Zindaginama

by Krishna Sobti

  Lah Bibi provoked Mohra’s mother: ‘Bebe, that’s the thing with traders and shopkeepers. Once money comes in hand, they desire more. If that comes, then more! And if that too comes, then even more of the cursed thing. Wealth-money are an unquenching thirst!’

  Mohra’s bebe didn’t take the bait and instead retorted, ‘What’s this, Lah Bibi, you too have joined the taunt brigade! Aroras do this, Aroras say that! Neither do they have land in plenty like the Jatts, nor ease of money like the Shahs.’

  Lah Bibi looked at Chhoti Shahni and laughed. ‘Mahiya, why tell me all this when the richer than rich Shah wife is sitting right here …’

  Chhoti Shahni was scrubbing her face with ubtan scrub. She feigned a frown and said, ‘Sarkar has handed over the lands to Jatts. Now toil and fill your stores with grain.’

  Lah Bibi laughed and said, ‘Sarkar has handed over the lands to Jatts all right. But dhiye, the Jatt’s lands are mired in heavy debt and high rates of interest. You only tell me, then what use is hard work and toil? Not every debt is like Farman Ali’s that the Shah just strikes it off with his pen!’

  Chhoti Shahni kept splashing her face, then wiped it with five fingers, gathered her wet hair and said moodily, ‘Ma, you are like my mother-in-law. You only decide and resolve these matters with your Shah sons!’

  Lah Bibi was delighted. ‘What a sharp mind, dhiye! One should learn from you how to speak gracefully. Money is a great comfort. Don’t our Jatt puttars have courage! In plenty! But dhiye, what can they do without the means? They neither have the profits from trade abroad, nor the blessings of high ancestry. A Jatt eats and subsists from harvest to harvest.’

  Chhoti Shahni couldn’t stop herself from saying, ‘Don’t mind, Ma, but your kind can’t help living it up. Toiled, earned, and spent it all. If I lie, just say so!’

  ‘Hundred per cent correct, dhiye! The thing is Khuda-Vanda has also cursed Hindus and Muslims with one flaw or another. Muslims have their women, Hindus their wealth. But daughter mine, coins cannot fill empty stomachs. Stomachs fill with grain. All right, dhiye, I am off!’

  As soon as Lah Bibi turned her back, Mohra’s bebe said, ‘She is one do-or-die Jatti. The year I came here upon marriage, her husband Sheru was working in the field. The adjacent field belonged to his cousin, Khairu. He called out, “Who are you to break the boundary of my field?” Bas, Sheru didn’t stop to think, threw his machete on Khairu’s head who dropped down dead! When Sheru was sentenced to life, Lah Bibi stood up on the roof and declared for all to hear, “Sentenced to life, so what! He proved his guts! He is in jail, but he has left three Sherus with me!” Oh, these Jatt minds are forever in some hot spin!’

  Pyari, still wet, pulled on her jhagga and said, ‘Leave it, Bebe, talk about yourself. That men should leave their homes bereft for the sake of money and settle abroad doesn’t suit us women. No timely meals or cooking, no proper routine. Winter and summer, housewives just sit and wait.’

  Shano’s bhabhi didn’t like this. ‘Ari, the whole world goes out to work. Niranjan Singh is in Hong Kong. He has grown rich sending bolts of Shanghai silk and chamki to the Gujranwalias. And he’s taken his wife along too!’

  Satto was reminded of her parents and proudly said, ‘The Naudaulatias of the canals are no less. Left their mud and thatch huts and built proper bungalows. Forget the women, even the men there sport heavy twenty-tola gold kanthas.’

  Chhoti Shahni wrung out her clothes and putting them in the bucket said, ‘One who earns with his toil, why shouldn’t he enjoy the spoils? Man’s destiny is to work. He should work with enterprise and courage. If he lies idle and sulks day and night, even the One above is displeased. Even Rabb says, “Man, I gave you a life one in a million, gave you hands and feet. And yet you remained a worthless low life. Go, I too am done with you!”’

  Shano’s mother kept nodding. ‘What you say is true, Shahni, very true.’

  ‘Why won’t you appreciate Bindradayi’s words, Shano’s ma? Your man stays away from home ten months in a year!’

  ‘Shano’s father has got me heavy gold gokhru bangles of four tolas each. They will come in handy some day. Bebe, after all it is we who sit out the long waits!’

  Khairati’s wife burnt to a cinder inside out. Vigorously scrubbing her heels with a pot shard, she sang:

  ‘Eat frugal at home, lavish abroad

  Son of mine, stay home, eat frugal

  Don’t go chasing wealth abroad.’

