""Strange events you foresee through me, my beloved..."" "So be it!" "He says...all will be red..." "bathed in red!" "So be it!" "I'm being forced into a river of blood!" "He says...it is the blood of the out-caste foreigners!" "Now they will be wiped out..." "all those foreigners!" "Fate decreed they rule us a hundred years." "It will end now!" "They will flee..." "like pigeons!" ""Like pigeons, they will fly away!"" "They will leave...a flight of pigeons!" "Has SarFraz come here?" "We have decided to close our eyes to it" ""What happened in Meerut and elsewhere, that isn't important?"" ""Bahadur Shah made Emperor, that isn't important?"" "He is only a figure-head" ""The rebel soldiers will stay in power for a while, that's all"" "To win them over to their side is easy for the English" ""Compared to what the Nawabs are doing, the English seem a better lot"" "The Nawabs are putting up a pretense since they're scared..." "The English have snatched away their riches and comforts" ""Now the Nawabs are like caged cats, clawing at different doors"" "Allah knows what's come over him now." "He shows no interest in me or the house" "May God put a scourge on those pigeons." "They are all he cares about" "The whole county is aflame and all he does is fuss over pigeons" "And all you do is keep whining" ""Our greetings, aunt"" "Thank God you are safe" " Thanks to your prayers" ""May you live long, I thought you'd return after wiping out the foreigners"" "That's not easy" "Why are you after their lives?" "His head is full of this nonsense" "Mary and set up a home and this nonsense will recede" "O Allah!" "Here I am tying to rid us of our bondage" "And you want to chain me for life" "You never have the last word with him" "We Indians have put up with a lot from these foreigners" "They squeezed us dry and we accepted it" ""But insulting our honour, respect and trust another matter"" "It drove Mangal Pandey to turn his gun on them" "But he did not fire?" "Because he was trained to be a loyal Company soldier" "He couldn't pull the trigger when it came to it" ""Even then, he was hanged"" "And his entire regiment disbanded" "And in Meerut?" "The same happened lt became a crime to refuse bullets made of pig or cow's fat" "Eighty-five loyal soldiers were publicly disgraced and humiliated" "These staunch men cried in shame like babies" "Yet these foreigners showed no mercy" "Ungrateful curs!" "Selfish scoundrels!" "Enough." "You go on too much" "No one here will do anything about it" "Why do you choose to be crusading rebel?" ""SarFraz, we are with you"" ""But about Javed, I'm not sure"" ""When the fires burn, all hands will appear to warm themselves..."" ""What's that, they will burn down the homes of the English?"" "The name of that scoundrel?" "SarFraz Khan of the 34th Bengal Infanty" "Mangal Pandey's regiment" "There are rumours of riots tomorrow" "And of looting the Treasuy" " You be quiet" "Nobody will go to Church tomorrow" "What about Meerut?" "What about Delhi?" "Now it will happen here" ""Miriam, have you told him about that amul Pathan who keeps staring at Ruth?"" ""Miriam, tomorrow is oufld' festival"" "Please instruct the cook to prepare our special delicacies" ""Even if the world topples, Ruth is not going to the Church tomorrow"" "There's no need to invite danger!" "What was the need to go to Church?" "But he has always been obstinate!" "Miriam Sahiba and your grandmother are safe" "Come with me." "It is dangerous for you here!" "Where's your father?" "I will go to the Church to find out You are quite safe here" "Don't venture out" ""lt's me, Ramjimal"" "We must leave here at once lf these soldiers see us..." "My house would be safer" "Mother!" ""Ramji, at this hour?" "And making such a noise over it!"" ""lt's me, open the door quickly"" "Please speak softly." "Come in quickly" "Why are these foreigners here?" ""lf the soldiers know, they'd kill us all"" ""Allow us in first, and please arrange for some food"" ""Ram, Ram!" "We'll all be killed along with them"" ""They are our guests." "Don't you realise, their lives are in danger?"" "We must help them" ""And with them, we are equally in danger"" ""This deed will add to our blessings, mother"" ""Listen, the maid-servant will not come to work tomorrow"" "No one should know that they are here with us" "Please consider this simple place your home" ""lf they live here, who will wash their impure plates?"" "Don't wory." "We will do our own work ourselves" "Our backs are breaking with work." "Now we have their load as well" "Show some consideration and mind how you speak" "Don't call them foreigners." "They