Bhajansingh was deeply grieved to see Chaudhary Sahib undergoing such troubles to protect him. His heart kept telling him time and again, ‘I must go to my lord and tell him to hand me over to the police.’ But Chaudhary Sahib just advised him to remain in hiding.
It was winter. Chaudhary Sahib had gone on a tour of his estate. Nowadays he did not stay in the house much. This was the only way he could escape from the harsh words of his family. He had just finished his dinner and was lying down to rest when Bhajansingh entered his room and stood before him. His face had changed so much that Chaudhary Sahib was shocked. Bhajansingh said, ‘Master, I hope you are well.’
‘Yes, by God’s grace. You appear unrecognizable. Where are you coming from at this hour?’
‘Lord, I can’t stay in hiding any more. If you permit me, I will go and present myself at court. Whatever is destined will happen. I can’t bear to see you undergoing so much suffering because of me.’
‘No, Thakur, I can’t do this as long as I’m alive. I cannot throw you to the wolves. The police will manipulate the evidence to suit their ends and you will have to pay with your life. You have faced grave dangers for my sake. If I can’t do even this much for you, I will be the most ungrateful person in the world. Don’t bring up this subject again.’
‘What if somebody—’
‘Don’t worry about this at all. Nobody can touch even my hair until God wishes it. Now go, it is dangerous to stay here.’
‘I hear that people have stopped socializing with you.’
‘It is better to stay away from one’s enemies.’
But the thought that had lodged itself in Bhajansingh’s heart did not leave. The meeting made his resolutions firmer. ‘He’s wandering from place to place because of me. There’s no one to take care of him here, to call his own. Shame on my life!’
Early in the morning Bhajansingh reached the district magistrate’s bungalow. Sahib asked, ‘Have you been hiding for so long at Chaudhary’s insistence?’
‘No, huzoor. I was scared for my life.’5
Chaudhary Sahib was dumbstruck when he heard the news. Now what could be done? If Bhajansingh didn’t have a lawyer, it would be difficult to save him. If he pleaded for him, it would cause uproar in the Islamic world. Fatwas would be issued from all sides. The Muslims were determined to send him to the gallows. They had set up a fund and the mullahs had appealed to all Muslims from the mosques to contribute generously to the fund. People went door to door to make collections. The case now assumed the colours of a religious dispute. Muslim lawyers jumped on the bandwagon to gain publicity. They poured in from the neighbouring districts to participate in what had now become a jihad.
Chaudhary Sahib resolved to defend Bhajansingh at all costs. In his view, Bhajansingh was innocent and Chaudhary Sahib was fearless when protecting the innocent. To fight the case well, he decided to leave home and stay in the city.
For six months Chaudhary Sahib fought the case with all his might. He spent money like water and ran around like a whirlwind. He did things that were against his disposition and which he had never done before in his life. He pleaded with clerks, suffered egotistic lawyers, bribed officers and finally freed Bhajansingh. The news spread like wildfire in the district. There was a furore. Whosoever heard the story was stunned. This was nobility indeed! To risk everything to save his servant from the jaws of death!
Yet, some Hindus and Muslims looked at this good deed from their communal lenses. The Hindus celebrated the court verdict while the Muslims felt annoyed. They felt that Chaudhary had acted against his faith. The Hindus thought that the opportunity to perform Chaudhary Sahib’s shuddhi ceremony to make him a true Hindu had come. The mullahs undertook religious preachings with a new zeal; Hindus also raised the banner of their association.
Communal feelings heightened on both sides. Bhajansingh, too, lost his head in this overwhelming tide of religiosity. He had a volatile temperament and was easily provoked. He became the leader of the Hindus. He had not even offered a lota of water to Lord Shiva but now he was ready to take up cudgels to defend gods and goddesses. No Muslim could be found for purification, so they purified one or two tanners. Other servants of Chaudhary Sahib were affected too. Those Muslims who had never even looked at the mosque now offered namaz five times a day. The Hindus who had never peeped into the temple now performed sandhya twice daily.
The number of Hindus in the village was larger. On top of that Bhajansingh was their leader, and everybody obeyed him. Earlier, even though the Muslims were lesser in number, they had dominated the Hindus because of the latter’s disorganization. This was no longer the case. Now that the Hindus were organized, how could a handful of Muslims hold their ground?
Another year passed. It was Janmashtami again. The Hindus had not forgotten the humiliation inflicted on them the previous year. Clandestine preparations for a confrontation had been going on for some time. Devotees had started gathering in the temple since the morning. All of them had sticks in their hands; many had daggers hidden in their waistbands. It was agreed beforehand to stage some kind of provocation to get the Muslims to fight. Never before had a procession been brought out during this festival. Departing from this convention, a grand procession was planned this year.
The earthen lamps had been lit. Evening namaz had started in the mosques. Just then the procession was taken out with much fanfare. Elephants and horses, flags and pennants, drums and other musical instruments—the entire paraphernalia was on display. With his
