“Circumstances have changed. So have I.”
“If you’re depending on the Factory workers to provide the resistance, let me remind you they’re untrained,” I said. “They’ll be slaughtered. When the Nawab is finished with them, he’ll come for us.”
Job laughed derisively. “Of course, we will need defensive forces to achieve our goal, but we will not depend on untrained people.Our fleet from England, our military force of several ships, will arrive here any day. Not only are we over five hundred strong, but we have better weapons, better trained soldiers, and better tactics.”
My throat became constricted. “Won’t you alienate Emperor Aurangzeb as well?”
“We’re English. We don’t like to lose.” Job’s booming voice bounced off the walls. “We bow before no sovereign other than our own. The Royal Charter allows us to wage war, if necessary. Aurangzeb is not satisfied with the wealth he has accumulated. I hear that rascal is ready to go on a campaign to conquer and eventually rule all of Deccan. Foolish of him. Indeed. He’ll never win there, never. He and his army will retreat or die in the heat, but that actually might be to our advantage. With him absent from the Court for a period of time, we’ll defeat the Nawab’s army, negotiate a better trade treaty, expand and grow our business base. I’d like to have the powers of a state in whatever territory we occupy—executive, judicial, and military. Like the local zamindars, but with more authority.”
He looked closely at me, sensing my doubts. “We’ll surely administer better than the corrupt Nawab, not to mention the equally corrupt local landowners.”
Against the sound of chirping crickets coming through the window, I said, “Didn’t we decide our goal was to serve Hindustan and its people? Wouldn’t a war take us away from our goal? Do we have the necessary experience to administer?”
“Once I was kicked out of the house by my father; that was unfair. Do you think I ever forgot that? I was helpless then. I’m not helpless now. The Council will help us. The Crown is behind us. We won’t lack necessary personnel.”
The air in the room felt stale. “But Job …”
“I don’t wish to discuss this matter any further.”
We went to bed without touching or kissing. In the darkness, I watched Job’s chest rise and fall. For the remainder of the night I barely managed to sleep.
The next morning, I rose early and took a stroll through the white muslin mist to the river to cleanse myself of the gloominess I felt. The sun barely peeked out, dew still glistened on the grass, and a light wind teased the surface of the river. I walked down the broad steps to the water’s edge. For days now, I had been noticing and feeling subtle changes in my body. Now, still fully dressed and submerged in the supporting embrace of the water, I sensed those changes even more keenly. A new life was sprouting inside me. To be a mother—the highest fulfillment for a woman. What a strong current of affection I experienced for Job and our baby. The next moment, I reflected on the previous night’s argument with Job. Apprehension mixed with jubilation as I scooped water to wash my face.
After a while, I came up out of the water, dried myself, rubbed aromatic clove oil on my face and neck, dressed again, and returned to the Factory. By now, the mist had evaporated. As I entered through the gate the guardsman dropped to his knees; I was the wife of the Factory Chief.
“Please,” I said, holding out my hand. “There is no need to bow.”
Once inside the huge compound, I spotted the gardener weeding the flower beds, a riotous mélange of red, white, and purple blossoms. Workmen transferred a pile of jute bags loaded with saltpeter into the warehouse. I lingered for a moment, watching the familiar scene in this lovely residence, home to Job and me. What a perfect place this would be to raise our first-born.
In our chamber, Job, still in his dressing gown, paced the floor, an air of seriousness about him. At my approach, he stepped toward me. Perhaps he wished to utter a few words of apology, but I couldn’t hold it any longer.
“Darling, I am with child,” I said.
Instantly, the glow returned to his cheeks. He gasped: “Are you sure?”
I nodded. He enfolded me in his arms and traced his finger around my face. “Oh, I couldn’t be happier, my love,” he said in a thick voice. “It’s been my greatest hope to have a child, our baby. I had a dream about it last night.”
We held each other in a tight embrace. I moaned in anticipation of the feel of Job’s skin next to my body. I could hear his quickening heartbeat.
Then he said in a serious tone of voice, “You must stop working immediately and take rest.”
