They found Ah Chin standing outside holding his daughter’s hand. Ho Han and Ah Chin were delighted to see each other. He gave the two packets to Dukhi, one containing vermillion and coloured ribbons and the other containing sweetened tobacco.

‘This one is for you and Mini, and this one is for Ah Chin.’

‘So many things!’ Dukhi said, smiling broadly. ‘You haven’t come to our place for a long time. Make sure you come soon.’

‘I will.’

After chatting with them for a while and fondly stroking the little girl’s hair, Ho Han left. He walked on absent-mindedly. His mind was occupied with thoughts of Phulmati. Slowly, the image of a home and a family with Phulmati had started to take shape in his mind. The loneliness had become unbearable. He had to speak to her as soon as possible. She, too, was confined in the deep darkness of sorrow. She had lost all desire to live. Ho Han could understand that. He wanted to bring all the happiness of this world to her and wipe away her tears.

Suddenly, a shrill cry that seemed to come from the direction of the manager’s bungalow brought him back from his thoughts. He rushed towards the bungalow to find a large group of people standing around.

‘What happened?’

‘Burra sahab is flogging Jankee, Birosmoni and Phognee.’

Pushing his way through the crowd Ho Han went forward to see three women tied to a post in the verandah of the bungalow. In front of the fearful eyes of the entire crowd, the manager, red with rage, was flogging the women.

‘Speak again, I say, speak again! Why are you silent now? Why don’t you speak?’

There was complete silence except for the sound of flogging, the manager’s growling and the women’s howls for mercy.

‘Maph koro hujur. Maph koro. Forgive us.’

Watching the scene for a while Ho Han asked the man by his side, ‘What’s the matter?’

‘I don’t know for sure.’

After sometime, the manager stopped. Standing silently for a few moments, he turned to the chowkidar.

‘Hey! You! Come here.’

The chowkidar stepped forward, trembling with fear.

‘Kapra uthabe, kapra. Hey, lift their clothes,’ the manager commanded.

The chowkidar was stupefied.

‘Lift their clothes. Now.’

With trembling steps he walked towards the women. They looked at him, eyes wide with fear and wailed, ‘Don’t do it, chowkidar. Don’t do this to us.’

The chowkidar looked at the women for some time and made them bend forward and lifted their clothes up to their waist. In front of the uncountable eyes, the manager started flogging the bare buttocks of the three young women.

The labourers were in utter dilemma. Some lowered their heads. Some stood still with stiff faces and tight fists. The women laboures started weeping. Watching silently for a few moments, Ho Han stepped forward. He stood in front of the manager and said calmly, ‘Mot maro, hujur. Don’t flog them.’

The manager turned around and thundered, ‘What did you say? Don’t flog them? Who the hell are you?’ Then recognizing Ho Han, he stopped for a moment and bellowed again. ‘Oh, it’s you! But I will flog them, what can you do about it?’