Rohinton Mistry - Such A Long Journey

‘Tehmul!’ shouted Gustad. ‘Stop it!’

Tehmul dropped his hungry hands. He looked around, trying to locate his beloved Gustad, and found him, halfway up the stairs. ‘GustadGustadGustad.’ He waved the cigarette tin, with the blood-lipped amazon still clutching his ear. A well-placed blow dislodged the tin. It burst open on the floor and scattered the coins. Most of them twenty-five paisa pieces. The women fell silent.

‘What is all this shouting and screaming like a madhouse?’ demanded Ghulam Mohammed. ‘This is a respectable establishment, not some third class rundi-khana. ’

The women protested, all speaking at once: ‘It’s not our fault, this fellow—!’

‘He keeps wanting to touch and—!’

‘There is no law that we have to lift our skirts for anyone who can pay!’

They say madmen have very big ones, built like horses! We don’t want to get hurt!’

Hydraulic Hema held on to Tehmul’s ear while her sisters poured out their grievances. ‘Enough!’ said Ghulam Mohammed. ‘I have heard enough! Let go of his ear!’

‘ Arré, he’ll start grabbing again, he’s a complete gone-case!’ she said, her voice like sandpaper.

‘No, he won’t.’ Ghulam Mohammed looked at Gustad. The women moved away as Tehmul was released. He stood motionless, contrite.

‘What is all this, Tehmul?’ said Gustad reproachfully. ‘What have you done here?’

‘GustadGustadverysorryGustadpleaseGustad.’ He stooped to pick up his empty cigarette tin. ‘Somuchmoneyallgonegonegone. Moneyforrubbingfastfastfastfast. Nicenicefeelingallgone.’ He looked forlornly inside the tin.

‘Where did money come from, Tehmul?’

‘Ratratratdeadratmunicipalrat.’

Of course. ‘He is OK now,’ he told Ghulam. ‘I’ll take him home with me.’ Tehmul began to gather his coins.

‘ Chulo, everybody back to your rooms,’ ordered Ghulam, ‘ tamaasha is finished.’ The women dispersed, save a couple who stayed to help Tehmul refill his tin. Tehmul slipped his hand in Gustad’s as they walked outside to Peerbhoy Paanwalla. The latter had already gathered what the commotion was about. He agreed to watch Tehmul till Gustad finished his business.

‘I was telling you that Bili Boy’s life is in danger.’

‘First you say he is in prison, then you say his life is in danger.’ What does he take me for.

‘I know you are upset, Mr. Noble,’ said Ghulam patiently. ‘But please try to understand. People at the very top are involved. They can do whatever they like with Bili Boy. In this country, laws don’t apply to the ones at the top, you know that.’

‘So what can I do?’

‘First of all, the money must be sent back.’

‘Sure. But I have already deposited half. You can have the remaining fifty bundles any time.’

‘All of it, Mr. Noble. Withdraw the rest if you have deposited it.’ The voice was sharper now.

‘Do you know how difficult it is to deposit and withdraw these big amounts? How dangerous? The law is being broken.’

‘Better than bones being broken, Mr. Noble.’ Whose bones does he mean? Unemotional, the bastard’s voice. ‘Do you know how dangerous it is for Bili Boy? They are using their usual methods to make him say where the money is. The only reason he has not confessed is that he wants no trouble for his friends.’

What part of this to believe? How to trust him or Jimmy? ‘Now Bili Boy has made a deal with them,’ Ghulam continued. ‘If the money is returned in thirty days, they will ask no more questions.’

For all I know, this bastard could take the money and disappear. But if Jimmy is really being tortured? ‘Thirty days is impossible. I can only withdraw one bundle a day.’

‘Withdraw two, Mr. Noble.’ A smile appeared suddenly on his face. ‘Or I will have to come and rob your bank.’ Disappeared just as suddenly. Poison again, in his voice. ‘I will do whatever is necessary to help Bili Boy. You have thirty days to return the full package.’

Gustad tried to protest again, but the man was hard as steel. ‘If the money is not delivered on time, things will go badly for all of us, Mr. Noble.’ Bloody bastard. With one hand I could flatten him. He knows I dare not.

They fixed the delivery date. ‘But if you are ready earlier,’ said Ghulam, ‘please come. I will be here every evening.’ He led him to the door. ‘So you were saying someone threw a dead cat and rat in your bushes?’

‘Yes.’ With one hand. Just one blow.

‘Hope you catch him, whoever he is.’

On the way downstairs most of the doors were shut. Brisk business. The record-player was spinning another song, about undying love, constant for over a hundred years, for eternity…‘ Sau saal pahalay, mujay tumsay pyar tha, mujay tumsay pyar tha, aajbhi hai, aur kalbhi rahayga …’ the melody warm and syrupy, dripping nostalgia. And no way out for me. Have to withdraw. Involve poor Dinshawji also in the risk.

Outside, Peerbhoy told him Tehmul had left. ‘Don’t worry, he is all right. Poor fellow tried to explain what happened. But speaks very fast. I gave him a paan to reduce his juice production.’

Miss Kutpitia could offer no explanation about Roshan’s relapse without examining the lime and chillies. So Dilnavaz went back with those neutralizers of evil eyes.

‘Yes,’ said Miss Kutpitia. ‘Yes, just as I thought. Look at this. You know what usually happens to a yellow lime?’

‘It turns brown, becomes soft and smells sour.’

‘And see this one,’ she said triumphantly. ‘Hard as a rock and black as the devil! And no smell at all.’

Dilnavaz felt a cold draught slink through the passage. Then Miss Kutpitia pointed out how peculiarly the chillies were also behaving, all still green as Satan’s emeralds instead of turning red. She kept passing them between her fingers like beads on a rosary. ‘Shows us how much damage the evil eye can do. The poor child has received the full force of it.’ She sniffed the chillies. ‘Fortunately, it is not difficult to be rid of. The seven will do it.’

‘But why did Roshan first improve, then get worse?’

‘Will you wait? I am coming to that. Listen. Inside the child, two forces are attacking: evil eye, which is unintentional; and something else, something dark, something deliberately inflicted. Now, when the evil eye is crushed, the child recovers. Then the dark force arises, and the child is sick again.’ She picked up the lime. ‘This,’ she said. ‘This black stone reveals the dark force.’

‘Dilnavaz wrung her hands. ‘So medicine is of no use?’

‘Some use. Will keep her from getting worse. But won’t cure. We have to find the one responsible for the dark force.’

‘O God! That will be impossible!’

‘Not with alum.’ A rare smile, of quiet confidence, strayed across Miss Kutpitia’s lips. ‘Wait.’ She went to her kitchen and returned with two chunks the size of pigeon eggs. ‘Take these. And Roshan must be present when you do what I will tell you, or it’s no use.’ She detailed the procedure, then returned the chillies and lime. ‘From now on, learn to be more cautious. And teach your children also. Teach them to fear the nights of the full moon; and with Kalichovdas approaching, keep them indoors after sunset. Tell them not to step on, or over, strange objects placed in the road. Beware of anything that looks like a little packet of flowers, or broken eggs or shattered coconuts. Those things come from black-magical kaarestaan, believe me.’

Dilnavaz nodded, trying to memorize her instructions. ‘But what about Sohrab? When will he return to me?’

‘Patience.’