Jacques watched the bon-fire, he sat in his blanket sipping the hot broth the cook served alongwith duck roast, the broth was heavy filled with all possible herbs and vegetable they got while on tour and Jacques loved this kind of food, no long courses, short but sumptuous meals....he alongwith his people sat around the fire slurping down the food, fun too, here everybody ate together and no fuss no formality....
Laat Sahab...Banarasi Das called out....
Yes Banarasi.....
Jacques looked up...
Sir I often wondered that how you have no issues in sitting down with us and having food with us, now even dressed like us.....
Jacques looked down, yes in the evening after they came back to their tents, after his wash he wore Indian dress, kurta and salwar with a thick blanket or shawl around himself, very comfortable especially on tours compared to his tight western clothing....
Well Banarasi I am born and brought up in these lands
But you are a 'gora' sahab and had your education outside too....Banarasi added
Jacques looked up to see Banarasi sitting opposite of him, other side of the fire....he was busy drinking from his bowl the last remains....
Jacques waited for him to finish and then looking into his eyes, he replied, you are right Banarasi to certain extend but like my father, I am born in this country, on this land to be precise and would like to be buried here too....even when I was in France or when I went on tour to England, the smell of this land was so strong that I got it there even, it has pulled me back.....
Don't you miss your homeland sir, persisted Banarasi
Well this is my homeland, I am very much here and home is here where heart is, my heart is also here....
Aur England?
England is a country from where my forefather's came from ....
Todd made some noises in his throat to indicate he did not agree with him totally, but then Todd was very nationalistic own way....
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As they took turns to keep night watch as they were travelling with money collected from taxes, though Jacques had arranged for the Bank he dealt with to have it collected from him from time to time as per his travel schedule, in turn giving him a receipt, but the dacoits were always on lookout, if not money then for arms and if they do not get anything they will kill the victims out of frustration....which of course Jacques did not want, he too had his share of attacks in the past and upto now things were safe this year...if it goes like this next few days he will be more than happy....
After dinner Jacques took his position in the high rock, with years he learnt how to protect his people from the eyes of passers-by & looters, he learnt how to choose a site for camping, how to protect his horses from wild animals etc., but then stray incidents happen and you cannot take chances...The high rock gave him a good view of the jungle below as well as protect the fire from being visible...he sat looking at the pitch dark valley while Todd who joined him grumbling sat next to him looking at the sleeping camp....
Gov'nor I did not like your reply to Banarasi Das, he grumbled, you and I are different and not one of them, Banarasi should not assume that you and me are as same as them....
What is wrong in that Todd, Jacques whispered at him....
We might spend our life here but we belong to England, we are only answerable to our Empress there...we are no petty zamindars, we are not even answerable to the Company but to the British Empire...
You are forgetting something, this land was given to the old man by the Nawab...not the British emperor...but Todd was not to be deterred, he nodded his head, the Company has removed the Nawab and so we are now directly answerable to the Empress Victoria...
Jacques remained silent, no use to quarreling with him, he will not understand the feeling Jacques has for his land, when he implements a project, see it culminating into fruit, he feels just the way he enjoyed seeing Bani growing with his child, the same feeling he has when he sees this land bear the fruits of their hard work.
Gov'nor good to see you agree with me on this point .....Todd whispered breaking into his thoughts...
Shhh Todd, your voice is carrying and Todd you have been to France and England to bring me back, remember the time you had there? Jacques moved away for taking a round in the camp area, carrying his gun on his shoulders...Todd grunted and went quiet, serves him right, thought Jacques, he was looked upon not too kindly because of his not so fair skin and funny accent, Todd had conveniently blamed it on long exposure to sun, travelling by sea and of course his mixing with the natives...after his return, he has been trying to maintain his superiority in the funny accent in had acquired and refusing to speak Hindustani until necessary, ending up making a fool of himself though Jacques bore his attitude as his loyalty to Jacques was unquestionable and they have grown up more or less together.....
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Jacques was speaking to the village headman sitting crossed legged, the man discussed in whispered tones about the funny incidents happening in his village, Jacques leaned sitting on the rickety chair as much as close to hear the man....Sahab you know strange, our boy Madhav, who never left the veranda of his house went missing.....
Hmmmm, what is the big deal, have you searched the forest, are you sure the wild cats...
Nehi laat sahab, billi bhi nehi chhuyega, sharir me toh sirf haddi aur chamri, khayegi kya.....
Lekin
Sahab suna hai kuch log aajaadi chahate hai, company se, heard Madhav has gone to join the two boys who had left earlier....
