Then her son appeared. His sister had reloaded him with garlands. He came and fell on her and smothered her with tears, kisses, and crushed flowers. His sister gently pushed him away; Mrs Taylor had said ‘No excitement.’ The physical touch of her son convinced Sabhrai that her son was free. She could not reason out why he was free. She had herself urged him on the way to death but merciful God had sent him back to her. Her lips quivered but no words came: only a long drawn moan and then a flood of tears.

When the doctor came an hour later, Sabhrai was in a state of complete collapse. In the excitement that prevailed in the house no one realized that this was the crucial ninth day. The doctor examined the chart and discovered that she had a relapse. But even he could not bring himself to being angry with as important a man as Buta Singh and on a day when there was so much rejoicing. Hadn’t his only son been delivered from the jaws of death? He told the family that the son’s coming had been too much for the patient and the fever would continue for another period. He assured them that Sher Singh’s release would act like a tonic and she would pull through.

Five days later, Sabhrai got another dose of the sort of tonic the doctor had spoken of. On New Year’s Eve, the correspondent of The Tribune turned up with garlands. This time they were for Buta Singh. He had been given the C.I.E. in the New Year’s Honours list. Buta Singh refused to believe it. ‘Not until I see in print!’ he insisted. An hour later it was in print in the special supplement published for the Honours list. By then Buta Singh’s colleagues had also learned of it. All the district’s officers, clerks right down to the orderlies, and peons, turned up with garlands of flowers and gold thread. Those who knew the family invaded the house right into Sabhrai’s bedroom to congratulate and garland her. It went on till late into New Year’s Eve. Next morning it was the turn of the citizens who read of the honour conferred in the paper. So for more than twenty-four hours, the house was full of laughter, gaiety, and flowers. Even Sabhrai in her dazed state knew that God was back in His heaven because all was well with her family.

Sabhrai had not known many illnesses in her carefully regulated life and had considerable powers of resistance. Nevertheless more than a fortnight of high fever, which had touched 105°, come down and shot up again, had wasted her body and begun to tell on her heart. This was not noticed by the doctor. When the second period of fever came to an end, the family was more careful. In any case the period of excitement was over.