‘Just wait for a moment. Let me finish this. It won’t take much time. These people have the same problem. They don’t know their addresses. I’ve tried to find out the districts and the post offices. I don’t know whether these letters will reach their destination.’ After finishing his work, he sat down with Mei Lin to sort out the problem.

After the letter writing was over, everyone in Wing 5 sat down, somewhat joyfully, to eat dinner. All the children were busy playing games, with chocolates in their hands, courtesy the Red Cross. The men got to smoke cigarettes after a long time and were chatting happily. The elderly sat playing Mahjong.

After many days, it seemed that the hands of time were turning again. A soft breeze had lightened the air of Deoli camp, heavy for so long with tears and sighs.

Smiling to herself, Mei Lin sat down to write her own letter.

Two

Two

Ameng and his team were playing volleyball in Wing 5. The fiery hot day had started to cool down.

A visible change had come over the camp. The internees had received some more amenities. The government officials no longer treated them the way they used to.

The young boys now played volleyball every evening. The little ones would sit around Yiu Yi’s grandfather to listen to stories while the women busied themselves with household chores.

These days, a boy named Chun Fu Thien from Wing 3, whose father was Chinese and mother Lepcha, came to play volleyball, and so did another boy named Ting Mok Kong from Wing 4; he was from a rich family in Shillong. They had become very friendly with the young boys from Wing 5 and, in fact, were very popular with everyone because of their jolly nature. Chun Fu Thien was also a proficient singer and was adept at playing the Chinese er hu. He enlivened the atmosphere whenever he visited Wing 5.

As the boys played, Mei Hang and her friends, Yunlin and Wai Kwan, came out with their babies.