‘Why’s that?’

Aaduri’s eyes widened as she laughed, and she said, ‘Because I’m supposed to be a witch, and I’ll eat them up!’

‘What do you mean?’

‘Oof! It’s nothing! No one talks to me out of fear of the Babu. I can’t tell you how happy I am that you’ve come here. All these days I used to think that I must be someone from one of the TV serials. Caged inside the television. How long can one keep on watching TV, tell me?’

‘You too can go out. She just said that you’re not allowed to enter the temple. Is that true?’

‘Who knows! I’ve never gone there in the four years that I’ve been here. But I’ve heard people say that. Who gives a damn if they don’t allow me there! Is Lord Shani the only god? There are so many gods. Forget about all that. There’s a nice film on TV in the evening, starring Prosenjit. You’ll come, won’t you?’

‘But today Abinash Babu…’

‘He’ll be late today.’

‘Achchha. I’ll come.’

After Aaduri left, a host of questions arose in Riziya’s head. How unabashedly she had retorted, ‘Is Lord Shani the only god? There are so many gods!’ If one of their gods was angry, a hundred others arrived for rescue. Riziya knew what shirk was. And what monotheism was. In this bad time, her mind was suddenly turning to thoughts regarding God. She was unable to reconcile the beliefs of these folk with the idea of monotheism she had learnt from Maulana Tahirul. Riziya suddenly fell into a spell of absorption. She felt terrified to think about the imminent future and likely threats. She had not prayed in a long time. She had not spoken in solitude with her Allah. She finished the task in hand quickly. After that she went to the water tap and carefully performed the ritual ablutions. She laid out a clean odna like a prayer mat and gazed at it for a while.

It was dusk. The faint melody of the azan came wafting from some faraway mosque. Focussing her entire consciousness, she stepped upon the prayer mat. She wept as she lay prostrate in concentrated sejda. There was no one anywhere. She was face to face with her Allah. She had no inkling when Sumitra came and stood at the door. Sumitra pushed open the unfastened door slightly and was shocked by what she glimpsed momentarily through the door gap. What was Behenji doing? Mulla jaisa namaz kar rahi hain! She’s praying like a Muslim!

As soon as Riziya entered Aaduri’s room to watch television, she fell into terrible embarrassment. There was a picture of Jesus Christ on the wall. Sitting just beneath that, in a corner of the bed, was Abinash Babu. He had a cup of tea in his hand. Aaduri was sitting on the other side of the bed, with a pillow tucked on her lap, gazing at the TV intently. As soon as Aaduri spotted her, she said, ‘Come, my dear. You’re late! You missed the beginning. Debashri has just…’

As Abinash Babu put down his cup, he said chidingly, ‘What do you watch all day and night?’

Riziya wanted to exit the door right away. She did not want to come in the way of the time the husband and wife had to themselves. But she had to stop when he addressed her. He asked, ‘Is Suman back?’

‘No.’

‘I’ve found him some work for the time being. Suman told me everything about you.’

‘What did he tell you?’

‘Quite a lot. Anyway, forget that, why are you leaving? Do sit down.’

Riziya advanced slowly and sat down beside Aaduri. Aaduri turned down the volume of the TV. Abinash Babu addressed her again. ‘I heard that you were unable to complete your graduation. You were a brilliant student. But you can resume your studies here. If you’d like to do that, let me know, all right?’

‘I don’t want to.’

‘Why not?’

‘Why should everyone have all kinds of wishes?’

Abinash Babu was somewhat startled to hear Riziya. Really, why did everyone have to have wishes? The girl was something! He didn’t extend the matter. He only said, ‘It’s all right, my dear, you can go.’

Aaduri suddenly smiled, looked at Abinash Babu, and addressed Riziya, imitating her husband, ‘Come another day, my dear, all right!’