I envisioned a blessed life with a baby, suffused with affection, and surrounded by a faithful staff in a town where we had set down roots. “Are you trying to spoil me?” I laughed. “I could never be that indolent.”
“But no walking around in town. I’ll have a palanquin ready to take you wherever you wish to go. Any food you have a craving for, I’ll make sure the kitchen gets it ready. We’ll, of course, hire an ayah when the baby is born.”
His bright mood, his protectiveness, further elevated my own. I kissed him and laughed again. “We’ll have plenty of time to plan for the baby.”
It was time for Job to get dressed and head for an important early meeting. He struggled into his favorite high-necked, beige waist-coat, which fit him snugly, now that he’d regained the weight lost during his convalescence. We chatted while he slipped his feet into embroidered white shoes, but neither of us brought up the subject of the levy. On this extraordinary day, with the sky donning its best blue, I banished that unpleasant subject to the back of my mind.
THIRTY
A month later, before leaving the bedchamber in the morning, Job mentioned that Chand had sent word. He hoped to visit the Factory this morning. “Do you care to receive him?”
“Oh, yes,” I said, hiding my apprehension. “He’s due to report the progress of his artisans. Their initial batch of piece goods is expected to be delivered soon.”
After Job departed, a chill gripped my bones; I dressed myself in a lustrous pink sari with a band of silver at its border. As I entered the kitchen, I could smell the grain-like aroma of the porridge stew simmering on the stove; I felt at home. While Idris and Pratap brought me up-to-date on the latest gossip, lighthearted and trivial, I consumed a large bowl of the porridge, my insatiable appetite a reminder of my pregnancy.
“You’re wearing pink today,” Idris said to me jokingly. “I hear that’s the color most used by our Nawab in the Royal Palace.”
At the mention of the Nawab’s name, I lost my appetite. It had been weeks and I could still picture the cursed document and Job’s burst of fury that had resulted from its arrival. The levy hadn’t been paid. Nor had our fleet from England arrived. I pushed the bowl away.
Sitting on the verandah with my bulky ledger, with pigeons milling about on the path below, I thumbed through the rough off-white pages. I tried to determine where our expenses could be slashed, so we could gather the necessary sum for the new tariff, should Job agree to pay it.
I looked up at the sound of footsteps. Chand, his eyes watchful. He wore a silver-colored tunic and his bearded face looked wan. He had no sooner finished stammering a salutation than Idris materialized, bearing tumblers of ghol and a platter of almonds and dried plums. He arranged the dishes and the elegant silverware beautifully on the table; then, as Idris withdrew, Chand slumped back in the chair, his face puckered.
“Have you come bearing news for me?” I asked.
“Yes, I am afraid so. Rani Mata has it on good authority that the Nawab is preparing his army for combat. Lately he’s been going hunting. That’s a clue that he’s getting ready for an expedition.”
“An attack on Rani Mata’s fort?”
“No, the Nawab plans to leave us alone for awhile. Our spies are sure about that.” Chand cleared his throat. “The Nawab is planning to storm this Factory. It’s imminent. You can almost hear the horses’ hooves.”
“What? This must be a mistake.”
Silently, I reviewed our finances. How could we respond to the Nawab’s demands before he sent his troops our way? How best could we negotiate the terms of our obligation?
“What reason does the Nawab have to attack us?”
Chand looked back over his shoulder and lowered his voice further. “According to Rani Mata, the Nawab is highly offended by the manners of the English. He considers them arrogant. Even worse, they’re out-competing him in the saltpeter trade, a situation he intends to remedy. Rumor has it that he’ll order those blasted people to cease all trading activities in his territory. When they naturally refuse, Job sahib will be put under house arrest and his saltpeter supply confiscated. If any of the staff offers resistance, he’ll be put to the sword.”
“The English are ferocious, highly disciplined fighters,” I said. “They’ll be no easy target for the Nawab. In addition, the English fleet will arrive any day with troops and the most modern weapons. The Nawab will pay a heavy price and may well lose in the end.”