  Mohra’s bebe said, ‘Khairati’s wife, pull out a bucket for me too, I will also wet my body.’ Bebe’s shrunken breasts hung low, but the daughters and daughters-in-law kept their eyes averted out of respect. When she put her hair up into a scrawny bun and poured water over herself, she said for all to hear, ‘See the airs of Santo and Banto! Husbands are away, and these two dress up like city women. Hai-hai, the ones who pine for husbands gone abroad, those faithful women would shrink to a thorn! Isn’t it said:

  ‘There’s no putting down a brazen whore,

  Her being is brazen too.

  Brazenly she takes on the day;

  Brazenly rides the night.’

  Shano’s mother got upset. ‘You and your moods, Bebe! Santo and Banto are married. Why shouldn’t they redden their lips or put surma in their eyes? You only tell, why should they waste themselves, pining away?’

  Mohra’s bebe narrowed her eyes. ‘Dhiye, I said it in innocence. Let them change clothes every hour like Kanjari nautch-girls for all I care!’ Bebe didn’t utter another auspicious word. She left the well and started for home.

  Kesro said, ‘Old age bickering! She should see to her own son’s wife. When she had arrived newly-wed, her eyes shone like jewels. And now she’s all bones, the poor girl has been wrung dry.’

  Pyari lowered her voice and said, ‘She is having discharge, it’s draining her hollow. One day I said to Bebe, give your bahu the panjeeri of Gond. It is prescribed for this ailment. No sooner I had spoken than this cruel mother-in-law started abusing her bahu. Just kept berating her, “Ari nash-honiye, nothing good will ever come to you! Are the neighbours going to feed you preserves and pakwans that you went to them with your silly troubles?”

  ‘The girl fell sobbing onto the cot, and I was filled with regret. I went and pleaded with Bebe, “I swear by my sons and daughter if your bahooti had uttered even a word. She was washing clothes at the well when I happened to glance at them. That is why I spoke to you.” Only then did the old woman cool down!’

  In the meantime, Bebe had padded back to the well. ‘I say, did I drop my chhing mala here while bathing?’

  Kesro and Pyari twisted their lips and rolled their eyes, and seeing the necklace tangled in her bun, told her, ‘Bebe, it is stuck in your hair, take it out.’

  Bebe asked ingenuously, ‘Who were you talking about, girls?’

  Chhoti Shahni turned up her fine nose and said to make her squirm, ‘About you and your daughter-in-law!’

  Bebe turned saintly. ‘Satnam! Satnam! Dhiyo, Gajjan Singh sent money to Baba’s darbar, and you cast an eye on my humble home! Hardly a good thing, is it?’

  Dhandayi started laughing. ‘Bebe, all matters of this life-world are going to be judged upon this earth itself. Loosen your reins on your bahooti a little. Your case too will come up for hearing before Sachche Patshah.’

  Bebe turned back, grumbling: ‘Hearing, my foot. Hearings and courts to our enemies. Have I robbed or looted anyone?’

  Radiant as the morning in their men’s prosperity, bedecked in fine clothes and jewellery, Santo and Banto arrived at the prayer hut to pay obeisance. Resplendent in Mahmoodi mulmul and dupattas edged with Kinari lace, the dark tattoos on their fair chins shone like lucky stars on fortunate faces. They went forward and touched their foreheads to the floor. All-Giver, glory upon Your mercies, may Your servants’ wishes be fulfilled. May they prosper and keep serving You always in Your darbar.

  Bhaiji gave fistfuls of prasad to the boys. Tasting the sweet kadah prasad, Santo and Banto bowed
again and started for home in good spirits. Near the village pond, Bagga, who worked for the Shahs, caught up with them. ‘Pairipauna, bharjaaee!’

  ‘Brother, on your way to the prayer hut?’

  ‘No, I’ve come to call you. Reach the Shahs’ haveli – come fast!’

  Banto raised her veil and asked, ‘Why, is everything all right?’

  ‘Bharjaaee, your men have invited trouble on themselves by sending the money order.’

  ‘Talk sense, Baggeya, have some sense! Our men have gone to do business, not fled after committing a crime or murder!’

  Bagga came closer. ‘It is not the police in uniform, bharjaaee, it is the secret police that has come!’

  ‘Hai! … Hai!’ Seeing Santo whimpering, Banto spoke up fearlessly, ‘Quiet, ri! Will the shameless bitch of a firangi Sarkar hang us without any crime?’