are our friends" "You know they are Labadoor Sahib's family?" "Remember how they helped us?" ""Don't be upset by this, please Come upstairs"" "What happened?" " She has fever" ""My salutations, please be seated"" "What can we offer you?" "Please don't go to any trouble" "Give her something to eat" ""lf you don't eat, your health will get worse"" ""Dear, have some food." "Why don't you give her some food?"" "Do you want to kill her?" "How is life with you these days?" ""Completely at ease!" "At peace, now that the foreigners have left"" "We owe it all to SarFraz Khan" "Allah!" "What is one to say of him" " But all this looting?" "That is bound to happen" "Did any foreigners escape?" "Just the Labadoor family" "But Javed is scouring all over for the with his sword" "But why are you taking this trouble?" "Where's the maidservant?" "The riots are good excuse to avoid work" "Have you any idea where they could be?" "The foreigners" "Which ones?" " The same..." "The Labadoor family" "Wherever their misfortune leads them" "But look at your bad luck" ""You lost so much by giving loans, to the English"" "It didn't effect me. I wrote it off" "Tell me about the survivors at the church" "They felt they would escape" "The Collector and his friends made for the lake... but SarFraz's men surrounded them and cut them to pieces" ""No, I won't allow it, never!"" ""Mother,enough." "Please sleep now"" "Drive them out or we'll pay with our lives" ""lf anyone comes to know, they'll snuff us out in seconds"" "Many have endangered their lives to honour a promise" "Why pay penance in our next life?" " Don't talk of your mother!" "Don't talk of your promises either." "We will die along with them" ""With none to light a lamp or serve water, our generation will end"" ""Save our family, son." "To preserve our lineage in greater than our rebirth"" ""Give, I'll wash your clothes"" ""No, I'll do it - l have all these to do..."" "so I can do yours also" "A woman without a husband is alone in this world" ""Like a false coin, she has no status"" ""God's Universe, King's county"" "By the order of the Bahadur Khan" ""Hear this!" "From now on, Company's rule has ended in this territoy"" ""Once again, it is under the rule of his Majesty, King Bahadur Shah of Delhi"" "And you are warned that those who shelter foreigners... will be punished to the severest extent" "It is better for me to speak plainly" "You are hiding the Labadoor family" "Kader Khan has told me so" "You have been misinformed" "The point is whether you believe what I say" ""lf you don't, cut off my head"" "And then enter the house" "Who was that Pathan?" "Don't be frightened." "He doesn't know anything" "He just came to check" ""Can't I go to either of my brothers, in Agra or Ajmer?"" "Or else Rampur?" "Mother comes from there" ""Miriam Sahiba, it is true that Rampur Nawab is helping foreigners for now"" "But you must trust me" "No one can harm you while I'm alive" "I hear that some soldiers from outside have come to this town?" "There will be riots again" "They are from Sitapur" "They are on their way to Delhi to fight for the Emperor and are here for the night" ""There's nothing to wory about, Miriam Sahiba"" "Where were you?" "To give food to the beggar woman" "Look!" "She's announcing her presence to the whole world" ""l'm warning you, if not now..." "tomorrow we'll all be killed"" ""That was not right, Miriam Sahiba"" "Please don't repeat such a mistake" "So what if he crept in like a thief?" "He was a soldier after all lt's bound to create trouble" ""Think of your son, if not us"" "Do you think their lives are safe here?" "Now can we get to Rampur?" "Please sell these" "I feel ashamed doing this I am so indebted to Labadoor Sahib" "The jewels can be had again" "Your having to do this..." ""l'm, sory that my own business has collapsed"" "Rampur is the safest place for you" "We will ty to get there" "I need some money... I cannot risk my life for foreigners" "Please write a letter for me" "To whom?" " To him!" "Wonder what kind of a hussy he has kept at home l fast evey week to honour his love for me" "And he spends his time loving someone else" "Write in English." "He can read it" "Laugh as much as you like." "You are protected by Sitaji" ""You are writing in English, aren't you?"" "The demon Ravan abducted Sita to Lanka" "He imprisoned her in the Ashoka grove" "All the demons there took care of her" "They didn't allow her to suffer the slightest discomfort" ""Write in stern letter, in clear English"" "Sita was happy and gave her promise... that the demons would be reborn as foreigners" "And they