Chand shrugged. “The Nawab’s army has guns too. The English fleet isn’t here yet. The Nawab’s forces vastly outnumber that of the English here in the Factory. If he mounts an attack before the fleet arrives, this building will be reduced to rubble and most of its residents will be slain.” He paused. “You must leave this place at once and come with me, Maria. Rani Mata is most concerned about your welfare and offers you shelter. I have a palanquin ready. Come now, while there’s still time.”
“You’re asking a wife to leave her husband and …”
His eyebrows raised, Chand interrupted me in a bleak tone. “By defying the Nawab, without being in a position to back it up, Job sahib has placed not only his life in danger, but yours as well. It is said that the Nawab intends to publicly torture him as an example to all those who would resist his rule.”
Consumed with both rage and fear, I could only glare at Chand. Finally, I managed to say, “Both you and the Nawab are underestimating the English.”
“Why do you put so much faith in the English, if I may ask?” Chand’s voice registered disgust. “Why did you marry one of them? They’re only here to exploit us, to fill the coffers of their country with goods made by our back-breaking labor.”
“This Factory is my beloved home, as it is Job’s. With his help, I was reborn, and so I’ve bound my fate with his and that of the Company. The Nawab can’t keep us down for long. We’ll soon be back in business. The Company has been generous with the local artisans and they’ll support us.”
Chand sighed as he rose to leave. “Very well then. Your loyalty is praiseworthy, as is your toughness. You have a genuine concern for the artisans, but let me warn you once again. You’ve chosen the wrong path, the wrong side.”
I watched Chand vanish down the pathway. I sat for several moments to steady myself then went looking for Job. Entering the meeting hall, I found him in conference with Arthur and a few other subordinates. A dark shadow seemed to hover over the stately room. Job spoke rapidly in a hushed tone, his eyes burning with intensity. The faces of the others in attendance expressed alarm. Were they hatching a plot of some sort? Quietly, I listened.
“But I love this land,” Job said, his voice strained. “I love the people.”
“Your loyalty to the Crown comes above it all,” Arthur said.
“Still,” Job said, “just to think I’ll have my sword bathed by the blood of—
He flinched as he heard my footsteps, left his sentence half-finished, rose, took me by the arm, and excused himself. Noticing the distress on my face, he escorted me to a secluded part of the courtyard where we stood facing each other.
“What’s the matter, love?” he said.
I relayed to him what I had learned from Chand.
“Lord have mercy,” he said in a trembling voice. “I should have told you that I was advised of this possibility two days ago. Then, yesterday, our boat carrying saltpeter was detained by the Nawab’s deputies. We were discussing this very topic at our meeting just now. What you have passed on to me only confirms our worst fear.”
“And yet you chose not to tell me? Am I not your wife and partner? Do we not have a child to consider? How could you?”
“Your insights are always helpful, darling, but, as the Chief of the Factory, I have the responsibility to protect everyone. I didn’t want to cause any undue alarm, especially when you’re with child.”
I locked away any thought of personal well being into a corner of my mind, along with the temptation to be outraged. “What about our fleet?”
“Unfortunately, the fleet has been delayed due to a severe storm.” A note of desperation crept into Job’s tone. “We have little time. I’ve already made arrangements to send you at once to our Hooghly house. Idris will accompany you.”
“And you? Won’t you join me?”
“I’ll remain here to defend our property.”
I pushed a lock of hair away from my face. “But I won’t go without you. It is my fate to suffer what you must undergo. And I’ll fight along with you.”
Job leaned toward me. “I do not question your ability to fight, my dear love, but you must leave for the sake of our child, if nothing else.This is the only reasonable course. You’ve been to the Company’s Hooghly residence. I trust it will again be comfortable for you.”
“Why Hooghly when I can go to Rani Mata’s?”
“It will not be safe for you to visit Rani Mata, given how the Nawab feels about her. Pack your belongings, darling. Now! You’ll leave in less than an hour. Idris will travel with you and help you settle down there. I’ll send for you as soon as the situation improves and it is safe for you to return.”
