‘Did you say that you were waiting?’

‘I said so many times! But if someone pretends not to hear –’ Hong looked at her. ‘We have to live, Mei Hang! Have you seen our people? They are dying inside. It is you who can bring them to life. Bring back your smile, Mei Hang.’

‘Just give me a little more time, Hong.’

In the midst of lifelessness, a small bud of hope was trying to bloom.

In the jail at Nowgong, pandemonium reigned. Shrieks of fear could be heard from the women’s enclosure.

‘Fire! Fire!’

A sudden fear gripped the men who sat eating in the courtyard of their enclosure. Leaving their food behind, the men ran to where the women and children were confined. Seeing smoke rise above the walls they began pounding on the doors and shouting for help.

People came running from everywhere as the alarm sounded. Someone opened the gates and the firefighters came to douse the fierce flames. The Chinese men, who had rushed in to help, were held back by the armed guards at gun point.

The train carrying the detainees had come to a halt. Khagen Baishya opened the door and looked out. At a distance, he could make out the twinkling lights of a station.

‘Why has the train stopped here?’ Ameng asked Khagen Baishya.

‘I don’t know. We have not been told everything.’

‘What station is this?’

‘Chaparmukh.’

Chaparmukh! They were close to Silghat!

Most of the detainees, including Yiu Yi’s family, went hurriedly to the windows. Yiu Yi’s youngest uncle lived in Silghat. He and his family would have to board from here. Anjali started crying, ‘Let me have a look. We used to live here.’

But no one boarded the train. There was no sign of anybody outside. Slowly the people who had gathered near the windows returned to their places.

The commotion at Nowgong jail had simmered down. The prisoners returned to their enclosures and the doors to the women’s quarters were closed. The women and children were now sharing space with the men in the open courtyard. Worried and anxious, they were talking amongst themselves. Something dreadful was going to happen, but no one knew what. The officials of the jail did not answer their queries. The standard answer to every question was a curt ‘We don’t know.’

After dusk, the jailer and two other officers came to speak to them.

‘We have orders to take some of you away from here. I’ll read out the list. Those whose names are called out must stand here in a line and the others will have to go back inside the prison.’

The people looked at the officer in confusion.

Should they protest? Should they stand together and say in unison that they wouldn’t go? Would these officers listen? Did they have the authority to decide?