Chapters (53)
- Cover
- Title page
- Prologue
- Part One
- One
- Two
- Three
- Four
- Five
- Six
- Seven
- Eight
- Nine
- Ten
- Part Two
- One
- Two
- Three
- Four
- Five
- Six
- Seven
- Eight
- Nine
- Ten
- Eleven
- Twelve
- Thirteen
- Fourteen
- Fifteen
- Sixteen
- Seventeen
- Eighteen
- Nineteen
- Twenty
- Twenty-one
- Twenty-two
- Twenty-three
- Twenty-four
- Part Three
- One
- Two
- Three
- Four
- Five
- Six
- Seven
- Eight
- Nine
- Ten
- Eleven
- Twelve
- Author’s Note and Acknowledgements
There was nothing one could do. Nothing. The Communist Party was all-powerful in this country. The power to control others’ fates was in the hands of the officials of the Revolutionary Committee. Mei Lin and the others were nothing but particles of dust in this land. They could not prevent the punishment given to Liang Ching Wan, a hard-core Communist and a stern supporter of Chairman Mao.
Mei Lin returned and sat on the bed. She couldn’t sleep anymore.
Liang Ching Wan was being pushed and shoved and taken down the dark road. They looked like phantoms passing through the wild shrubs in the moonlight. No one was talking. After walking for half an hour, they stopped in an isolated place with trees all around. Two other people were already there waiting for them.
They pushed Liang Ching Wan forward with a single thrust.
‘Liang Ching Wan – speak the truth – for what purpose has the Indian government sent you here?’ one of the two people waiting there asked harshly.
Liang Ching Wan looked at the shadowed faces in utter disbelief.
‘Why – why would the Indian government send me, sir?’
‘Don’t you know? Have you not been given the responsibility to send secret information to India?’
‘No one has given me any responsibility. I am a die-hard Communist. Don’t distrust me, sir. I am a well-wisher of this country. When the Chinese origin people of India opposed China in the time of the Sino-Indian war, I wrote in favour of China in the China Review. As a punishment the Indian government seized my account with the Bank of China. They arrested me from Tangra in Calcutta and sent me to jail. This is on the record. Kindly go through it.’ His voice was choked.
‘There is now a black line under your name. Now you too are among the returnees from India who are under suspicion. Speak. Speak the truth.’
‘I am not a spy. I am a supporter of Red China. I am a supporter of the Great Chairman Mao. Please trust me.’
One of the men landed a big blow on Liang Ching Wan. Immediately everyone started beating him. Liang Ching Wan silently bore the torture. Tears rolled down his eyes. In the pale moonlight and mist, he fell onto the ground where death sentences were executed.
The people kicked him a few more times and then, grabbing him by his hair, pulled him up. After kicking him a few more times, they left.