After dusk, even the non-Chinese were not allowed to use the lane leading to the cowshed. Only the magistrates and the people who took custody of the Chinese people’s properties were moving around.

People like Bholu Singh, Ramlal the village headman and a few others were taking charge of the properties of their much-loved neighbours with heavy hearts.

Chinese soldiers had been captured. Chinese spies had been arrested, too.

There were rumours doing the rounds. Some people gathered at the entrance of the lane to look at the so-called spies. Some of the onlookers resisted the urge to attack the Chinese enemies who were coming in the open trucks. Any moment, the crowd could transform into a mob.

In all of Cheenapatti, only two people were happy today. They were Thakur Prasad and Rajendra. They were stealthily moving about in the neighbourhood. There was no one who could stop them now.

Chitta and Johori Khan’s shops were closed. Both of them were standing gloomily at the entrance of the lane. Ananta was beside them. All his doubts had cleared, especially the ones about his love for Ahlin. More intense was the sense of guilt. The guilt of spitting on the lane, showing his hatred. Now there was nothing he could do.

The Chinese people of Makum had become the people of the enemy camp, a threat to the security of India. He tried to enter the lane but returned, getting a strong reproof from the armed guards.

Trucks were entering the gully, one after another, the captives looking around in total confusion, trying to figure out where they had been brought.

Seeing Liang and Tung Chin on a truck, Chitta got carried away. He ran after it, calling out their names.

The onlookers reacted in different ways. Some were sad, some angry and others made sarcastic comments.

Rameswar came running to Chitta.

‘What’s happening here?’

‘They are arresting the Chinese. Everyone, including the hostel boys.’

‘Why? What had happened?’

‘I don’t know. Everyone is saying that they have captured Chinese soldiers and spies. But whom have they caught? Are Tung Chin and the others spies?’ Johori Khan said.

‘This must be something very serious. They arrested Narayan too, a little while ago.’

‘But why?’

‘I don’t know. They have arrested many others. I have heard they are arresting the Communists too.’

‘What will happen now? What should we do?’

Yiu Yi’s mother had just returned from Ledo. She was pleading with the armed guards to let her go into the lane. Chitta and the others went to placate her. Seeing them, she cried out.

‘They are not letting me go in. What has gone wrong? What will I do now?’

‘Hey, you. Move back,’ one of the armed guards shouted.

‘Let her go. Her house is on this lane. She has little children. Please let her go, sir,’ Johori Khan pleaded.