole some stuff and ran away. Bhoop Singh said that he’d cook for me and clean the house. He now lives at my place.’
‘But when I practically implored you that I wanted to meet bhabhiji, why didn’t you explain,’ Tara protested.
‘It was pointless for you to ask. I would have told you myself. What haven’t I shared with you. You really imagined things.’
Tara had no anger left in her. The joy in her heart made her feel as if she was floating. She said, ‘Should you make a fool of someone just because that person trusts you?’ She looked at Nath for answer. The car was not on ground, it was airborne!
‘It was I who was the butt of the joke. And what was that Mrs Agarwal said? Why were you in the camp?’
‘She was right.’
‘In the camp? Not with your own family or with your in-laws? Why?’
‘I have no sasural.’
‘What do you mean?’
They had reached Tara’s flat. She said, ‘I’ll tell you when we are home.’
THOUGH PURI AND NAYYAR HAD BECOME AMIABLE TOWARDS EACH OTHER
during the court case against Rikhiram, Puri found it increasingly hard at times to maintain their relationship. He could not help but smell haughtiness in Nayyar’s attitude, and that feeling brought up bitter memories from the time before Partition.
Puri had a love–hate relationship with Nayyar. He had been able to get Kanak despite Nayyar’s opposition, and had been the winner in that contest between the two of them. The court case against Rikhiram had happened just when Puri had been ready to forgive Nayyar in the victor’s pride, and he had again found himself under Nayyar’s obligation, even having to flatter him. This niggled Puri. He would console himself, ‘It’s not such a big deal. Kanta is elder to Kanak, and Nayyar is my senior in age because of that relationship. It was his duty to help me and Kanak.’ Still, he wanted to do something more for Nayyar to level the score.
It was January of 1950. Puri arrived at Nayyar’s house early in the morning on a Sunday. Since Nayyar did not have to go to the court and it was very cold, he was still in bed sipping tea to fully rouse himself. In a gesture of closeness, Puri sat on the bed.
Kanta asked, ‘How’s Babli? Was she up? What was Kanak doing? You came so early in this cold. What’s the matter?’
Puri explained that he was on his way to Sood’s house and that it was best to go early in the morning if one wanted to be alone with Sood. He looked at Nayyar and said, ‘Jijaji, the government is going to hire two more lawyers in the Majana case. Trilok Chand Bagga is also trying to get hired. I had spoken with Soodji about you. How about going with me to meet Soodji? Personal contact makes a lot of difference.’
‘I’ve never visited Sood for any reason until now,’ Nayyar said, pulling the quilt up to his shoulders. ‘It’d seem as flattery to go and see him about the hiring. Anyway, what’s my claim? Bagga has been a Congresswallah for the past two years.’
‘You don’t bother about that,’ Puri said to assure him.
‘Thanks for thinking of me, but, my friend, such flattery is beyond me,’ Nayyar said.
Kanta said in support of Puri as she handed him a cup of tea, ‘What’s flattery in this? Don’t you go to meet your other clients?’
Puri could not help feeling piqued. He wanted to get up and leave without drinking his tea, but he controlled his anger. For a few minutes he pretended to play with Nano to hide his feelings, then said jokingly to Nayyar, ‘I disturbed your sleep by arriving so early in the morning. Treat it as intermission. Now you can have a matinee session.’
Kanta asked Puri to stay a little longer, but he refused, and left.
On his return home, Puri vented his irritation on Kanak, ‘Nayyar acts so high and mighty, as if the minister should have gone to him to beg him to take up the case, or as if I would have not given him his share of the fee. You had said that the family was facing tough times. He’s reduced to appearing in the court for a fee of ten or twenty rupees, but is snooty as ever. In Lahore he used to flaunt his family’s wealth, but that was hardly any achievement.’
Kanak said to placate him, ‘That’s in his nature. Don’t let that bother you.’
Nayyar had, indeed, been facing financial difficulties after the Partition. Although he had received the jewellery and bonds from his bank locker and his and Rajendra’s claims for Rs 60,000 each had also been approved, living in the cramped Mandi Bazaar accommodation had become increasingly difficult. He had purchased in an auction, in lieu of his claim, a plot of land in the New Area near the courthouse. People buying land on the basis of claims would bid three, even four times the market price. There was little hope of receiving cash from the government in payment for their claims. They thought it to be a deal if they could get four annas worth out of a rupee. Nayyar too had bought the land after bidding Rs 90,000 for a plot worth Rs 30,000.