Riziya could not really understand their behaviour. She turned towards Aaduri, smiled, waved at her and left.

sixty-five

Although it was a new place, Suman was familiar with the locality. But nonetheless there was no end to his worries. Riziya was pregnant. He had still not been able to find a proper job. He had been wandering around frantically the last few days in search of a job. Abinash Babu too had done a lot of running around on his behalf. It wasn’t that he wasn’t finding work, but nothing was to his liking. Abinash Babu had asked him to take up the job of handling the books in the warehouse of a Marwari businessman for the time being. Suman was grateful to him. As he sat down for dinner at night, he said to Riziya, ‘I heard that you met Abinash Babu? He was really praising you, Reena! He likes you!’

‘Hmm. I met him yesterday. Achchha, apparently you told him everything?’

‘I told him a bit. He too told me a lot of things about himself. If I hadn’t told him, we wouldn’t have found a place for such a low rent.’

‘Why did you have to tell him all that?’

‘One has to do a lot of things to get people’s sympathy. Besides, he’s a really good man. Helps others. Think about Aaduri. Do you know her background? Just for Aaduri…’

‘No! Do you know?’

‘I told you he told me. I was very surprised to hear that.’

‘Tell me. Let me hear about it too.’

‘Abinash Babu is a writer. Maruf has read his books. Apparently he is one of his favourite writers. You’ve seen how many books Maruf has in his room! Abinash Babu’s books are there too. Books against religious superstitions and blind faith. Maruf is very fond of such subjects. When I told Maruf that I knew Abinash Babu, he asked me to introduce him. But where did that happen!’

‘What were you saying about Aaduri?’

‘Abinash Babu set up an NGO. He used to help people in distress. One day he got the news that an adolescent girl in a remote village in Bardhaman district had been sold off in Kolkata by her own sister’s husband. With the help of the police and the administration, the girl was rescued from Bihar after six months. When she was taken home after that, they turned hostile. They said the girl had been sullied. She was considered untouchable, and they refused to let her enter the house. The police could not do anything either. All the villagers were vehement in their opposition to her staying on. When she left the government shelter where she stayed for a while, it was our Abinash Babu who gave her a place to live. That girl is Aaduri.’

‘Didn’t anything happen to the man who harmed Aaduri so much?’

‘The police had arrested him. He was in jail for about a year. After that, you know how it is…’

‘But Abinash Babu has a family, he has a wife! She…’

‘He has alienated himself from many people because of this. Maybe providing shelter to Aaduri wasn’t the main reason, you know! He wasn’t really honest with me, I’m simply assuming. Abinash Babu’s wife has a chronic and severe psychological disorder. He couldn’t leave her either, as a man of conscience. Actually, he never knew marital bliss. Or maybe he found something in Aaduri which he did not get from anyone else.’

‘Whatever it may be, he married Aaduri, didn’t he? Why is there no sindoor on Aaduri’s forehead?’

‘The reason is a funny one. You know Abinash Babu is a writer, he wanted to see various aspects of life with his own eyes. That’s why he converted to Christianity before getting married to Aaduri.’

‘He could have become Muslim as well. When he decided to convert, why did he choose to become Christian?’

‘I’ve thought about this too. I think it’s because Abinash Babu realizes he has to live within this society … I’m amazed that the Hindu community tolerates Christians to some extent, but Muslims, not at all. Although they are their neighbours. Each community is influenced by the other one. And Islam and Christianity are kin religions…’

Riziya was listening to Suman. She was trying to understand Aaduri’s situation. She suddenly interrupted Suman, and asked, ‘If we ever return to Sadnahati, will anyone accept us? Have we too become sullied?’

Suman made no reply. Maybe he didn’t want to. Or maybe he didn’t have a reply. He stared blankly at Riziya. His gaze moved from her face to her abdomen. It was quite swollen. She was in quite some discomfort as she sat. Suman suddenly asked her, ‘Why are you so certain that it’ll be born at home? Don’t we need a doctor?’

Riziya’s lips quivered as she tried unsuccessfully to suppress a laugh.

sixty-six