Black River by Nilanjana Roy

Author:Nilanjana Roy
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Pushkin Vertigo
Published: 2023-09-15T00:00:00+00:00

Reshma Bhabhi’s back-up dancers warm up the crowd. In the rows behind, many of the men are already on their feet, clapping and whistling.

‘Dance, dance!’ One of the girls calls, her voice hoarse with an assumed seductiveness, as she whirls along the front rows. ‘Dance, dance!’

The men roar back, Bhim Sain among them. She halts in front of Ombir, but he folds his arms and stares at the ground, refusing to meet her flirtatious eyes.

She says, delighted, ‘I’ve never met a shy policeman before. You can look at me if you like. I won’t bite.’

‘There are many men here who would die for one glance from your eyes. Go and find one of them.’

‘You don’t like Chunchun?’ she says. ‘But everyone likes Chunchun. Okay, maybe you’re married, maybe that’s what makes you so shy. Don’t worry, your wife’s not here today. You can look. One teeny-tiny glance, yes?’

He raises his eyes and surveys her.

‘You like what you see, Mr Oh-so-smart in your uniform? I told you. Everyone loves Chunchun.’

He smiles, beckons her closer. She laughs, triumphant, her hands held out.

‘Chunchun has her rules,’ she says, ‘especially for such an important person. Either you dance with me, or you give me baksheesh.’

He says, ‘I’ve seen you before. With Bachni. You know that name? The woman who was murdered? Okay, this is not the place or the time to talk about these matters. I will say nothing, and you will keep that simpering smile on your face as you go to one of the other men. Make him dance. Whatever you like. And you and I will talk tomorrow. How’s that for baksheesh?’

Sullenly, the dancer turns away. He stops her with a touch on her elbow. ‘Give me your number. Just say it quietly, once, I’ll memorise it.’

She moves back to the stage, the crowd roaring as she joins Reshma.

‘Dance, dance!’ The men call, edging forward. ‘Dance, dance!’

Bhim Sain says, ‘She’s a tight one, moves just like a film star.’

‘I told her to get back up on stage. The men are growing rowdy tonight. She should know better than to stoke their fires; Reshma has more sense than that.’

‘Reshma Bhabhi …’ Bhim Sain says, his voice swelling with longing. ‘She’s fully experienced.’

Ombir wishes he could leave, but he can’t offend Jolly. If the SSP leaves early, he can make his excuses, but Pilania is deep in conversation.

The roar swells, and four young men rush forward, leaping onto the rickety wooden boards to join the dancers. The bouncers chase three of them back into the crowd. One remains, a bold youth with his hair dyed in dashing gold-and-red streaks. He grabs Chunchun by her waist, using her to ward off the last bouncer, spins her round and round, matching her steps so perfectly that Ombir decides he is not drunk, unlike most of the men in the crowd.

Jolly stands up, frowning, grabs a lathi from his personal bodyguard.

‘Sorry, Pilania-ji,’ he says to the SSP. ‘These village boys don’t know how to behave. I’ll teach him some manners.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.