Puri and Nayyar’s other friends were against his buying the land at an inflated price, but Nayyar was desperate for a house of his own. He had sold off virtually everything he owned to build the house, and when he ran short of cash, had taken a loan with the plot of land as a collateral, on which he had to pay interest. His law practice, by local standards, was not doing badly and he managed to make around six hundred a month. But in Lahore only the rental income had been about 400 rupees per month, and he had not mended his ways after coming to Jalandhar. Puri wanted the
satisfaction of doing something to help Nayyar, but felt that Nayyar would rather suffer a loss than take help or advice from him.
Any indication of bad blood between Puri and Nayyar became a cause of worry for Kanak, Kanta and the rest of the family.
Usha had not been able to continue her studies at Sonwan. After the family had moved to Jalandhar, Puri had got her admitted in the second year of the Intermediate course so that she would not lose a year at school. That had been done without much problem as the rules had been relaxed due to disorder that followed the Partition, but Usha had to put an extra effort to prepare for the exam and Puri had to hire a tutor for her. Having jumped a year had left its mark. In BA, Usha had to work hard again to keep up with the rest of the class. As Masterji’s house in Basti Nigar Khan had no electricity, Usha had moved to her brother’s house in Vikrampura to be able to study at night. Just before her exam, Rajendra Nayyar, now a lieutenant in the army came to Jalandhar on three week’s leave. Rajendra was acquainted with Kanak, and at times came to meet his sister-in-law’s sister.
Rajendra had passed his BA exam in 1946. He was interested in everything but studies. Since he had barely managed to pass in the third division, he could not muster the courage to join MA. He had hoped to start some business with the help from family contacts or get a decent job. He could also depend on income from the family property. The Partition, however, changed the situation.
After the Partition, for six months Rajendra had made every effort to find work that would earn him a reasonable income. His brother had been trying to establish his law practice in Jalandhar and had much to worry about his own finances. How could Rajendra borrow money from him to start any business? In early 1948 he applied for a commission in the army. He was a healthy, smart and sharp young man, he got through.
Rajendra threw himself wholeheartedly in army training. He had matured a great deal after he was commissioned as a second lieutenant in 1950. Kanak found him to be more agreeable than before, and did not mind his chatting with Usha.
Usha, who was nearing twenty, was not any less beautiful than her sister. Her features may not have been as chiselled, but she was vivacious and cheeky. Since she had been spared the constant scrutiny of gali neighbours when growing up, her behaviour was not as cautious and timid as her sister’s. At the time of their third meeting, Usha had reciprocated the message in
the eyes of Rajendra. Kanak also had guessed the chemistry between them.
Kanak said to Puri, ‘They like each other. What better match could there be for Usha? Mother and pitaji are unlikely to have any objection.’
Puri had no objection either, but he said, ‘It’s not a good thing for them to meet so often. Let Rajendra speak first with his brother and bhabhi. You don’t say anything. You know Nayyar’s nature. He’ll think that we are currying favour since his brother will soon be promoted to captain. Let them broach the subject. The wedding can take place in summer once Usha is through with her exams.’
Kanak could have spoken to Kanta just as to Nayyar, but did not mention the subject even to her sister because Puri had asked her not to. She did not want to undermine Puri’s feeling of self-respect by being the first to broach the subject. Four months later, Rajendra was back in Jalandhar, this time on a leave for six weeks. He had seldom come to Jalandhar in the past years. He was posted at Bareilly Cantonment, and usually spent his leave at Nainital or Mussourie. But this year he had come to Jalandhar even in summer. He showed up every evening at Kanak’s house in Model Town. Usha was on preparatory leave before her exams.
Rajendra now liked to speak mostly in English, and had a different attitude. He would tell Kanak and Puri without dilly-dallying, ‘We’ll go and catch a movie.’ Or ‘Bhabhiji has invited Usha for tea.’
Usha could hardly study in such circumstances. Her eyes and the look on her face belied any interest in the course books. Her face would fall if Kanak did not give her permission to go out. Kanak would then have to say, ‘Achcha, don’t be late.’
A thought ran through Kanak’s mind, ‘I had to go to meet Puri secretly only a few years previously. How bold the new generation has become. Why should I not let them go out together?’ But she would also tell Usha and Rajendra casually, ‘There’ll be plenty of time for movies and for going out after exams. Let her first get over with that.’
Puri would fume at Usha’s outings and say to Kanak, ‘People in the city know us. It’s not proper for them to go around openly like this. If Rajendra is so impatient, why doesn’t he get married and have the problem over and done with. And if his family is interested, why don’t they approach us? The boy’s family doesn’t have to worry about their reputation. It’s we, the girl’s family, who have to worry about getting a bad name.’
