Jugga held up Malli’s head with both his hands and spat in his face. He pushed him away with more abuse. Malli fell in a heap with his hair all over his face and shoulders. His companions helped him up and wiped the blood and spit off his face with his turban. He cried like a child, swearing all the time, ‘May your mother die . . . you son of a pig . . . I will settle this with you.’ Malli and his men were led away. Malli could be heard crying till he was a long way from the police station.

Jugga sank back into the stupor he had been in before he lost his temper. He examined the marks the subinspector’s swagger stick had left on the back of his hands. Iqbal continued shouting agitatedly. Jugga turned round angrily. ‘Shut up, you babu! What have I done to you that you talk so much?’

Jugga had not spoken rudely to him before. That scared Iqbal all the more.

‘Inspector Sahib, now that the other cell is vacant, can’t you shift me there?’ he pleaded.

The subinspector smiled contemptuously. ‘Certainly, Mr Iqbal, we will do all we can to make you comfortable. Tables, chairs—an electric fan maybe?’

Mano Majra

When it was discovered that the train had brought a full loud of corpses, a heavy brooding silence descended on the village. People barricaded their doors and many stayed up all night talking in whispers. Everyone felt his neighbour’s hand against him, and thought of finding friends and allies. They did not notice the clouds blot out the stars nor smell the cool damp breeze. When they woke up in the morning and saw it was raining, their first thoughts were about the train and the burning corpses. The whole village was on the roofs looking toward the station.

The train had disappeared as mysteriously as it had come. The station was deserted. The soldier’s tents were soaked with water and looked depressing. There was no smouldering fire nor smoke. In fact there was no sign of life—or death. Still people watched: perhaps there would be another train with more corpses!

By afternoon the clouds had rolled away to the west. Rain had cleared the atmosphere and one could see for miles around. Villagers ventured forth from their homes to find out if anyone knew more than they. Then they went back to their roofs. Although it had stopped raining, no one could be seen on the station platform or in the passenger shed or the military camp. A row of vultures sat on the parapet of the station building and kites were flying in circles high above it.

The head constable, with his posse of policemen and prisoners, was spotted a long way away from the village. People shouted the information to each other. The lambardar was summoned.