An explosion echoed through the lane. A gang of armed men, dacoits wearing orange and green scarves over their faces, ran into Bedi’s shoe shop wielding iron bars, spears and pickaxes. The terrified Sikh shopkeeper, Mohinder Singh Bedi, and his family tried to barricade their shop but to no avail. The angry gang grabbed the family and beat the father after he tried to defend himself with a hammer. When Bedi refused to hand over the keys to his safe one of the dacoits lunged at him with a spear. Bedi collapsed on the floor uttering a loud yell as blood spurted from his side.

‘The country is in a state of alert,’ reported a journalist as news blared from a loudspeaker. ‘The government refuses to confirm or deny the rumours of the PM being assassinated by her Sikh bodyguards.’

Although nothing had yet been confirmed about the shooting in the Indian media, the shrill grinding of closing metal shutters could be heard on the lane. Sikh students were accosted as they hastened home and the school was going to have to be shut down. Gates were locked.

The servants were arguing when Govinda came in from the school in tears because of what the older boys said to one another about what might happen to the Sikhs.

‘The Sikhs, who betrayed us, deserve what they get,’ bellowed Ashok.

‘Innocent people have to pay the penalty for the guilt of others,’ said Gitanjali with disdain. Later she said she was not sure whether the people who went on the rampage were connected to politics or not. ‘The rioting,’ she said, ‘was done by deadly fanatics.’

At home they listened to the news on the wireless. Along the lane the story crackled that Indira Gandhi had been shot by her Sikh bodyguards, and nobody at first was sure if she was alive or dead. After witnessing the violence in the café Govinda felt unsafe and scared. When would it happen next? He knew the violence was going on even though he was not seeing it and feared for his and others’ safety. He feared for the locals in the lane. Would the man in the red tracksuit come into the school compound and demand to smash Mumbles in the face? What would happen to Mumbles, his wife and their children, if the dacoits found them? Govinda was concerned they would attack his family for protecting Mumbles and was plagued by feelings of uncertainty and insecurity. He felt scared. Had he somehow caused the violence? Had he angered the people? Could he have stopped the violence? He felt anger toward those who attacked Sikhs. He felt anger at those who did not protect themselves. Above all, he felt depressed and helpless.

Mumbles Singh refused to cut his hair. Gitanjali spoke to her husband. ‘Can he bring his family to the apartment?’

‘They will compromise everyone in the compound’ said the headmaster. ‘We could be killed for protecting them.’