by Pran Kishore
Reeny and Ghulam Qadir came out of their rooms and ran down to the hall. Reeny phoned the doctor. In the meantime, all the servants in the house gathered and tried to get him out of the chair, but all their attempts failed. Ghulam Qadir ran to the garage and brought a hammer and a saw. Reeny was walking to and fro between the hall and the gate, waiting anxiously for the doctor.
Ghulam Qadir cut the arms of the chair and with the help of attendants, managed to get De Souza out of the chair. They laid him carefully on the carpet. The chef brought a tumbler of water. Ghulam Qadir tried to make De Souza swallow a sip of water, but he did not and the water trickled down from the corners of his mouth.
The doctor arrived. He examined De Souza and said to Reeny, ‘Sorry, my child. He is gone. He suffered a cardiac arrest.’
Reeny stood still, like a lump of clay, gazing at her father’s face.
The doctor wrote the death certificate. He took Ghulam Qadir aside and explained to him all the funeral rites and rituals. ‘Obviously the people of the community will perform all the rituals. Since he has no relative in the neighbourhood, you may have to stand by her as her only support. He was a noble soul. May he rest in peace. God bless you.’
The doctor went to Reeny and placed his hand on her head. ‘Be a brave girl. I had told him not to touch alcohol, but he is reeking of feni.’
Reeny looked at the doctor and then at her dead father. The doctor sighed and said, ‘I shall go to the church and inform the father.’
Qadir asked the attendants to help carry De Souza to his room. He knew all his friends, other hoteliers and traders would come to see him one last time.
De Souza was buried the next morning in the cemetery of Daman with full honour. Reeny, clad in a black dress, sat near the grave with her eyes closed, praying for her father’s soul. Tears flowed down her cheeks.
After the funeral, the padre went to Reeny and advised her to show fortitude and forbearance. The mourning procession slowly came out of the cemetery. Near the outer gate, Reeny individually thanked and bade farewell to all the people who had come. Ghulam Qadir and the attendants of the hotel stayed with Reeny.
Ghulam Qadir took out his handkerchief and gave it to Reeny. ‘Let us go.’
Reeny wiped her tears, heaved a long sigh, and said, ‘Let us go.’
No one entered the pantry.
Four days had passed since De Souza’s funeral. After attending the last of the prayers, Reeny and Qadir entered the hotel. She looked at the chair which lay in a corner, as if still wailing. She went near the chair and held the handle of the suspended chain in her hand. Qadir went near her and said, ‘Let’s move forward, it is of no use now.’
She began to wail loudly. All the waiters and servants came and stood around her. He sat near her, and hesitantly placed his hand on her shoulder. ‘Please stay strong, Reeny.’
‘Now what will I do, Qadira?’ Saying so, she rested her head on Qadir’s chest. Qadir’s eyes brimmed with tears.
The noise of the sea had subsided and the sun was slowly submerging in the golden waves. The glare of the setting sun on their faces was getting dimmer, and they hardly knew when the day was over.
Their employees, sitting still in a corner of the hall, looked like transfixed shadows; no one had the will to switch the lights on.
The chief chef finally switched on the lights in the veranda. The light of the lamps entered through the windows and filled the hall. Qadir said to Reeny, ‘Let us get up now. It was God’s decree, what could we do?’
‘Daddy left me all alone in such a vast world. All is finished—’
‘No, all is not finished. If you give up like this, Uncle’s soul will never forgive us. Let’s get up. I am here with you, you know that.’
Reeny cast a hopeful glance at his face, then got up and walked slowly towards the stairs.
Ghulam Qadir accompanied her upstairs. While climbing up the steps, he turned and said to the staff, ‘Why is it all dark? Switch the lights on, and make preparations for dinner. People will be here soon returning after their ride on the steamers.’
All the lights were switched on, and the walls of the hotel were bright again. The workers began to work again.
Ghulam Qadir entered Reeny’s bedroom for the first time. He was holding her hand. He made her sit on the bed and was about to leave, when Reeny tugged at his hand and made him sit down beside her.
‘No, Qadira, stop. I don’t know what is happening to me. Don’t leave yet.’
