A Suitable Boy(623)

There were no shoes outside the door. Saeeda Bai was alone in her room. She was praying.

‘Get up,’ said Maan. She turned towards him and stood up, her face white. ‘How dare you?’ she began. ‘Who let you in? Take your shoes off in my room.’

‘Where is he?’ said Maan in a low voice.

‘Who –’ said Saeeda Bai, her voice trembling with anger. ‘The parakeet? His cage is covered up, as you can see.’

Maan looked quickly around the room. He noticed Firoz’s stick in the corner and was seized by a fit of rage. Without bothering to reply, he opened the bedroom door. There was no one inside.

‘Get out!’ said Saeeda Bai. ‘How dare you think – never come here again – get out, before I call Bibbo –’

‘Where is Firoz?’

‘He hasn’t been here.’

Maan looked at the walking-stick. Saeeda Bai’s eyes followed his.

‘He’s gone,’ she whispered, agitated and suddenly fearful.

‘Why did he come? To meet your sister? Is it your sister he is in love with?’

Suddenly, Saeeda Bai began to laugh as if what he had said was both bizarre and hilarious.

Maan could not stand it. He gripped her by the shoulders and began to shake her. She looked at him, terrified by the expression of fury in his eyes – but she could still not help her grotesque, mocking laughter.

‘Why are you laughing? Stop it – stop it –’ cried Maan. ‘Tell me he came to see your sister –’

‘No –’ Saeeda Bai gasped out.

‘He came to see you about your sister –’

‘My sister! My sister!’ Saeeda Bai laughed in Maan’s face as if he had made some insane joke – ‘it is not my sister he is in love with – it is not my sister he is in love with –’ She tried to push Maan violently away. They fell onto the floor and Saeeda Bai screamed as Maan’s hands went round her throat. The water in the bowl spilled over. The fruit bowl overturned. Maan noticed none of this. His mind was red with rage. The woman he loved had betrayed him with his friend, and now she was taking delight in mocking his love and his misery.

His hands tightened around her throat. ‘I knew it,’ he said. ‘Tell me where he is. He’s still here. Where is he hiding?’

‘Dagh Sahib –’ gasped Saeeda Bai.

‘Where is he?’

‘Help –’

‘Where is he?’

Saeeda Bai reached with her right hand for the fruit knife, but Maan let go of her throat and wrenched it out of her hand.

They were still on the floor. He stared at the knife.

Saeeda Bai started shrieking for help. From below there was the sound of a door opening, frightened voices, people rushing upstairs. Maan got up. Firoz was the first to reach the door. Bibbo was behind him. ‘

‘Maan –’ said Firoz, taking in the scene in an instant. Saeeda Bai was resting her head on a pillow and holding her throat with both her hands. She was gasping, and her chest was heaving. Horrible retching sounds were coming from her throat.

Maan looked at Firoz’s guilty and agitated face and knew instantly that the worst was true. Again he was seized with blind rage.

‘Look here, Maan,’ said Firoz, moving gradually towards him. ‘What is the matter? Let’s talk this over – easy does it –’

Suddenly he lunged forward and tried to disarm Maan. But Maan was too quick for him. Firoz clutched at his stomach. Blood began to stain his waistcoat, and he stumbled onto the floor. He cried out in pain. Blood fell on the white sheet spread on the floor. Maan looked at it like a stupefied ox, then at the knife still in his hands.

For a minute no one said a word. There was no sound apart from Saeeda Bai’s attempts to breathe, and Firoz’s stifled cries of pain, and Maan’s long and bitter sobs.

‘Put it down on the table,’ said Bibbo quietly.

Maan put the knife down, and knelt by Firoz.

‘Leave at once,’ said Bibbo.

‘But a doctor –’

‘Leave at once. We will manage everything. Leave Brahmpur. You have not been to this house this evening. Go.’

‘Firoz –’

Firoz nodded.

‘Why?’ said Maan in a broken voice.

‘Go – quick –’ said Firoz.

‘What have I done to you? What have I done?’

‘Quick –’

Maan took one final look around the room and rushed downstairs and out. The watchman was pacing up and down outside the outer gate. He had heard nothing to agitate him. He saw Maan’s face and said: ‘What is the matter, Sahib?’

Maan did not reply.

‘Is something the matter? I heard voices – do they want me?’ .