Nangla's Delhi

It was cowdust hour. Komal bhai read this board as he entered the settlement. Image after image appeared and spoiled in his mind. Carrying these forming, dissolving images through narrow lanes, he reached his house. He rested his hand on the frame of the door and called out, “Meena, open the door.” Meena recognised her husband's voice and opened the door immediately. Komal bhai said, “Take these bananas. Where is ammi? Has she eaten dinner?”

Komal bhai's mother heard his voice and said, “Yes, son. Bahu fed me, and was sitting with me when you came. Now both of you eat and then get a good night's rest.”

Komal bhai washed his hands and face, asked Meena for his waist cloth, wiped his face with it and then tied it around his waist. Meena had spread some newspaper on the bed, laid a plate with food on it, and now she sat waiting for Komal. Komal bhai came and immediately broke a piece of bread. Then, as he put the morsel in his mouth he said, “Meena, why don't you eat...”

He became quite for a while, and then said, “Meena, have you heard...?”
“Why, what happened?” she asked.
Komal bhai said, “Today as I entered the settlement, my eyes fell on a blue board. It read, 'This land is the property of the government. Vacate it'.”
“Are you saying you've just seen it!” Meena said. “I have known about this for some days now. Ask ammi if you like.”
Ammi couldn't contain herself any longer and came and sat on the bed by her son. She said, “Son, there's nothing new in this.”
“But there is, mother. I read the board today.”
“But son, that board has been there since Tuesday. Bahu pointed it out to me. Everyone knows about it. Son, worrying will not help. Go to sleep. What will be in the morning will be.”

The night was pitch dark. The window of the room was open, but nothing stirred. It was as dark inside as it was outside. Everything looked alike. Footsteps of a drunk man began to be heard. Lost in his own world, he was saying something. Suddenly, his voice became louder.

“Mark my words. This settlement will get broken tomorrow, otherwise I will change my name,” he said.
Another voice came, “I dare you to even touch this settlement!”
“Tomorrow it will be seen. Tomorrow it will be seen.”
As soon as Meena heard these voices, she got out of her bed and said to Komal, “This settlement will be there tomorrow.”
“You've seen a bad dream. Go to sleep.” Saying this, Komal turned over to go back to sleep, when he heard the same voice. He raised his head and concentrated. He heard, “This settlement will be broken tomorrow. Don't think I am drunk. I am in my senses today.”
Komal said, “He is some mad drunkard. Don't worry Meena. Come, sleep next to me.”

Komal and Meena woke up together in the morning. Both listened to the sounds coming from the window, trying to make out the time from these sounds. But they felt disoriented. Waves of silence and restlessness seemed to be flowing in through the window. Komal jumped out of bed, opened the door and looked out. He stepped out, moving through the lanes, towards the entrance to the locality. Doors to every house were open. It seemed there were far more doors, too few walls in these lanes.

This was the morning when the drunkard's words were going to become reality. Police force descended on the settlement like a fog, settling over everything, changing everything just by touching it with its long fingers. Spotting a uniformed man, Komal walked up to him and asked, “Bhai, what is going on here?”

The police man replied, “Why? Haven't you read the notice board?”
“No sir, I haven't.”
“Well then! Empty the colony. It will be demolished today.”
Seeing Komal talk to the police man, some people came and stood near him. The words of the drunkard rang in their ears, as if he was mocking them, “You thought I was drunk last night! Look, look for yourself now. Watch the liquor from last night flow today morning. Now go and vacate your houses. Go! All these big bosses – these policemen – they are not standing here wasting their time!”

Komal turned towards his settlement, looking at the narrow lane leading into it. In all these years that it had been there, today was going to be the first time that a vehicle other than a bicycle was going to pass through it. This “first” vehicle was going to be a bulldozer. And once it would pass through, there would be no scope left for any other to pass through ever again.