‘But there is a lot to be done downstairs.’
‘They will do it on their own. You sit here with me. I am feeling scared.’
‘All will be fine again. You have to persevere.’
Qadir sat beside her. Reeny closed her eyes. He felt every second was getting heavier than the last. Before he could utter another word, she said, ‘Qadira, promise that you will never go away from this hotel.’
‘How can I go away, Reeny memsahib?’
‘Never abandon me, I will die of loneliness.’
‘Don’t talk like that.’
The days of mourning were over. Joseph Farera, De Souza’s advocate, arrived, and handed over an envelope to Reeny. ‘The last will and testament of my friend De Souza.’
Reeny, who had almost overcome her grief, received the envelope and was about to open it when Joseph Farera stopped her and advised her that he read the will in Ghulam Qadir’s presence as there was a mention of him in it. Reeny handed the envelope to Farera.
Farera opened the envelope and turned toward Ghulam Qadir. ‘This is the last will of De Souza. Please pay close attention to what he has written – ‘I, De Souza, with all my five senses alert, deed my Hotel Solace over to my daughter Reeny and her partner Qadir.’
Ghulam Qadir was flabbergasted. He protested, ‘No, no. The hotel is Reeny’s property. I came here only to lend a hand. I have no right over it.’
Farera smiled. ‘Let me read through the whole deed. “It is my heartfelt desire that after my death Qadir support my daughter for her whole life. They get married and keep my name alive. Mother Mary herself sent Qadira like an angel to me when our boat was about to sink. It is my firm belief that he will fulfil my last wish. If they do not agree to this deed, the hotel may be donated to the orphanage of the church – my dear children, I request you to agree. I am sure your life will be replete with joys and happiness.”’
Reeny fondly looked at Qadir, but he felt frozen.
‘So I am leaving. You reflect on De Souza’s decision which he arrived at after much deliberation. Qadir Sahib, he loved you more than his own son. When he came to me to request my counsel, he became very sentimental. I request you to respect his last wish. Goodbye.’ Then Farera left.
Reeny said, ‘Now you are a prisoner, sir. How will you escape?’
‘Marriage is not child’s play, memsahib, we will have to think it over seriously.’
‘I have already thought for myself. Now it’s your turn to think.’
Qadir felt defeated and wearily walked out.
Qadir did not sleep a wink. Reeny was really in love with him. He was not the man he used to be, otherwise he would have taken pleasure in the fact. He wanted to get reunited with his family and call Zeb and Bilal here. But now if he did not marry Reeny, the hotel and other property would go to the orphanage of the church. And if he married Reeny, his Zeb and his son would have no shelter. ‘What will happen to my Abba and Ammi?’ he thought.
He would finally tell everything to Reeny.
In Srinagar, Noor Mohammad had been summoned by the bank to meet the manager. He was terrified at the thought of some new trouble coming their way. On the one hand he faced the dread of Parveen’s plight being discovered by others in the family, and on the other, he felt burdened with the guilt of lying to Zeb and Aziz Dyad about Qadir. He was eagerly waiting for his father to return and resolve all the problems. He went to the deputy manager who handed him a transfer order of fifty thousand rupees from the Bank of Chennai in the name of M
alla Khaliq. Noor Mohammad was flummoxed. He could not remember any tourist who might have come from Madras to stay in their houseboats. ‘I think this is the money that Haji Sahib has received as an advance from some customer in Bombay. Abba has left from Bombay and is expected to reach Srinagar in a couple of days.’
When he returned his mother gave him a letter that the postman had delivered. He ripped the envelope open with trembling hands. It was a typed letter from some Swami from Madras. After a formal salaam and good wishes, the letter conveyed that he owed over one lakh rupees to Ghulam Qadir in connection with his carpet business. Qadir had instructed him in Bombay that the money be paid to his father.
Mr Swami had further written that he had to urgently leave for America and that he would pay the balance amount immediately on his return.
Aziz Dyad had become nervous after receiving the letter; she asked Noor Mohammad if all was well.
‘Yes, all is well. Ghulam Qadir has sent fifty thousand rupees to Abba.’
‘God bless him! Has he written anything about Qadir’s coming home?’
