Black November: Writings on the Sikh Massacres of 1984 and the Aftermath by Ishmeet Kaur Edited by Chaudhry

Author:Ishmeet Kaur Edited by Chaudhry [Chaudhry, Ishmeet Kaur Edited by]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2019-10-10T00:00:00+00:00

SECTION II

SHORT STORIES

THE FIERY EMBRACE

PARVINDER MEHTA

A story about true friendship in times of communal conflict, where the roles of the perpetrator and the victim are reversed. The story suggests that suffering is universal, as the differences between the two communities involved seem to have blurred towards the end.

‘I do not know how to say this, Mr Joshi, but…your son Anil is alive against all odds. His body is burned everywhere, yet he lives… It has to be his good kismet that he is still breathing’ said Dr Rao to Rajiv Joshi. The doctor continued with the details: Anil had suffered third-degree burns on his upper body; his neck was badly singed and melted where the chin should be. It would take months before he could see the outside world with his own eyes—if he survived. His parents, Rajiv and Savitri Joshi were grief-stricken. That their only son had risked his life for his best friend, Raja, trying to save him from the vicious anger of those good-for-nothing hoodlums was a painful thought for Savitri. Rajiv, on the other hand, was furious at his son for putting his own life at risk. That too for that Sikh boy, Raja, whom Rajiv never really cared much for!

Savitri was in tears, seeing her darling son’s whole body wrapped in bandages and writhing in extreme pain. The stench of his burnt flesh was so overpowering. Seeing his burnt face where the flesh had simply melted, exposing the bare bone, was heart-wrenching shock for her. The nurse had scolded her for peeking in to look at her son’s face. They had sedated him heavily as the pain was unbearable. The stench of burning flesh lingered everywhere in the room. Like a foul intrusion, human cries for help from similar pain could be heard from other nearby patients. A new bride in the next room had been transferred to the ICU for observation. Her doleful parents wailed and cursed the greedy in-laws who kept torturing her for more dowry. Savitri was overwhelmed and could not stand any longer. She came closer to the bed where Anil lay, covered with shrouding bandages. Would Anil die and leave them alone? Did Anil feel the same pain when Raja was dying? Savitri’s tears could not be stopped, as she imagined Anil attempting to save Raja from those hateful flames. Raja, their next-door neighbour, always came inside to wish them and ask about their day. Why did they kill him? Savitri had heard from their maid, Chameli, that poor Raja had asked for help before the crowd pounced on him, kicking him mercilessly. Those men in white kurta-pajamas had shown no mercy at all. They were bloodthirsty hyenas, sniffing for Sikh blood. Savitri was not sure why she was haunted by Raja who was almost like another son to her. Oh how close the two of them were in school! She would snicker when they made fun of their South Indian teachers, mimicking their accents and angry responses. She thought of Rano, Raja’s mother, who was more like a sister than her next-door neighbour.

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