‘For several days,’ said Sinha, ‘I have contemplated going to him, but seeing the horde of people that he is always surrounded with discourages me. I will never be able to speak to him in the presence of so many men, no matter how urgent the situation is. You speak of spending money? I am prepared to spend as much as it takes, but not to go there and make a spectacle of myself. Heaven knows in what ill-fated moment I took his money. Had I the slightest inkling of what was in store for me, I wouldn’t have so much as let him set foot beyond the gates. He looked as innocent as a lamb! Never before have I committed such a blunder in assessing a man.’
‘Should I go then?’ she inquired. ‘I will take the route that passes through the other side of the city. And I will see to it that all the men are gone before I talk to him. This way nobody will ever know that I met Jagat Pande. Tell me, do you approve?’
Mr Sinha replied doubtfully, ‘People are curious, they are sure to find out, no matter how much we try to hide things.’
‘Then let them. How long will we let this stop us from doing what needs to be done? Why fear humiliation when we are facing enough of it already? The world knows that you took his money. Nobody resorts to a hunger strike at someone’s doorstep for no reason. What is the sense in being so egoistic when the situation has already worsened so much?’
Mr Sinha could no longer keep his thoughts and feelings secret. He said, ‘My dear, I’m not being egoistic. A dacoit doesn’t feel as much shame getting beaten up in a courtroom full of people and a woman does not feel as insulted on being accused of immorality as a haakim feels disgraced when his bribe-taking is brought out into the open. He would rather end his life than be exposed to the world. He can bear his ruin, but cannot face such humiliation. Apart from the threats of being skinned alive or being crushed in an oil mill, there is nothing else that can compel a haakim to admit to the sin of bribery. It does not disconcert me in the least that the Brahmin will haunt us after death, or that we will have to pray before his altar. I also know that sins are not met with punishments too often. But at the same time my Hindu beliefs have not left me entirely, which is why I fear being accountable for the death of a Brahmin. That is all that drives me. And so tonight I will go at an opportune moment and put the matter to rest once and for all.’3
It was past midnight. Mr Sinha set out from home to make peace with Jagat Pande. Everything was quiet under the banyan tree. The night was so black it seemed as though the deity of darkness resided right here. Jagat Pande’s breath was so laboured it appeared as if death was dragging the life out of him. Mr Sinha was scared beyond measure when he saw his condition. What if the old fellow died? He pulled out a torch from his pocket and, moving closer to Jagat, asked, ‘Pandeji, is all well?’
Jagat Pande opened his eyes and, failing in his attempt to sit up, replied, ‘You ask if all is well? Can’t you see, I’m dying.’
‘But why are you killing yourself like this?’
‘Do I have a choice if this is what you want?’
‘This is not what I want, although my destruction is the sole aim of your existence. After all, I took a mere sum of a hundred and fifty rupees from you. For such a small amount you are making me pay such a heavy price!’
‘It is not a question of a hundred and fifty rupees, but the ruin you have wreaked on me. If the decree was in my favour, I would have received ten acres of land and achieved a position of esteem. You did not merely take my hundred and fifty, you sent five thousand down the drain. Five thousand! But beware, Sinha, you will not live too long in peace. Mark my words, you are on your way to doom. You may be the judge in this worldly court. But in the courtroom of God, it is we Brahmins that rule. Nobody can take what rightfully belongs to a Brahmin and live in peace.’
Mr Sinha expressed his shame and remorse, tried to plead and persuade, but eventually gave up and asked the question directly, ‘Tell me honestly, Pande, how much money will you take to stop what you are doing?’
Jagat Pande sat up with a jolt and said forcefully, ‘Not a penny less than five thousand.’
‘Five thousand is too big an amount. Have some mercy,’ Sinha pleaded.
‘Not a rupee less.’
Having said this, Jagat Pande lay down again. He had made his demand with such finality that Mr Sinha immediately realized there was no room for negotiation. He started making his way back to fetch the money, but by the time he arrived home his intentions changed. Shelling out five thousand in place of a hundred and fifty perturbed him. He thought to himself, Let him die if he so wishes, I do not care about the sin of killing a Brahmin! This is utter hypocrisy. Why must I worry about defamation? Government officials are defamed every other day. Look how he sprang up when money was mentioned. Must have thought he finally had me under his thumb. If fasting for six days can get you five thousand rupees, I am prepared to repeat this ritual five times a month! Forget
