Page 38 of A Shimla Affair
In response, she spat again. ‘You didn’t have very good things to say about me, Nalini Bibi. Don’t think I don’t know about your conversation with Singhji.’
That made Noor mad. ‘You accuse us! You took advantage of our goodwill and stabbed us in the back. You brought all those people right to our hotel when you knew the sahibs would be there. We gave you a job, we sheltered you! And you betrayed us so easily!’
Begum Jaan came closer to the bars and snarled. ‘There’s nothing easy about putting your life on the line, risking the wrath of those who hold the guns, especially as a woman! Do you know what they did to the other protestors, making them crawl through the streets, flogging them? You think that’s easy? No, but we have got to do it, some rights you have to fight for, to be free, as Allah originally made us!’
I looked at Noor, who appeared unfazed.
‘Well, mistakes were made on both sides, I suppose. Let me do us all a favour and get to the point. You know everything that’s happening in the city. You have many friends, both over- and underground, listening, observing and reporting back to you. You are a leader of the Muslims in Shimla, and we know that you care about the town, its people and what happens here. I ask you to help us in this specific matter, because it’s important to us. Help us, just as we have always helped you.’
Begum Jaan didn’t say anything, and Noor looked at me to continue.
‘The Viceroy is having an affair with someone in the city. We want to know with whom.’
Begum Jaan betrayed no signs of shock or familiarity about what we had just said; she didn’t even blink. We waited for a minute but, when she refused to react, I asked impatiently; ‘Do you know?’
Begum Jaan shrugged, ‘Of course.’
I looked at Noor, sure that Begum Jaan wasn’t lying. She knew everything, so why would this be an exception?
‘Well, who is it?’
‘Why do you want to know?’
‘We need a favour from the Viceroy. They want to take the hotel away from us. If we were to accidently know this key information, it would make him think about it again.’
Begum Jaan’s expression was placid again.
‘All right, I can tell you. It’s surprising you only came to know of it now, for it’s been going on for months.’
‘Who is it?’ Noor asked urgently.
‘Not so fast,’ Begum Jaan said, putting her hand up, ‘You want to find out, you free me from here. And only then will I tell you what you need to know.’
‘And how do we know that you actually have this information?’
‘The fortunate thing about you three sisters is that you have been spared, so far, from the humiliations that women fallen from grace experience. These women either perish or shine, perhaps I was one of the few who were destined to shine. When I was on the street, without a father or a husband to protect me, knowledge became my power. A drunken Sikh sepoy used to come looking for me every night, knowing that in the darkness of the night and the absence of family, I was fair game. I spent many nights, with my heart thumping, hiding in the city’s tunnels. One day, an ayah who used to work for the constable, told me this Sikh would stare at the constable’s wife from outside her window. When that information reached the constable—Iwonder how—the sepoy was told to leave Shimla within twenty-four hours. But he spent five of those hours telling the town that he had to leave because he dared to mess with me. The business of secrets is exclusively run by Begum Jaan in Shimla.’
Noor leant on to the bars. ‘But how do we know that you havethisinformation?’
‘Because I know the mistress, Noor Bibi, I sell her some of the handicrafts that now lie abandoned at your Oriental Bazaar. She prefers to have the shop straight at home, very spoiled lady.’
I looked at Noor, feeling stupid for not expecting Begum Jaan to want a favour in return. But how in the world could we request Begum Jaan’s release, after I had come in here and complained about her in the first place?
14
With slightly trembling fingers, I sealed the envelope and gave it to the runner before I could change my mind again.
‘I am sorry to bother you, Charles,’I had written, ‘but we are in a slight crisis, and I was hoping you could help me. I wouldn’t have asked you if it was not urgent. The borders in and out of Shimla are sealed, as I am sure you are aware—any carts and wagons that need to enter the town are stuck in long queues to be thoroughly checked by the border patrol. The backlog is causing massive delays, sometimes for days. We have an urgent delivery of very high-quality produce stuck in the queue—there’s fresh produce coming directly from the Bombay port—cheese, meat, fruits—it’s so hard to get hold of fresh ingredients due to the War, and we have paid a lot of money for it. If you could come to the border today on the Hindustan–Tibet Road, perhaps you can help us get ahead in the queue. You can thoroughly check the wagons. If you are able to, I will meet you there at three.’
I had already dug my grave deep enough to be unable to get out without completely wrecking Charles’ faith, damaging the trust he so innocently placed in me. I could only hope that heturned up. I was banking on the hope that Charles wouldn’t bother checking our wagons.
‘There will be almost fifty kilograms of ammunition in those wagons, we need to get it into town from the caves. It’s impossible to get it through the city borders, with the security they implemented after the train heist,’ Guruji had told us.
‘Guruji, forgive me, but it still sounds very dangerous,’ Ratan Babu said. ‘The British have been on the hunt for the stolen ammunition. They are checking every wagon and cart and every person that goes in and out through the borders. Moreover, I heard that somebody important is about to visit, so they’ve increased security in town and the border even more.’
Guruji put up his hand. ‘Ratan Babu, the fight for freedom is full of danger, I do not deny it. This is where our courage must bloom, and we must decide—what are we willing to do? Our men in the Bhagat Fauj need more ammunition to defend the Shimla Circle from attack after we kill the Viceroy. We must conceal this ammunition by spreading it across two or three wagons, and make sure the wagons are not checked thoroughly. It is our only chance.’
‘And what if they do find it?’ I asked.
