Page 19 - Train to Pakistan

‘No, you will not. I won’t let you. You can say you were with a girl friend.’
‘Don’t talk like a stupid peasant. How …’ Juggut Singh shut her mouth with

his. He bore upon her with his enormous weight. Before she could free her arms
he ripped open the cord of her trousers once again.
‘Let me go. Let me …’

She could not struggle against Juggut Singh’s brute force. She did not
particularly want to. Her world was narrowed to the rhythmic sound of breathing
and the warm smell of dusky skins raised to fever heat. His lips slubbered over

her eyes and cheeks. His tongue sought the inside of her ears. In a state of frenzy
she dug her nails into his thinly bearded cheeks and bit his nose. The stars above
her went into a mad whirl and then came back to their places like a merry-go-

round slowly coming to a stop. Life came back to its cooler, lower level. She felt
the dead weight of the lifeless man; the sand gritting in her hair; the breeze
trespassing on her naked limbs; the censorious stare of the myriads of stars. She

pushed Juggut Singh away. He lay down beside her.
‘That is all you want. And you get it. You are just a peasant. Always wanting

to sow your seed. Even if the world were going to hell you would want to do
that. Even when guns are being fired in the village. Wouldn’t you?’ she nagged.
‘Nobody is firing any guns. Just your imagination,’ answered Juggut Singh
wearily, without looking at her.

Faint cries of wailing wafted across to the riverside. The couple sat up to
listen. Two shots rang out in quick succession. The crows flew out of the

keekars, cawing furiously.
The girl began to cry.
‘Something is happening in the village. My father will wake up and know I
have gone out. He will kill me.’

Juggut Singh was not listening to her. He did not know what to do. If his
absence from the village was discovered, he would be in trouble with the police.

That did not bother him as much as the trouble the girl would be in. She might
not come again. She was saying so: ‘I will never come to see you again. If Allah
forgives me this time, I will never do it again.’

‘Will you shut up or do I have to smack your face?’
The girl began to sob. She found it hard to believe this was the same man who
had been making love to her a moment ago.

‘Quiet! There is someone coming,’ whispered Juggut Singh, putting his heavy
hand on her mouth.