He thought, so Ghulam Qadir is now in Madras! No, no, there is still some mystery to be solved. Wrapped up in a blanket, he sat on the deck of the houseboat. Zeb got him a hot kangri and asked him about the letter. ‘It was from Ghulam Qadir’s partner. He has sent fifty thousand rupees to Abba. He is still in Saudi, perhaps,’ Noor Mohammad lied to her.
Zeb sighed and went back. On reaching the pantry, she overheard Aziz Dyad and Parveen arguing. Parveen was weeping. ‘Why don’t you understand? I have nothing against my in-laws. But why should I call them? You need not worry about me. Let Abba come home; only he can solve my problem.’
‘Why don’t you tell me what actually happened there? Your in-laws have phoned you so many times, you should have spoken to them to ask after their well-being.’
‘I will surely call them, but only after Abba is home.’
Zeb did not think it proper to interrupt the private conversation. Parveen had told Zeb everything. But she had requested her not to divulge Parvez’s second marriage to anyone until Abba returned. On hearing the argument between Parveen and her mother, she thought that perhaps Parveen had told her mother.
Seeing Qadir’s indifference, Reeny was gradually losing hope, while Qadir could not muster the courage to convey his decision to her. He quietly finished dinner and went upstairs to his bedroom. Reeny left her meal half finished and listlessly went to her room.
Qadir stretched out on the bed and fell asleep in no time. It was midnight when the strong wind from the ocean threw the window open. Qadir shivered with cold. He got up to shut the window but then he saw someone sitting crouched in an armchair in Reeny’s balcony. He called out, ‘Who is there?’ But there was no reply. He went out into the balcony. Reeny sat weeping. Qadir walked up to her and sat before her on his knees. ‘What has happened, Reeny memsahib? Why are you sitting here all alone in the cold?’
Reeny turned to Qadir. ‘Why did you come here? If you hadn’t, I wouldn’t have been reduced to such misery. My days were passing by somehow. Why did you come? Go! Leave me. Get away.’ She cried and stood up. Qadir gathered courage and held Reeny’s arm. ‘Let’s go in. You will fall sick in this cold.’
‘Why are you making me suffer? Six days have gone by since the lawyer came, and during these six days, you have not bothered to talk to me even once.’
‘I am sorry. Please forgive me. How can I explain what I am going through?’
‘You thought I was forcing you to shoulder my responsibilities by enticing you with the possession of this hotel. How can I make you understand that you are the only person in this world besides my father whom I trust? How can I bring myself to tell you that – I cannot live without you? Hotel or no hotel, Dad’s property, or no property!’
Qadir squatted on the floor at her feet and kissed her hands. ‘I cannot leave you and go anywhere else. And I cannot hurt Uncle’s soul. If I am destined to undergo this trial, I will not dither. I have received so much love from you people. You have shown so much trust in me. I cannot be so ungrateful as to leave you alone and escape. And even if I wished to do that, where would I go? How?’
Ghulam Qadir gasped for breath. This was the first time in his life that he was overwhelmed with emotion. Reeny got out of her chair and sat on the floor beside him. She held Qadir close to her chest as if he were a frightened child. Qadir finally got up and helped Reeny up. ‘You better call the advocate.’ Reeny was about to say something to him, but Qadir stopped her. ‘Before you say anything more, I want to talk to you honestly. I will abide by what you decide after that.’
‘Neither you nor Uncle ever inquired about my past. You did not even try to find out who I was and what I did. I feel obligated to tell you everything about myself before we take any decision.’
He told Reeny about his parents, his brothers and sister. He did not hide the episode with Jane and about his trip to Bombay. But he did not tell her about Zeb, nor did he tell her that he had a son in Kashmir. He had resolved that in order to save Reeny’s property and to gain her faith, he would tell her the rest at the right time.
Reeny was overcome with compassion for him. ‘Now you can visit your family with your head held high. You can invite all of them on our wedding.’
‘No, there is still a lot to be done. This is not even the time to tell them where I am. That is why I am sending them money from Madras.’
The very next day they called upon De Souza’s lawyer and informed him about their decision. He advised them to register their marriage in the court so that all possible hassles over them belonging to different religions could be avoided.
