Alan took me to a house on the outskirts of Guwahati. There an unthinkable past was waiting to be discovered anew. I entered the house with Alan, only to stumble upon a strange realignment of identities.

‘This is Robin’s house. Now Pulok lives here with him,’ Alan told me. ‘None of our friends come here, other than me. They don’t know that Pulok lives here. After receiving news that Mei Lin had left for China, Pulok did not return to Doom Dooma. No one knew where he had gone. We lived with our grandparents after our father was sent to jail. We never got a chance to return to Makum. After many years, I met Ananta when I came to Cotton College for my daughter’s admission. Ananta was teaching at Cotton College at the time. He’s the one who brought me here.

I don’t know how Robin found out Pulok. I don’t want to ask. I have heard that after the death of Pulok’s mother, his father came to Robin’s house to meet Pulok. He cried a lot but Pulok did not talk to him. Minaram Baruah died many years back. I have heard that he became completely lonely in the last part of his life. His daughters also did not keep in touch.

They come to visit Pulok sometimes. But he doesn’t talk to them. He eats if a meal is served or he just sits quietly. He rebukes Robin. Sometimes he cries. He needs to be watched over always, or he just leaves the house and goes away for hours. And for this reason, Robin never married. You have done a great job, Arunabh. I never dreamt that I would hear about Mei Lin and the others one day. I will go see all of them. Take Pulok there if possible.’

We entered the house. In a room inside was Pulok. But it wasn’t him. It was his shadow. Robin and Ananta were with him. I told them about Mei Lin and the others.

*

‘Wong Mei Lin.’ Hearing her mother’s name being called, Lailin looked up from Arunabh’s book. Lifting her mother’s head from her shoulder, she said softly, ‘Get up, Maa. Your name has been called.’

At that very moment, the plane carrying Arunabh touched down on the runway of Hong Kong Airport.

Twelve

Twelve

Hong Kong.

The bright and beautiful island to which Mei Lin had escaped as the Cultural Revolution was drawing to a close. She came to find freedom for Lailin; she became Mei Lin Wong. She had taken up a job as a dishwasher in a restaurant.