Jugga has cracked and told the subinspector the names of Malli and his gang of dacoits. The men’s discussion moves to Lala Ram Lal’s murder. The subinspector soothes Chand’s fears, and tells him that the Mano Majra Muslims have been bringing the Sikh refugees food. This news alarms Chand, who fears the refugees will start trouble in the peaceful town. Some Muslims from the surrounding villages have started to leave for refugee camps, and about 50 Sikh refugees from Pakistan arrived in Mano Majra early this morning. The subinspector also reveals that approximately 1500 people were massacred on the train. He reports that the fire reduced the corpses from the train into bones and ashes, and that he forbid the villagers from going near the bridge or the railway station. However, despite his guilt, he doesn’t send her away, and begins to prepare for the day.Īs Chand completes his morning routine, the subinspector announces his presence. The sight of her makes him feel guilty and depressed, because she’s the same age his daughter would have been had she not died. Remembering the yards of dead frightens, but then he sees Haseena sleeping in a chair. At first he welcomes the coming rain, as this monsoon season was poor, but then he remembers the fire burning the corpses from the train. The next morning, the sound of thunder awakens Hukum Chand. He makes Haseena lie down in his bed, and clings to her as he falls asleep. Chand forgot they were coming, and dismisses his servants, along with Haseena’s entourage. As everyone prepares for bed, Haseena, her grandmother, and their posse of musicians arrive at the rest house. He tells his servants to sleep in the rooms around his own room, almost as if they are talismans against his fear. His experiences with death in his personal life make the mass murder on the train difficult to deal with. Grisly images of carnage from the train come back and haunt him. The sight of that many dead men, women, and children at first makes him numb, but as the night settles in, so does his depression. That night, for the first time in the history of Mano Majra, Imam Baksh does not perform his evening prayer.Īt the rest house, the horror and death the train from Pakistan contained is taking a toll on Hukum Chand. Everyone in Mano Majra can recognize the smell of burning bodies, and they sit in silence, knowing that the train came from Pakistan. A soft breeze begins to waft the smell of burning wood, kerosene, and searing flesh through the village. The frustrated Mano Majrans go into their homes, ready for bed, but suddenly red and orange flames leap into the night sky. Finally night falls, casting everything in darkness. For hours they wait, completely abandoning their daily routine and chores. Everyone returns home and goes to their rooftops to try and catch a glimpse of what’s happening at the railway station. When the villagers drop the supplies, they aren’t told what it’s needed for, and their questions are brushed off. For now, none of the men know what’s happening, but declare that they are in Kalyug, or the dark age.Īs the villagers talk amongst themselves, a police officer comes and demands that everyone bring their firewood and kerosene oil to trucks parked at the railroad station. Most of the villagers go to the gurdwara, where Meet Singh, Imam Baksh, and the lambardar, named Banta Singh, hold court. The people of Mano Majra gather and discuss the mysterious train, but no one gives them any answers. The guards on the train call immediately for the subinspector and Hukum Chand, who arrive with an escort of 50 armed policemen. One morning, a train with a “ghostly quality” arrives at the Mano Majra station. Machine guns are placed on each side of the barricade, and no one is allowed near. Besides the trains, another major difference is the construction of a military barricade near the railway station. More of the trains run through the night, further disrupting life. The imam and priest are late with their calls to prayer, so the villagers don’t know when to wake up and begin their days. The trains are increasingly late, which impacts the flow of life in the village. Time passes, and it’s September in Mano Majra.
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