“Please, dear, reconsider your position. You’re hopelessly outnumbered. There is no doubt this will end badly for you. Think of the innocent people who will die for a lost cause, because of your stubbornness.”
“It is warfare. I didn’t start it, but I am rather good with guns, as are most of the Factors. I am also an expert swordsman. I can cause damage to the Nawab’s men far worse than he imagines. Our fleet might still arrive.”
For the first time, I derived no assurance from Job’s words. “Why not try to negotiate a truce and stall for time?”
“I hope to win. The Nawab’s army is poorly trained and incompetently led. We will prevail and before you know it, everything will be back to normal.”
All I could do was shake my head in frustration. “Why, we might even gain some ground as far as our trading privileges go,” Job continued. “I’ll have the customs rules rewritten for our benefit and the levy overthrown.” He looked into my eyes tenderly, but his voice betrayed him. “You must hurry, dear love. We don’t have a moment to spare. I’ll send a courier to you with updates, as soon as I can.”
“How long do you expect this war to go on?”
Job Charnock, the Chief Factor, was not sure of his actions that day. He confessed to it too late, after great upheaval, after they had almost lost each other to his pride, but that day he only pulled his wife closer; his lips lingered on her brow. He studied her face intensely; it was his desire to carry an image of her with him. His heart was crying silently for her, already missing her. What had he gotten them into? Then he walked away.
My hand flew to my mouth; I stifled a sob born of a futile desire to pull him back even as I watched him move away from me.
Who could have foreseen this dangerous turn of events? When did it all start to go wrong? How could it have been prevented? I touched my eyes with the train of my sari and looked around the mansion, the silence and defiance of the outer walls, the gentle lace of the bamboo leaves hugging them, the silvery sunlight flirting with the orange-and-blue tiles of the courtyard. A white heron flew overhead. I could no longer share the tranquility of this beautiful, opulent mansion, the grounds that surrounded it, the river that gurgled past it. Here I had been reborn into a glorious new life of limitless possibilities, known deep love for a man f
or the first time, and even now carried the natural fruit of that consummation in my womb. Now I seethed with a sense of impending loss as the ramifications of Job’s intemperate decision and my misplaced faith in him began to sink in.
Where now did my future and that of my unborn child lie?
THIRTY-ONE
Although our Hooghly house, Sonar Kuthi, had a generous balcony, colonnades, and a garden, I trudged through the rooms in a detached manner. My mind still rebelled at having to leave Job alone in Cossimbazar. I could picture the desperation in his eyes, the rash of fury on his cheeks, the halting sadness in his steps as he walked away from me for the last time.
The only consolation was that several of the rooms and a balcony looked out onto the sparkling waters of the Hooghly River and its palm-fringed shoreline. To us Hindus a river represented serenity and blessing, so I assumed that this temporary residence would have healing properties.
Hours passed, many a boat anchored, temple bells boomed, but no courier came to my door. Idris proposed that he would go to the dock and see if any arriving passenger had any news of our Factory.
Grave-faced, Idris returned late. “A boat has returned from Cossimbazar,” he said. “As we feared, the army has surrounded the Factory. Job sahib is under house arrest. A small army sent by the Council on an emergency mission couldn’t get far. They were captured by the Nawab’s soldiers.”
I stared ahead; all sounds were meaningless. My restless, proud husband must be pacing in his room, seething with rage. I pictured his guns in the chest drawer. What if he reached for them? Wouldn’t the situation worsen if he drew the trigger?
A notion bubbled up inside me. “Do you think we might be able to help Job flee, by making a deal with the guards?”
Idris thought for a moment. “That’s possible. I am a Muslim and the guards are my brothers. I’ll appeal to their sense of mercy and compassion, which Allah commands all Muslims to show toward others. I’ll tell them that Job sahib is newly married and his wife is pregnant. Also, he’s a foreigner, a guest in our land. We must never harm a guest. Furthermore, the sahib, our lion-hearted leader, donated money to the victims of the market fire. That saved lives. Now we must save his.”
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