How do you know.....
Oh he has told Keshav, his neighbour's son but Keshav is only 8 with a tendency to make up stories....
Jacques sat back....it was indeed disturbing, yes some people always left home, in search of adventure, better life but lately the frequency and the nos. have just increased, with rumours of things happening around it makes people like Jacques be on guard....
Laat Saheb, you have been good to us, a kind Zamindar, nothing will happen to you startling Jacques ....
Jacques looked at the man, he was busy smoking his hukka.....
Well Pradhanji I am not scared about my life but you must agree any kind of unrest leaves a lot of devastation, I am thinking of how to protect my land from that...
Aag jab jalegi, taap toh lagegahi....
Jacques opened his mouth then closed the same as what the Pradhan was saying is true.....he can do nothing but wait and watch how things take turn...
Lost in his thoughts he walked away from the Banyan tree they were sitting under....Ismail was distributing candies to the children, Todd was standing aloof watching the activity in disdain, they were children of Natives, how will Todd react to Tara, he wondered or should he take the liberty of finding out...
Jacques walked towards the woods, the village was small but very neat and clean, the mountains were very clearly visible.....standing near a stream, he relieved himself, the dried leaves, the rhyme of the water flowing, clear sky and snow capped mountains visible in between the trees...suddenly the whole scenario reminded him about the day when he had made love to Bani for the first time.....
On his return well past his due date from his tour with My Lady he was apprehensive if Bani will wait for him, he remembers after he went into his room to change his travel clothes he saw smoke coming out of the Tower....the top floor, what is going on there....
He took his horse and galloped there to see Bani was standing with a broom in her hand and trying to clean the unused room.....
Seeing him she was first too overwhelmed to speak, then asked when did he arrive and then replied a bit sulkily she was bored in that airless basement room so has taken things on her own hands, she cleaning all the floors hope he will not mind......
He nodded, yes if she shifts up it will be a better arrangement, he quickly went back and got her mop, brushes and soap...she was very efficient but after intense cleaning she realized she was hungry and did not have any food cooked, he again went back to the Kothi to get something for her, returning to find her missing, then he remembered, people of this land had a habit of cleaning themselves before eating...he took the food and went to the stream which flowed in the woods behind the tower....she was there standing under the water fall taking a shower...the wet clothes clinging on her made him burn....when she saw him after a while, she had become shy trying to gather her dry clothes from the rock....he picked up her churni and put in around her, they sat on the rock together .....Bani served him from the picnic basket, as they ate, he heard Bani how she spent her day, with a small laugh she added I thought you have forgotten about me, I heard the big cities are full of mystic ladies who know tricks to make men forget themselves.......
Jacques had laughed, yes there are but we men also know how to escape from them..he told her what he was upto during his visit to the hills and a city called Calcutta...Bani listened with big eyes, he had realized that Bani who had lived upto now as the world shown by her Baba was finding his very different ....she literally was drinking his every word, suddenly his eye fell on Bani's bossom....the Churni had shifted, her blouse still wet, he could not look away, she tried to pull back the churni but his hands stopped her.....the remaining lunch had remained untouched till later much later....
Jacques stood watching the water flowing, his thoughts went back home, on his return he will find the Christmas preparations in full swing and he knew his grandmother is waiting eagerly to hear from him, she is preparing Sarah for her future role, time has come to take a decision, a decision which will affect his daughter too, he ran his fingers in his hair, they were sticky with the grime and dust of travel, he needed a proper bath but in reality he was in a sticky situation too, no-way in future he could see Bani and Sarah seeing eye to eye of each other....Sarah he is guessing but Bani he knows.....
Jacques turned to go back to the village, after lunch and siesta there, he will start for the Kothi, travel all night to reach it in the wee hours of the morning.....as he hopped to cross the stream his eyes fell on Banarasi Das, he was chatting with a stranger nothing wrong in that on being eye to eye Banarasi Das was startled but quickly recovered himself and the stranger left without waiting for Jacques to be introduced.....
Who was that man ? Jacques asked...
Oh a stranger was asking for direction, does not belong to this area....Banarasi Das said...
Hmmm his dress said so...Jacques agreed.....
I was asking him about his travels, where all he has been....
Were you? Jacques asked...
Aur kya puch sakte hai hum? Banarasi Das asked him in turn....
Pata nehi, shyad bahut kuch, Jacques moved ahead, what is wrong with me, why am I having this nagging feeling, is something really going on or is it my internal problems regarding my marriage is making me think in this manner....
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