  ‘The main events are considered later, motives are examined first. After all, the case is to be tried in court. It’s not child’s play that the case is running in court, and a man keeps plucking and eating berries as if nothing has happened.’

  ‘But, badshaho, what can you do if someone dies, or someone denies? The thing is that in criminal cases, there is high voltage drama and role-playing, but this game of pressure tactics lasts only a short while. In civil cases, on the other hand, if the plaintiff grows weak, or the witness dies during the case, the hearing faces one postponement after another.’

  ‘Shah Sahib, if ordinary people like us say this, it is still justified, but you are, of course, an expert player of these games!’

  Shahji laughed. ‘The fact is, Chaudharyji, that as soon as the first instalment of fees reaches the advocate’s fist, he is the one who leads, and the client simply follows. That’s it, once you reach “that house” your courtly chess game of advantage and sacrifice begins. Police verification, description of crime, hits and misses of money in criminal cases, true and false documents – all these abound in litigations. One small twist can turn intent to murder into an ordinary skirmish, and an ordinary skirmish into a deadly crime. It is all in the warp and weft of experience and expertise. The chessboard is set. The pieces sometimes true, sometimes false. Sometimes made to seem true, and sometimes shown to be false. For the rest, as far as the actual disputes and cases are concerned, if they satisfy the law from all aspects, the decision is right and fair.’

  Chaudhary Fateh Ali was smiling. ‘Rabb do you good, Shahji, how many cases have you fought?’

  Shahji thought seriously for a while, then laughed and said, ‘It is better if this account remains with me only. Otherwise, take it that I have to attend court every week for some case or the other.’

  ‘Shahji, some cases must be short?’

  ‘If a case is straightforward, the court also doesn’t go into long-winded arguments. Take the case of Guman versus Mughlani. Mughlani was divorced by Guman and she married Vazeera within a fortnight. Because the nikah was read within the period of iddat, the court declared it void and fined Mughlani fifty-eight rupees. A case was filed on behalf of Zaka Khan that his mother mortgaged her land to Hayyat Khan, son of Boza Khan, before he was born and after his father’s death the court upheld the boy’s claim to the land.’

  Najiba looked up at Shahji and said, ‘As per this, you did right to cancel Mehar Ali’s debt, Shahji!’

  Shahji looked at Chaudhary Fateh Ali and laughed. ‘Najiba, if you really want to know why I did so, ask Chaudharyji, he will explain it to you in detail.’

  Jahandadji remarked, ‘Everyone is talking about the Fazal Noor case.’

  Karm Ilahiji removed the hukkah pipe from his mouth and said, ‘That is one heinous crime. Noor’s father will certainly get a sentence.’

  Kriparam sat up alert. ‘What is the case, badshaho?’

  ‘Gujjar Shera of Kang village, age forty or fifty, was engaged to be married to Fazal Noor, daughter of Khairna of village Sahab Khan. Kang was some ten–twelve miles from Sahab Khan. Shera used to visit the village often. He had come that evening, too. January night. He must have left Khairna’s home after dinner. Saturday night, village Lambardar Muhammad Noor went to the police station and filed a report that Shera’s naked body had been found in the village. Hashim was the first to see the body. He informed the watchman and the lambardar and the police reached the spot. The body lay stark naked, and the juttis and shawl lay some distance away.

  ‘When the post-mortem took place, the doctor wrote: It is possible there was a heavy blow to the head. Perhaps he was gagged. Yes, there are certainly no marks of injury on the neck. It seems as if the murderer tied a safa over Shera’s face and suffocated him to death. Police suspect Khairna, Khairna’s wife Jeeuni, and her brothers, Mehar Deen and Hashim. Hashim was Khairna’s relative, and had lost his wife a few months ago. The lambardar suspects Mehar Deen and Hashim, who were the first to discover the body.

  ‘Fazal Noor said she had heard some noises in the house next door on the night of the murder. She guessed from the noises that Hashim was murdering her fiancé.

  ‘Fazal Noor gave two silver rings to the police and said, “These were given to me by Shera.” She said there was also a third ring, which Hashim had put on her finger after saying that he had killed Shera. That ring was lost, but the police recovered it from Jeeuni.

  ‘Hashim took the police to the field where Shera’s clothes lay in a bundle. There was also a blanket that Khairna had given him. Hashim said in his statement that Khairna admitted before him that he saw Shera with his wife, followed Shera with his brother Rashid, and killed him. Khairna kept insisting his innocence. But his wife Jeeuni became a witness for the prosecution. She said Hashim and her husband Khairna together strangled Shera.

