‘That’s true, sir. They cried a lot. We had to pull them away by force. Some of them didn’t have any idea what was happening. When we went to arrest them they asked why we were arresting them. They don’t know the Chinese language. They have not even seen China. They don’t even look Chinese,’ another sub-inspector added.

‘Forget about it. You have only done your duty. Now bring them in. Otherwise it will take us till morning to finish.’

The first to come in was Liang. Looking at him, the officer’s face turned gloomy. A very familiar face! A very popular footballer!

‘Sit down, Liang.’

Liang slowly sat down on the chair and looked at the floor.

‘Let me see your papers.’

Liang handed over his papers. The officer glanced at the papers and then looked at Liang with surprise.

‘I thought you were an Indian citizen.’

Liang said nothing.

After examining the papers, the officer asked Liang, ‘Why did you all do such a thing?’

‘Meaning?’

‘Your year of birth is 1941, your brother’s is 1938, and your father came here in 1932. And yet you did not take up Indian citizenship! Why? Was it because you hoped to go back to China some day?’

Endless grief filled Liang’s eyes. Meanwhile, Pulok had entered the room and stood near the officer. He intervened.

‘Don’t say that, sir.’

The officer looked up at Pulok. He knew of Pulok and his friendship with Liang, as members of the same club.

‘Oh, it’s you! Why have you come inside?’

‘Please let Liang go, sir. He has not done anything wrong. These people are not aware of anything, sir. I know them very well. They are not our enemies. They are not Chinese spies. They are our own people, sir.’

Pulok was overwhelmed. Liang looked at him for some time, then lowered his gaze. The room fell silent.

‘Why do you think they have been arrested for spying? We have brought them here just to shift them to a safer place. Don’t worry. Your friends will be safe. You better go now. CID people are roaming around. If they come to know that you have pleaded for their release, they will put you in jail under the security act. Do you understand? Please leave now.’

The officer resumed his work. But Pulok did not leave. He stood in a corner and watched. At that moment, Robin got down from a jeep in front of the police station, frustrated, exhausted and shattered.

He had just arrived at Doom Dooma with a contingent from Tezu. Without glancing at anyone, he walked into the police station compound. He had just returned from the war fields of the distant mountains, leaving behind his fellow soldiers, who had died fighting.

Robin entered the officer-in-charge’s room. Seeing him, Pulok’s face brightened.