PATNA BLUES

Chapter 3

THREE

The following Monday morning Arif was in his room, engrossed in a book on the Indian freedom struggle by Bipin Chandra, when Abba walked in, dressed in his police inspector's uniform, his green cap askew on his head. Sitting next to him on the bed, Abba patted Arif on his back gently.

'Wah beta! I am really happy that you are working so hard for the mains.' Abba's face was lit with hope. 'Inshallah, you'll clear the exam in your first attempt.'

'Inshallah,' Arif seconded his father's words.

'Accha, take this cheque and get it encashed from SBI, Judges Court Branch. Ahsan uncle's son has sent the money for his treatment.'

'All right, Abba.'

'Do you know where this branch is?'

'Yes, Abba. Near the Gandhi Maidan bus stand.'

'Yes,' Abba said as he took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes.

As Abba walked out of the room, Arif looked at the wall clock. He had two hours before the bank opened. He could rush through 'The Rise of Communalism in Nineteenth-century India'. Just then Dadi entered the room. She had a steel bowl in her right hand.

'What is my grandson doing?' Dadi smiled.

'Studying, Dadi.'

'Here is your favourite chatpata chana,' she said as she bent to place the bowl in front of him.

Arif beamed at the bowlful of crispy, spiced chickpeas.

'Thank you very much, Dadi.' Arif rose to hug her.

* * *

It was ten past eleven when Arif reached Gandhi Maidan. Even from outside he could see that half the Maidan was covered in colourful canopies, thousands of men and women sitting on the ground, chanting 'Jai Shri Ram! Hail to Lord Rama! Vidya Devi Zindabad!

He pedalled his bicycle through the crowd of the Bharatiya Janata Party supporters on the road. Vidya Devi had not arrived at the Maidan yet. He saw police personnel all around the place. A deputy superintendent of police was on a walkie-talkie. Arif was a little nervous; being a Muslim, he could never feel safe or comfortable in the presence of members of the Hindu fascist party.

He heard Vidya Devi's voice over the loudspeakers.

'They kill cows because we venerate cows as our mothers. And they always try to instigate Hindus. You see what happens when India loses a match to Pakistan. They light firecrackers. They celebrate. They live in India but sing songs of Pakistan. If our party opposes these traitors, the Congresswallahs brand us communal. The Congress party has appeased them to an unreasonable extent. If India is a secular country, why is there no uniform civil code? If India is a secular country, why do they get a subsidy for the hajj pilgrimage? All these things have been happening because we Hindus have forgotten our glorious past. A thousand years of slavery has made us cowards. When Hindus awaken, the traitors will be shown their place.'

Vidya Devi was famous for her venomous speeches against Muslims. Arif felt a chill run down his spine. He pedalled faster.

'Saali randi!' he muttered.

From there Arif went to Mritunjay's house instead of going home to collect a photocopy of notes on public administration by Vaji Ramarao. Thanks to Mritunjay, Arif got them cheap – Rs 450 was nothing compared to the
Rs 6200 for the original. As Mritunjay came out to see Arif off, a blue Premier Padmini car stopped close to them and a tall man in his forties with a narrow moustache got out.