‘Your father-in-law has done this. I know for sure.’

Mei Lin did not react. She entered her room and looked around. Then she opened her wooden cupboard and took out the leather purse that Pulok had given her and the carved wooden box that her father had given her. She put them in a small bag. She also put in it a small brass pot of vermillion. She removed their wedding photograph from the photo frame, rolled it in a piece of paper and put it inside the bag. Then she turned to her mother-in-law and said softly, ‘If I’ve done anything wrong, please forgive me. And tell your son, too.’

‘Don’t say things like that! You will come back soon, child. As soon as Pulok is back, I’ll send him to the police station. He will get you released. Don’t worry.’

Mei Lin said nothing. Pulok’s mother put a few essentials in the bag, weeping all the while. When Mei Lin got ready to leave, she embraced her and cried.

‘All this has happened because of your father-in-law. I know. What will I say to you, child?’

Mei Lin gently removed herself from the embrace and said, ‘They have arrested me because I am Chinese. What is his fault?’

Kneeling to bow in obeisance to her mother-in-law, Mei Lin calmly walked out of the room.

Pulok was on his way home from Tung Chin’s house at that very moment. He had heard that his Chinese friends who were arrested would be taken to Cheenapatti. He had decided to go there after meeting Mei Lin. As he approached his house, he saw the police jeep drive out. Getting off his bicycle, he watched in surprise. Why had the police come to their house?

Mei Lin!

Mei Lin saw Pulok and called out to him.

‘Who is that man?’

‘He is my husband. Please stop the car for a moment. Let me say goodbye to him before I go.’

The magistrate looked at the policemen. It was risky to stop the car. Pulok could create problems. The villagers might also come out. There was every possibility that the situation might go out of hand.

‘Let me just talk to him once. Please stop the car for a minute. I haven’t committed any crime. Why don’t you try to understand? He is my husband. My –’

Ignoring Mei Lin’s desperate pleas, the jeep sped ahead.

Nineteen

Nineteen

The gate of the huge Chowkhani cowshed had been closed.

Inside was a spacious courtyard, a small house on the right to store tea seeds and a big cowshed in the front. The house and the cowshed had been emptied today. The entire premises were filled with the Chinese detainees.

People squatted in the courtyard. Most of them were talking impatiently. Some were crying. Every now and then, the gate was opened to let in more captives.

Cheenapatti was absolutely quiet now.