Reeny was ecstatic, but Qadir felt guilty. Reeny ran towards the Ford car which was reminiscent of De Souza’s days of prosperity. She had got it repaired and painted after having restarted the hotel. She opened the door to the driver’s seat and said very courteously to Qadir, ‘Come, drive me home!’ Qadir cast a bittersweet smile at Reeny and sat in the car. Reeny looked at him and said, ‘It is a custom that the ladies take their seat first. And then – anyway, all can be pardoned for today.’ Qadir drove fast along the shore towards Hotel Solace. Reeny exclaimed in joy, ‘Ah, this is our beginning!’
Malla Khaliq’s return to his home was no less than a festival. The whole family assembled at the isle well before his arrival at the airport. Ghulam Ahmed left with a taxi to receive Narayan Joo and his father.
All the plateaus of Wompore were burgeoning with almond bloom. Seeing the stunning panorama of early spring at the Wompore plateau, Narayan Joo said, ‘Wow! Haji Sahib, do you see how Kashmir has worn a new bridal dress to receive you?’
‘Yes. This is why I was pining to return to the lap of my mother Kashmir. But now I feel as if life has been wrung out from my body.’
Ghulam Ahmed consoled him. ‘All will be fine again. Qadir must also be worried about us. He sent fifty thousand rupees through some businessman in Madras. He has written saying he is going to Japan and will send us fifty thousand more on his return.’
‘See, I told you many times that Ghulam Qadir will sooner or later realize his mistakes,’ Narayan Joo said to Malla Khaliq. But Malla Khaliq was simmering with anger and anxiety. ‘Don’t mention that vagabond. If he had indeed returned to the right path, he would not continue playing hide-and-seek with us.’ The taxi driver looked curiously at them and Narayan Joo stopped speaking.
Ghulam Ahmed said to the driver, ‘Brother, first we must drop Panditji at Barzula, so turn the taxi in the opposite direction.’
On reaching home after dropping Narayan Joo, Malla Khaliq forgot all his pain when he saw Noor Mohammad, Nisar Ahmed and the rest of his family gathered around to welcome him. He embraced each of them one by one. His eyes were searching restlessly for Bilal. ‘Where is Bilal?’ he asked Noor Mohammad.
‘He was sitting there on the stairs waiting for you. I don’t know where he is hiding now.’
Malla Khaliq left all of them and walked
slowly towards the willow grove; Bilal suddenly appeared and ran away from him. Malla Khaliq caught up with him. He lifted him in his arms saying, ‘You imp! Why were you running away from me?’ Bilal held him in a tight hug and Malla Khaliq kissed him many times over. Aziz Dyad and Zeb came near them. Aziz Dyad looked fondly at the two. ‘He was angry with you. He said that Abba did not call him even once.’
Malla Khaliq kissed Bilal’s forehead and said, ‘Oh, I could rip apart my chest to show you how deeply I missed all of you.’ Aziz Dyad’s eyes brimmed with tears.
Bilal turned his grandfather. ‘Is Daddy not coming?’
Everyone fell silent. Malla Khaliq caressed the child’s head and said, ‘He will be home within a month’s time.’ Zeb’s heart sank.
Noor Mohammad and Ghulam Ahmed went to their father’s room at midnight. Aziz Dyad asked Malla Khaliq, ‘Why don’t you say something? They have told you the whole story about Ramzan Haji’s son.’
‘What can I say? I only want to know what sins of mine merit this retribution. In Bombay I kept trying to reassure myself that Ghulam Qadir will soon realize his misdeeds, come out of hiding and shoulder the responsibility of his family. I did not know that there was yet another lightning waiting to strike me.’
‘We must think of some immediate measure to resolve this issue. Our poor Parveen will otherwise keep dying every moment there,’ Ghulam Ahmed said.
This enraged Malla Khaliq. ‘So much has happened here in my absence, and you did not even bother to inform me! Had I known earlier, I would have stayed in Delhi and taken Ramzan Haji to task.’
‘You were already so burdened with despair there, how could we trouble you further? Besides it was an alien city, people would certainly start rumours.’