C Hoi was reading the news regarding the ongoing border dispute between India and China and explaining it to the others. This was when the officer-in-charge of the Tinsukia police station arrived in his jeep. There was a party today at contractor Ho Fuk’s house. Mok Min was to accompany the officer to the party. Everybody in the shop stood up in respect as the officer entered. He silently nodded at everyone, acknowledging their salutes, and walked inside with a certain sense of self-importance.

After Mok Min and the police officer left, C Hoi went inside the Mahjong room carrying the newspapers in his hands. Inside, Tung Chin’s father, Yiu Yi’s grandfather, Lee Chang’s father and father-in-law were seated on wooden stools playing Mahjong. Passing on the heap of newspapers to Yiu Yi’s grandfather, the oldest member of the group, C Hoi said, ‘It seems that the India-China friendship will not remain the same anymore.’

‘Why? What’s wrong?’ Yiu Yi’s grandfather asked, pausing between puffs.

‘Just look at the paper. Nehru says the Chinese troops must be pushed back from the border.’

Their faces instantly became serious. Reports regarding the border dispute between India and China were appearing in the newspapers for some days now. It was clear that there was an increasing sense of bitterness between the two nations.

‘It seemed that Chow En Lai and Nehru were friends. Then why does he talk like this?’ Ho Wang asked.

‘God knows!’

Tung Chin’s father stood up. ‘There is no point discussing this. Let’s go to the club and listen to what the teacher from Calcutta has to say. It’s almost time for the meeting.’

A large Chinese crowd of various age groups gathered in the spacious club. The teacher from Calcutta, Liang Ching Wan, was seated in front, delivering a talk. Some people were listening attentively while others were talking amongst themselves.

‘When I first came to Calcutta, I was only twenty-five,’ Liang Ching Wan said. ‘At that time there was a battle going on between Chiang Kai Shek and Mao Tse-tung. Mao Tse-tung won the battle and the Communists removed Chiang Kai Shek from power and formed a new government. Chow En Lai has become the Prime Minister.’

‘I know, I know. Then there was friendship between Nehru and Chow En Lai. There was Hindi-Chini-bhai-bhai.’

‘Yes, after that friendship, the position of the Chinese in India became much better,’ said Chi Fu Hai in a low tone from the last row.

‘Prior to Chow En Lai, when the Kuomintang government of Chiang Kai Shek was in power, India and China were friends. Do you know Chiang Kai Shek even visited India?’

‘Really?’ Ho Wang asked in surprise.

‘Don’t you know that?’ the man next to Ho Wang asked.