Page 92 - Train to Pakistan

‘Do not tease me.’
‘I won’t tease you,’ he said removing his hand. She was still blushing. ‘Tell
me why the hijras were spared.’
‘I will if you promise not to laugh at me.’

‘I promise.’
The girl became animated.

‘There was a child born to someone living in the Hindu locality. Without even
thinking about communal troubles the hijras were there to sing. Hindus and
Sikhs—I do not like Sikhs—got hold of them and wanted to kill them because
they were Muslim.’ She stopped deliberately.

‘What happened?’ asked Hukum Chand eagerly.
The girl laughed and clapped her hands the way hijras do, stretching her

fingers wide. ‘They started to beat their drums and sing in their raucous male
voices. They whirled round so fast that their skirts flew in the air. Then they
stopped and asked the leaders of the mob, “Now you have seen us, tell us, are we

Hindus or Muslims?” and the whole crowd started laughing—the whole crowd
except the Sikhs.’
Hukum Chand also laughed.

‘That is not all. The Sikhs came with their kirpans and threatened them
saying, “We will let you go this time, but you must get out of Chundennugger or
we will kill you.” One of the hijras again clapped his hands and ran his fingers in

a Sikh’s beard and asked, “Why? Will all of you become like us and stop having
children?” Even the Sikhs started laughing.’
‘That is a good one,’ said Hukum Chand. ‘But you should be careful while all

this disturbance is going on. Stay at home for a few days.’
‘I am not frightened. We know so many people so well and then I have a big
powerful Magistrate to protect me. As long as he is there no one can harm a

single hair of my head.’
Hukum Chand continued to run his hands through the girl’s hair without
saying anything. The girl looked up at him smiling mischievously. ‘You want

me to go to Pakistan?’
Hukum Chand pressed her closer. A hot feverish feeling came over him.
‘Haseena.’ He cleared his throat again. ‘Haseena.’ Words would not come out of

his mouth.
‘Haseena, Haseena, Haseena. I am not deaf. Why don’t you say something?’
‘You will stay here today, won’t you? You do not want to go away just yet?’