Rama went to sleep around midnight and did not wake until nine in the morning. He was dreaming that Dinesh was being hanged. Suddenly a woman carrying a sword ran toward the gallows and cut the hanging rope. There was commotion all around. The woman was Jalpa. People wanted to surround and seize Jalpa, but she could not be caught. No one had the courage to go near her. Then she made a leap and swung the sword at Rama. Rama woke with a start. He saw the daroga and the inspector standing in the room, while the deputy sahib was reclining in an easy chair and smoking a cigar.
The daroga said, "You slept very well today, Babu Sahib! What time did you return last night?"
Rama sat down on a chair and said, "I returned a little later. There will be an appeal in the High Court in this case, won't there?"
The inspector said, "What appeal? The matter will be bound by the procedural provisions. You have made the case so strong that no one can shake it now. I swear, you have done wonders. You can now put all worry about that side out of your mind. Yes, until the judgment is pronounced, it will be appropriate to take care of your protection. So arrangements for guards have been made again. Once the High Court gives its decision, you will be given a post."
The deputy sahib blew out a cloud of cigar smoke and said, "This is the D.O. that the Commissioner Sahib has given you, so that you have no cause for any doubt. Look, it is addressed to the U.P. Home Secretary. You will show this D.O. there, and he will give you a very good position. Inspector, the Commissioner Sahib is very pleased with you, I swear. Deputy, very pleased indeed. He will also write directly to the U.P. authorities. Your fortune has opened up."
Saying this, he extended the D.O. toward Rama. Rama opened the envelope, looked at it, and suddenly tore it into pieces. All three men stared at him in astonishment.
The daroga said, "Did you drink too much last night? It will not be good for you!"
The inspector said, "I swear, if the Commissioner Sahib learns of this, he will be very angry."
The deputy said, "We cannot make any sense of this. What does it mean?"
Ramanath said, "It means that I have no need for this D.O., nor do I want a job. I will leave here today."
The deputy said, "You cannot go anywhere until the High Court gives its decision."
Ramanath said, "Why?"
The deputy said, "That is the Commissioner's order."
Ramanath said, "I am no one's slave."
The inspector said, "Babu Ramanath, why are you ruining a game that has already been made? What had to happen has happened. In ten or fifteen days the High Court will confirm the judgment. It is in your own interest to accept gladly the reward you are being given and spend your life comfortably. If God wills, one day you too will rise to some high office. What good will come of angering the officers and suffering the hardships of prison? I swear, if the officers' attitude changes even slightly, there will be no trace of you anywhere. I swear, with a single gesture you could receive a sentence of ten years. What are you thinking? We do not want to be harsh with you. But if you force us to be strict, we will have to be strict. Do not take prison lightly. May God send me to hell, but never give me a prison sentence. Beatings, abuse—that is ordinary punishment there. If they put you to work at the mill, it is as good as death. I swear, prison is worse than hell!"
The daroga said, "The poor fellow is at the mercy of his Begum Sahib. She may be after his life. He is completely under her thumb."
The inspector said, "What happened? You gave her the necklace yesterday, didn't you? She still did not agree?"
Rama took the necklace from his coat pocket, placed it on the table, and said, "There is the necklace."
The inspector said, "Oh, so she did not accept it."
The deputy said, "Quite a proud lady."
The inspector said, "We will have to show her some consideration too."
The daroga said, "That depends on Babu Sahib's conduct and manners. If you do not unnecessarily force us to do so, we will not pursue you."
The deputy said, "We should take a bond from that butcher as well."
A new problem now arose before Ramanath, far more complicated and far more terrible than the first. It was possible that he might sacrifice himself at the altar of duty and prepare himself to serve two or four years in prison. Perhaps at that moment he had even resolved to surrender himself. But he could not, under any circumstances, bring himself to put Jalpa in danger along with him. He was so tightly caught in the police's grip that he could see no way of emerging from it without a stain. He saw that he could not prevail in this struggle. The police were all-powerful; they could crush him however they wished. The sharpness had disappeared from his temper. Helplessly, he asked, "After all, what do you people want from me?"
The inspector looked at the daroga and winked, as if saying, "He's back in the trap," and said, "Simply this: remain our guest, and leave here after the case has been decided by the High Court. After that we will no longer be responsible for your protection. If you want a certificate, one will be given to you, but you have complete freedom to take it or not. If you are wise, you will take it and benefit from it; otherwise you will wander around suffering one setback after another. The proverb about suffering punishment without having committed a crime will apply to you. Apart from this, we want nothing else from you. I swear, anything you desire will be made available here, but until the case is over, you cannot be free."
Ramanath asked humbly, "Will I at least be allowed to go out for a walk, or not even that?"
The inspector said curtly, "No!"
The daroga explained, "That freedom was given to you, but you misused it. Until we are assured that you can make proper use of it, you will be deprived of that right."
The daroga looked at the inspector as though he wanted his explanation to be praised, and received that praise readily. The three officers took their leave, and Rama lit a cigar and began thinking about this terrible situation.