Akbar Khan’s eyes were downcast as though deep in thought. In truth, they were hiding his disappointment. He believed man’s role in the world was to evolve spiritually and emotionally, but Sher Khan’s family shunned self-improvement. Rough and abrupt, he’d not made the best impression on Akbar Khan when his sister had expressed her intention to marry him. Today was yet another reminder of Sher Khan’s ineptness.

Unaware of the Khan’s feelings, however, he continued to press his case, his voice betraying his ego. ‘I believed we were equal when we came to this country,’ he said. ‘I worked hard every day. I looked after my wife. I sent my children to school… I wanted them to live a good life, a happy life. Did we want to see this rioting? No! I was a law-abiding man. The boys’ mother, she listened to the police, we trusted them… She told the police where they were. She thought they would help us. But they took our sons and locked them away for twelve years, and since then they are like marked men, in and out of prison whenever they happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. The gorai,’ he said, spitting out the word for ‘pale skin’ as though it had a bad taste, ‘they burned our houses and abused our women but nothing was done to them. They get community service. What is this community service? Tell me. They have no idea about community, about honour, about friendship!’

On this, Akbar Khan agreed with him: the treatment of their men by the British law courts had not been just, and had only served to feed people’s anger. That Akbar Khan had the means to manipulate both the people and the police force meant that he could bring about the demise of the city if he wished, but he knew that doing so would serve no purpose. There were no winners in war except for dealers of arms and carpetbaggers. He had not become Khan by opening the gates of hell; he had become Khan by keeping the devil at bay. He measured and held his own tongue, while cutting the tongues of others out.

He looked at his brother-in-law, the pain he felt for his people evident on his face. ‘Treat a man like an animal and that is what he becomes,’ he said. ‘The justice system does not see us as human. I understand what you are saying, my brother, but I am not happy that you have raised this matter with me now, at my daughter’s wedding. Could it not have waited?’