CHAPTER IX
關燈
小
中
大
calmassurancecamethefeelingthatIndiawasoneMoslemalwayshadbeenanassurancethatlasteduntiltheylookedoutofthedoor.WhateverGhalibhadfelt,hehadanyhowlivedinIndia,andthisconsolidateditforthem:hehadgonewithhisowntulipsandroses,buttulipsandrosesdonotgo.Andthesisterkingdomsofthenorth—Arabia,Persia,Ferghana,Turkestan—stretchedouttheirhandsashesang,sadly,becauseallbeautyissad,andgreetedridiculousChandrapore,whereeverystreetandhousewasdividedagainstitself,andtoldherthatshewasacontinentandaunity.
Ofthecompany,onlyHamidullahhadanycomprehensionofpoetry.Themindsoftheotherswereinferiorandrough.Yettheylistenedwithpleasure,becauseliteraturehadnotbeendivorcedfromtheircivilization.Thepoliceinspector,forinstance,didnotfeelthatAzizhaddegradedhimselfbyreciting,norbreakintothecheeryguffawwithwhichanEnglishmanavertstheinfectionofbeauty.Hejustsatwithhismindempty,andwhenhisthoughts,whichweremainlyignoble,flowedbackintoittheyhadapleasantfreshness.Thepoemhaddoneno“good”toanyone,butitwasapassingreminder,abreathfromthedivinelipsofbeauty,anightingalebetweentwoworldsofdust.LessexplicitthanthecalltoKrishna,itvoicedourlonelinessnevertheless,ourisolation,ourneedfortheFriendwhonevercomesyetisnotentirelydisproved.Azizitleftthinkingaboutwomenagain,butinadifferentway:lessdefinite,moreintense.Sometimespoetryhadthiseffectonhim,sometimesitonlyincreasedhislocaldesires,andheneverknewbeforehandwhicheffectwouldensue:hecoulddiscovernoruleforthisorforanythingelseinlife.
Hamidullahhadcalledinonhiswaytoaworryingcommitteeofnotables,nationalistintendency,whereHindus,Moslems,twoSikhs,twoParsis,aJain,andaNativeChristiantriedtolikeoneanothermorethancamenaturaltothem.AslongassomeoneabusedtheEnglish,allwentwell,butnothingconstructivehadbeenachieved,andiftheEnglishweretoleaveIndia,thecommitteewouldvanishalso.HewasgladthatAziz,whomhelovedandwhosefamilywasconnectedwithhisown,tooknointerestinpolitics,whichruinthecharacterandcareer,yetnothingcanbeachievedwithoutthem.HethoughtofCambridge—sadly,asofanotherpoemthathadended.Howhappyhehadbeenthere,twentyyearsago!PoliticshadnotmatteredinMr.andMrs.Bannister’srectory.There,games,work,andpleasantsocietyhadinterwoven,andappearedtobesufficientsubstructureforanationallife.Hereallwaswire-pullingandfear.Messrs.SyedMohammedandHaq—hecouldn’teventrustthem,althoughtheyhadcomeinhiscarriage,andtheschoolboywasascorpion.Bendingdown,hesaid,“Aziz,Aziz,mydearboy,wemustbegoing,wearealreadylate.Getwellquickly,forIdonotknowwhatourlittlecirclewoulddowithoutyou.”
“Ishallnotforgetthoseaffectionatewords,”repliedAziz.
“Addminetothem,”saidtheengineer.
“Thankyou,Mr.SyedMohammed,Iwill.”
“Andmine,”“And,sir,acceptmine,”criedtheothers,stirredeachaccordingtohiscapacitytowardsgoodwill.Littleineffectualunquenchableflames!Thecompanycontinuedtositonthebedandtochewsugarcane,whichHassanhadrunforintothebazaar,andAzizdrankacupofspicedmilk.Presentlytherewasthesoundofanothercarriage.Dr.PannaLalhadarrived,drivenbyhorridMr.RamChand.Theatmosphereofasick-roomwasatoncere-established,andtheinvalidretiredunderhisquilt.
“Gentlemen,youwillexcuse,IhavecometoenquirebyMajorCallendar’sorders,”saidtheHindu,nervousofthedenoffanaticsintowhichhiscuriosityhadcalledhim.
“Herehelies,”saidHamidullah,indicatingtheprostrateform.
“Dr.Aziz,Dr,Aziz,Icometoenquire.”
Azizpresentedanexpressionlessfacetothethermometer.
“Yourhandalso,please.”Hetookit,gazedatthefliesontheceiling,andfinallyannounced“Sometemperature.”
“Ithinknotmuch,”saidRamChand,desirousoffomentingtrouble.
“Someheshouldremaininbed,”repeatedDr.PannaLal,andshookthethermometerdown,sothatitsaltituderemainedforeverunknown.HeloathedhisyoungcolleaguesincethedisasterswithDapple,andhewouldhavelikedtodohimabadturnandreporttoMajorCallendarthathewasshamming.Buthemightwantadayinbedhimselfsoon,—besides,thoughMajorCallendaralwaysbelievedtheworstofnatives,heneverbelievedthemwhentheycarriedtalesaboutoneanother.Sympathyseemedthesafercourse.“Howisstomach?”heenquired,“howhead?”Andcatchingsightoftheemp