Yiu Yi’s mother walked towards the station. Many families were also going to the station with their luggage. They were shifting to a safer place as they feared the Chinese army could reach the area any moment. From the opposite direction, an armed patrol group was approaching them. Yiu Yi’s mother continued to walk but with a feeling of uneasiness.

By the time she reached Ledo, the situation in Makum had become grim. The number of police patrolling the roads had increased rather significantly, and so had the number of government vehicles on the roads.

The children of Cheenapatti had been attending school regularly, but they had lost all interest in their studies. Everyone could sense that something was wrong. When they asked the elders what was happening, they did not get answers. The saddest and most worried were the hostel boarders. Anjali and Mei Ho, who stayed with their relatives, were miserable too, as no one had come from their homes to take them as yet.

‘Why are so many soldiers walking on the streets? They stared at me when I was on my way to school. I felt so scared! I just shut my eyes and ran away,’ Anjali said.

‘They stared at me too. Oh, I’m so frightened!’ said Mei Ho.

‘I have also met a lot of soldiers. They have big rifles,’ Yiu Yi joined in.

‘Is it? Oh God! Did they say anything to you?’

‘No, they didn’t. They had moustaches this big and big eyes too. They looked like the Durga puja demon,’ Yiu Yi giggled.

The other children joined her but their mirth was muted.

‘Maa asked me not to go to school,’ Yiu Yi said. ‘But I came anyway. Yunlin ache gave birth to a little girl last night. How cute she is! Maa has gone to inform her in-laws. She will come back in the evening.’

As Ling Kwang Tung entered the classroom, the children took out their books. The teacher looked grim and worried. After roll call, he went to the blackboard absentmindedly. Writing in the Chinese script, he looked back at the children and said, ‘Repeat after me, “Ni hao ma?”’

‘Ni hao ma?’ the children said.

‘Ni hao ma means “How are you?” Do you understand?’

‘Yes, sir,’ the children answered in unison.

‘Anjali, did you understand? No? In Assamese it would be “Aapuni kaney ase?”. Yes?’

‘Yes, sir,’ Anjali answered.

‘Now say in Chinese: “What is your name?” Ko Fuk, you tell me.’

Ko Fuk stood up and tried to put the words together.

‘Ni jiao shenme mingzi?’

‘Good. Now children, open your books. We won’t do anything new today. We will read from the earlier chapters. Ko Fuk, come here and read this story out for everyone.’