  ‘Fazal Noor said she heard voices at night. She woke her mother. Mother and daughter looked out from the half-open door and saw Hashim carrying the dead body. Khairna was with him.

  ‘The matter became clear when it was found that Khairna suspected his wife of being involved with Shera. Lambardar said in his statement that the whole village knew this.

  ‘When Fazal Noor was asked, she said that she knew this.

  ‘Jeeuni said this was only her husband’s suspicion and nothing else.

  ‘Jeeuni’s brother, Mehar Deen said he had tried to reason with his sister many times.

  ‘Hashim got involved in the murder because he wanted to marry Fazal Noor.

  ‘Accused number one presented the alibi that he was sleeping at home on the night of the murder.

  ‘Accused number two presented the alibi that he was not present in the village that night.

  ‘Khairna stated that he alone had murdered Shera. He said he had been absent from home since evening that day. When he returned, he saw his wife with another man. When he hit him on the head with a staff, Shera fell to the floor and the neighbours came running out. They decided that they would all remain silent. The body was carried by Mehar Deen and Hashim. Khairna said it was a lie that Hashim had throttled Shera. The talk of three rings was also a lie. Khairna said, “It is true that Hashim wanted to marry Fazal Noor. But when we didn’t agree, Hashim went and informed the lambardar.”

  ‘Hashim stated that all this was true.’

  ‘Badshaho, this is how the police is going to present the case. Now let us see what happens in court.’

  Shahji kept thinking, nodding his head. ‘So far as I can see, Fazal Noor’s father, Khairna will be sentenced.’

  ‘And the rest of the culprits?’

  ‘It is possible they will be tried under Section 202–203.’

  Mauladadji said, ‘Shahji, you should have been an advocate. Not that it is late even now. Rabb do you good, these twists and tangles only sharpen your insights.’

  Fateh Ali remembered something. ‘Once Shahji was coming from Jalalpur. He came to know that the tehsildar was holding an arbitration to resolve a long-standing dispute between two families. There had been many litigations and criminal cases. Someone informed the tehsildar that Shahji’s horse had b
een seen in the town square. The tehsildar’s peon came running, said – Shah Sahib, the tehsildar is remembering you. Shahji went. Exchanged pleasantries and asked, “What can I do for you?”

  ‘“Shah Sahib, both these families hold you in high esteem. If their dispute is resolved, everyone will breathe a huge sigh of relief. The whole area has been on the boil because of this.”

  ‘Shahji cast a measured look at members of both clans present, and said loudly for all to hear, “Don’t waste your time, Tehsildar Sahib! There is no dispute in the world that cannot be resolved by sitting down together. But how can you resolve this? For this is not a dispute, it is a disgrace, just a game of one-upmanship where both sides are hell-bent upon hurting and ruining each other!”

  ‘Both clans were so shamefaced, they came forward with folded hands and said, “Tehsildar Sahib, whatever you and Shahji decide, we accept.”’

  ‘Waah-waah!’

  Shahji remembered his grandfather. ‘One evening, Dada Sahib called for me and handed me a letter. Said, “There’s a court hearing tomorrow. Go and attend it. Leave before daybreak and, yes, before you go, understand the details of the case from me.”

  ‘The next morning, I went to the river as usual, took a round of the fields on horseback, and returned home at dusk. Dada Sahib was sitting in the haveli. He cast a stern look at me and said, “Barkhurdar, you were to be present in the courts today. Didn’t you go?” I replied, “Dada Sahib, the thing is that this letter never came from a court. Some greenhorn wrote it himself!” Before Dada Sahib could say anything, I bent down in pairipauna and said, “Do forgive me this disrespect, Dadaji, but it was necessary for me to pass this exam.” Dada Sahib was very pleased with me and said, “I wanted to see how bright and alert you are!” Chaudhary Sahib, he handed me a fistful of rupees and said, “You have grown up to the shoulders of your elders. Go to the city and enjoy yourself.”’

  Jahandadji asked, ‘How did you know that the paper was not from court?’

  ‘By the language. It said: “As per the order of the court, you are directed to appear in self, or through a lawyer who should be fully informed of the facts of the case and be able to answer questions pertaining to the case, or some other person, to present documents which you want to submit as part of your reply in court … You are duly informed that if you are not present in court on the said date, the decision will be delivered ex parte.” The language was that of the court, but there was no case number, no name or address of the court, no date, nor any signature at the end. Dadaji was just checking to see how observant his grandson was!’