4th August Parchee, by Jaanu
Five men in plain clothes appeared before Nangla. They set up a small, faded red tent by the Ring Road. One of them turned into a messenger and reached the Hafiz at the mosque. On hearing his message, the Hafiz looked worried, lost in another world. The messenger returned to the tent, sat on a chair and waited. The Hafiz spread the message over Nangla like one throws broken garlands over a crowd:
“Everyone is urged to gather all their documents, organise Rs 7000, and get their slips from under the tent in the park by the Ring Road.”
“Everyone is urged to gather all their documents, organise Rs 7000, and get their slips from under the tent in the park by the Ring Road.”
A few people began to prepare. Others gathered outside Nangla and watched the tent. Rumours spread. “This is a fake parchee. It does not mention the name of the place where one will be relocated. It does not tell the block number where one will stay. It is a local parchee.”
Thirty-six people got their parcheez cut. It was a pink parchee, which said Rs. 7000 have been paid, and it carried a signature. The faded red tent stood waiting by the road.
By evening, the men sitting under the tent packed the tent and their suitcase with the collected amount and vanished.
A noise rose in Nangla.
“The men were not from the MCD [Municipal Corporation of Delhi]. They have robbed you. Those who have given them money against the slips of paper are fools. They have been duped.”
Night turned to morning. Conversations about the pink slip continued.
Thirty-six people got their parcheez cut. It was a pink parchee, which said Rs. 7000 have been paid, and it carried a signature. The faded red tent stood waiting by the road.
By evening, the men sitting under the tent packed the tent and their suitcase with the collected amount and vanished.
A noise rose in Nangla.
“The men were not from the MCD [Municipal Corporation of Delhi]. They have robbed you. Those who have given them money against the slips of paper are fools. They have been duped.”
Night turned to morning. Conversations about the pink slip continued.
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