He continued, "The deaths came together. Death was everywhere. The question is 'why us' made no sense."
"Preeti Bhaabi is gone. I don't know how and where Hukmi is, the bloody cowards," said Rahim and exhaled.
Jagat and Rahim slept at the khooh and in the morning they relived themselves in the fields, bathed at the challah and walked home. The car had undergone its Sunday ritual of Sameer and his brothers dusting it and running the engine for a few minutes. Ruhi poured fresh yogurt in brass bowls for the two men and offered it with the pranthas which were made by Seeto.
"Rahim Bhaaji, I've put radish and other greens in the pranthas, I hope you like them," said Seeto.
"Seeto Bhaabi, they are delicious like Preeti Bhabi's and Hukmi's," tears welling up in his eyes.
During partition's hate and violence otherness had threatened to subsume him but Jagat's home he belonged to India, India to him. From the death and gore of the months past his thoughts turned to life. He noticed little Hassan paying, Jagat had told him Hassan's story.
"Jagat do you remember your offer to let me adopt Sameer? How about giving me Hassan?"
"No, no body is taking him from me: he's special because I found him the day I lost Beeru and Preeti."
In the dusterd and washed old Fiat Jagat and Rahim set off for the Moustachioed's Mansion, their first stop of the day. The new childless couple, tenants at the bungalow, the wife a former student of the Mustachioed, had brought tthe place alive and its elegance of the bygone days had returned. Despite being in a hurry to reach Zillapur Rahim watched Jagat linger over snacks reminiscing about Mustachioed, Preeti and his introduction to them and the bungalow. Rahim detected in Jagat's words a hint of regret for how Preeti had to labour alone managing the family as he courted imprisonment after imprisonment for the country's independence.
The next stop was Zillapur. In Jagat's mind Ram had come to symbolise all that was wrong with the Congress and where the country was headed and he shared his thoughts with Rahim.
"You are too harsh with Ram. After two hundred years' slavery righting the country's ship is bound to take some time," said Rahim as they entered Zillapur.
"I disagree!" said Jagat but dropped the argument.
As the Fiat drove into the mansion Jagat could see over a dozen men on the lawn.
"Papa ji, Rahim Taya," shouted Teg as he ran to greet them.
"What are they waiting for?" pointing to the men Jagat asked.
"Ram's help to bribe officials, police and judges."
"Teg, take Rahim Taya in," said Jagat as he walked away to the room-cum-office that once housed Eesa and his paltry possessions.
Men sat, most looking down at the lawn or at the office door. The night was threatening an imminent descent into darkness. Without knocking on the oor Jagat walked into the room and saw Ram, steel glass in his hand, talking to a man. Jagat asked the man to leave the room and closed the door behind him.
"Who was he? Who're all the other men sitting outside and why the hell is this room reeking of alcohol? The last I checked this wasn't a pub," said Jagat.
Startled, placing the glass on the table Ram stood up and said, "Some need help with government business, other for legal matters. They pay me and I pay judges and others and I'm shocked you don't know that and that you'd think I'd do it for charity."
"They are all clients, Ram? This is what it has come to huh? We fought for independence so that people would pay bribes to get government business done? Huh?"
Before Ram could utter even a word more Jagat said,
"Hand over me the keys. I don't want to ever see your damn face in this house."
"Naths wished for the mansion to be turned over to Congress."
"They vested the discretion in me and there's no such direction in the Trust. And believing in Sham and that there would be a modicum of goodness left in the Congress, Preeti allowed it to use this one room. The Congress beggaring those begging for help wasn't the Naths' idea of the Congress they wanted to help."
Ram stood there, Jagat opened the door, walked out and said the men waiting out on the lawn,
"Sorry folks, Ram Kumar will tell you where he'll see you but it won't be here." Walking back in Jagat shut the door and said,
"The damn keys?" Ram handed them to Jagat saying, "You're insane. I'll see you in court."
"That's the only way you'll ever see me; you killed your siblings and now you're fleecing the meek, the weak and the poor...," Jagat's voice trailed.
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