CHAPTER II

heybreathedthemwiththecoolnightair,neverstoppingtoanalysethenameofthepoet,Hafiz,Hali,Iqbal,wassufficientguarantee.India—ahundredIndias—whisperedoutsidebeneaththeindifferentmoon,butforthetimeIndiaseemedoneandtheirown,andtheyregainedtheirdepartedgreatnessbyhearingitsdeparturelamented,theyfeltyoungagainbecauseremindedthatyouthmustfly.AservantinscarletinterruptedhimhewasthechuprassioftheCivilSurgeon,andhehandedAzizanote. “OldCallendarwantstoseemeathisbungalow,”hesaid,notrising.“Hemighthavethepolitenesstosaywhy.” “Somecase,Idaresay.” “Idaresaynot,Idaresaynothing.Hehasfoundoutourdinnerhour,that’sall,andchoosestointerruptuseverytime,inordertoshowhispower.” “Ontheonehandhealwaysdoesthis,ontheotheritmaybeaseriouscase,andyoucannotknow,”saidHamidullah,consideratelypavingthewaytowardsobedience.“Hadyounotbettercleanyourteethafterpan?” “Ifmyteetharetobecleaned,Idon’tgoatall.IamanIndian,itisanIndianhabittotakepan.TheCivilSurgeonmustputupwithit.MohammedLatif,mybike,please.” Thepoorrelationgotup.Slightlyimmersedintherealmsofmatter,helaidhishandonthebicycle’ssaddle,whileaservantdidtheactualwheeling.Betweenthemtheytookitoveratintack.Azizheldhishandsundertheewer,driedthem,fittedonhisgreenfelthat,andthenwithunexpectedenergywhizzedoutofHamidullah’scompound. “Aziz,Aziz,imprudentboy....”Buthewasfardownthebazaar,ridingfuriously.Hehadneitherlightnorbellnorhadheabrake,butwhatusearesuchadjunctsinalandwherethecyclist’sonlyhopeistocoastfromfacetoface,andjustbeforehecollideswitheachitvanishes?Andthecitywasfairlyemptyatthishour.Whenhistyrewentflat,heleaptoffandshoutedforatonga. Hedidnotatfirstfindone,andhehadalsotodisposeofhisbicycleatafriend’shouse.Hedalliedfurthermoretocleanhisteeth.Butatlasthewasrattlingtowardsthecivillines,withavividsenseofspeed.Asheenteredtheiraridtidiness,depressionsuddenlyseizedhim.Theroads,namedaftervictoriousgeneralsandintersectingatrightangles,weresymbolicofthenetGreatBritainhadthrownoverIndia.Hefeltcaughtintheirmeshes.WhenheturnedintoMajorCallendar’scompoundhecouldwithdifficultyrestrainhimselffromgettingdownfromthetongaandapproachingthebungalowonfoot,andthisnotbecausehissoulwasservilebutbecausehisfeelings—thesensitiveedgesofhim—fearedagrosssnub.Therehadbeena“case”lastyear—anIndiangentlemanhaddrivenuptoanofficial’shouseandbeenturnedbackbytheservantsandbeentoldtoapproachmoresuitably—onlyonecaseamongthousandsofvisitstohundredsofofficials,butitsfamespreadwide.Theyoungmanshrankfromarepetitionofit.Hecompromised,andstoppedthedriverjustoutsidethefloodoflightthatfellacrosstheverandah. TheCivilSurgeonwasout. “Butthesahibhasleftmesomemessage?” Theservantreturnedanindifferent“No.”Azizwasindespair.Itwasaservantwhomhehadforgottentotip,andhecoulddonothingnowbecausetherewerepeopleinthehall.Hewasconvincedthattherewasamessage,andthatthemanwaswithholdingitoutofrevenge.Whiletheyargued,thepeoplecameout.Bothwereladies.Azizliftedhishat.Thefirst,whowasineveningdress,glancedattheIndianandturnedinstinctivelyaway. “Mrs.Lesley,itisatonga,”shecried. “Ours?”enquiredthesecond,alsoseeingAziz,anddoinglikewise. “Takethegiftsthegodsprovide,anyhow,”shescreeched,andbothjumpedin.“OTongawallah,club,club.Whydoesn’tthefoolgo?” “Go,Iwillpayyouto-morrow,”saidAziztothedriver,andastheywentoffhecalledcourteously,“Youaremostwelcome,ladies.”Theydidnotreply,beingfulloftheirownaffairs. Soithadcome,theusualthing—justasMahmoudAlisaid.Theinevitablesnub—hisbowignored,hiscarriagetaken.Itmighthavebeenworse,foritcomfortedhimsomehowthatMesdamesCallendarandLesleyshouldbothbefatandweighthetongadownbehind.Beautifulwomenwouldhavepainedhim.Heturnedtotheservant,gavehimacoupleofrupees,andaskedagainwhethertherewasamessage.Theman,nowverycivil,returnedthesameanswer.MajorCallendarhaddrivenawayhalfanhourbefore. “Sayingnothing?” Hehadasamatteroffactsaid,“DamnAziz”—wordsthattheservantunderstood,butwastoopolitetorepeat.Onecantiptoomuchaswellastoolittle,indeedthecointhatbuystheexacttruthhasnotyetbeenminted. “ThenIwillwritehimaletter.” Hewasofferedtheuseofthehouse,butwastoodignifiedtoenterit.Paperandinkwerebroughtontotheverandah.Hebegan:“DearSir,—AtyourexpresscommandIhavehastenedasasubordinateshould——”andthenstopped.“TellhimIhaveca