Kanak was surprised to hear that, ‘Why do you say that?’
Puri was annoyed, ‘You begin to argue about everything without looking at the implications.’
Just then a visitor named Gyaniji called Puri’s name. Kanak had to remain quiet, but that evening she did not allow Usha to go out with Rajendra.
It was the fifth week of Rajendra’s stay in Jalandhar and hardly a day had gone by when he had not come to see Usha. Next time Rajendra came, Kanak called him to come to the veranda to speak to him.
‘What are your intentions?’ Kanak asked. ‘Is it proper for you two to go out so often?’
‘Do you have any objection? Yes, we want to get married,’ Rajendra replied without hesitation.
Kanak said, suppressing her smile, ‘Dear boy, if you want to marry her, you should go about doing it properly. Have you spoken with jijaji and bahinji?’
‘What objection could they have? It’s I who will decide. My brother did say, “Usha has said yes. If her family agrees, so much the better.” I have full confidence that a person as nice as you would be glad to see others happy.’
‘Do you learn to use weapons in the army or wag your tongue?’ Kanak chided. ‘Bahinji did not say anything to me about this.’
‘What was the point in doing so?’ Rajendra said. ‘We can’t get married for a while. When I go back I will apply for the permission to get married. It could take three to four months. I won’t be entitled for leave of absence before April or May of next year. What’s the use of a short leave for a couple of days? We would like to go to Kashmir for our honeymoon.’ He smiled.
Kanak said, ‘Next year is fine, but there should be some basis for you two to go on seeing each other. If you have taken a decision, why not get engaged.’
‘Why do we need that formality?’ Rajendra said. ‘We’ll have the wedding as soon as it is convenient.’
‘Engagement is also a part of marriage. What’s your objection to it? You’ll remain aware of your responsibility.’
‘I have no objection if you want it that way,’ Rajendra said, raising his finger. ‘But then you or bhai sahib should not say that it is not right for Usha to meet her fiancé before the wedding. People with old ideas do not think that to be proper. Now we can go on meeting as friends.’
‘Achcha, we won’t object, but the engagement must be announced. And you have to tell this to bahinji today, or I won’t let you see Usha.’
‘I’ll definitely tell her tonight, but bahinji, this evening…’
‘Un-uh,’ Kanak shook her head.
‘Bahinji, please!’ Rajendra joined his hands and pleaded. ‘You are so good.’
‘Get lost! Don’t be late,’ Kanak said, hoping Puri would not notice them going out together.
In the evening of the third day when Kanta came to visit Kanak, the sisters sat alone together. Kanak said, ‘Bahinji, it’d be wonderful to have this relationship, but if you had such an idea you should have given me some hint.’
Kanta said apologetically, ‘I don’t have to tell you that your jijaji also approves of this match with Usha. The important thing is that if Rajendra is happy, we are happy. I asked your jijaji if I should speak to Kanni or Puri. You know how blunt he can be. He said, “Don’t be the first to broach the subject. We are facing difficult times, and Puri has become a man of high status. What if he pooh-poohed the idea? Maybe he is trying to fix up his sister with the son of some minister or big industrialist. Let the boy and the girl decide themselves.” What could I do?’
Kanak said crossly, ‘Bahinji, it’s not fair. Why should jijaji say such things about Puriji? He has such deep respect for jijaji.’
Kanta agreed, ‘You’re right. I said the same to your jiajji to his face, but didn’t tell you till now thinking that you’d mind. Well, let’s forget it.’
Kanak did not let on what Puri had said to her. ‘What’s the use,’ she thought. ‘Hope the bad blood between them won’t last.’ But she felt hurt that she was not able to criticize her husband as frankly as her sister had criticized hers. She knew the reason was Puri’s inferiority complex.
Rajendra and Usha got engaged before he went back after his leave. After the ceremony, Puri and Nayyar hugged each other like close relatives.
Puri returned from Simla after the first session of the assembly was over. Nayyar and Kanta came to Model Town in the evening to meet him and to discuss the wedding plans. Rajendra had written that he had been granted leave from the third week of June, and that the wedding should take place by the end of June. Kanak wanted to show off the lawn and the flowers that she had planted in the garden of the bungalow. It was the beginning of May. She had chairs placed for them to sit in the lawn owing to the heat.
Nayyar thought that Puri’s behaviour had changed in the past two
months. He seemed preoccupied with his own thoughts, and would look away momentarily before speaking. Nayyar was fond of Simla, and wanted to know about the city,