would rule India" ""Since then, you have ruled us!" "Write in English."" "Open the door!" "Open the door!" "Who's there?" "Ramji has gone out" "The Nawab has ordered a search of this house" "Tell the women to wear their veils" "Don't you dare touch her" "Out with all of you." "Come on." ""Miriam, these people cannot be trusted." "Let's go."" "No one can harm the chosen ones." "Those whom God wants to protect" "Remember this..." "Your beloved's life is in His hands" "Have you fed the pigeons?" "Can I dare forget my rivals?" "Where did you lift these creatures?" "This is Mr. Labadoor's wife..." " You killed that poor man now you want her as your mistress?" "They will live here" "Arrange for their stay upstairs" "Certainly not." "My home must not become a laughing stock" ""Begum, don't be angy with us"" "We didn't choose to come here" "Allah!" "They speak our language" "My mother comes from the Nawab of Rampur's family" "Which Rampur family?" "Rampur of the Rohillas" "My mother married an Englishman" "Please be seated" "You have no right to take my guests away in my absence" "You would've had to kill me first and enter over my dead body" "That's why we went in your absence" ""Never mind, what can I do for you?"" "I want to speak to them alone" "Tell them within to wear their veils" "Ramjilal is here to meet the foreigners" "Please tell the Nawab that the foreigners are with me" "Whatever happens is God's will" "There is nothing to wory about here" "Khan Sahib is vey good host" "Here are yourjewels" "What will they do?" " God only knows I am going away to Bareilly I'll ty to inform your brothers there about your condition" "Please give my greetings to your mother" "My good wishes to your daughter" "Don't weaken...have courage" "May God bless you all" "These foreigners are a shameless lot." " What happened?" "That woman actually held Ramji's hand" "They don't have any decency" "Don't fill my ears with your rubbish" "God grant you a child beautiful as a moon" "My son is vey annoyed with me" "He feels we have come here only to see them" "Our newly-wed is sulking" "Hafiz had to come all the way here" "Unless you crack jokes you cannot enjoy your food" "You realise the plight of these people?" "Where are they?" "Call them" "Send the foreigners out" "What do they look like?" " See for yourself" "Our Hafiz thinks peculiarly" "He cannot wait to pounce on the English" "But it's different when it comes to their women" "We are fighting their men and not their families or women" ""ln times of war, it's always the women who suffer"" "The war has just begun..." ""And look at them, the poor things"" "Take heart" "Only you are there to look after your mother and daughter" "Who has ever opposed destiny?" ""Be happy my daughter." "For Allah's sake, make Javed understand"" ""By taking our lives, what will he gain?"" "I wory about her." "But we are concerned about her I wish she could return to her own people" ""lf Allah pleases, all will be well"" "What is in this bundle?" "I won't allow vulgar clothes in this house" ""My Aunt, in this bundle there are better clothes"" "For them?" "And you were quivering at the thought that he would kill you" "There are many whose palms were itching to get at them" "How will you save them?" "By marying..." "You'll mary all three?" ""No, only that one" " What did you say?"" "Are you deaf?" "Can't you hear?" "Please take your wife and Kader home" "Send some clothes for them to wear" "May I take your leave?" "is this how you behave with your guests" ""Why, what have I done?"" ""What have you not done?" "In front of all, you have insulted your wife"" "What is so special about this girl?" ""Aunt, you have no idea"" "The spell this girl has cast on me" "J "When I first saw her I was entranced"" ""Her aura, her beauty..."" "Even a bud would blush beside her" "That's why you plucked the flower" ""Having killed that poor man, you've turned poet"" "I'll cut your tongue and feed it to the crows" ""Don't talk like a child, Javed"" ""lf your concern is beauty, what lack is there in your wife?"" ""She is a little dark, that's all"" "Then why does she rave and rant?" "I'm not divorcing her" "She rules the place as my first wife I'll see that SarFraz kills these foreigners" "As if he'll come from his battles just for you" "He is fighting out there with his life and not sitting at home wearing bangles" ""Aunt, tell her to shut her mouth!" " Enough"" "Now sit here and listen to me" "She may look grown up but she is a child" ""And a Christian, at that"" "You too were a Hindu once" "And about the same age" "My father's neck was not slit!" "Nor was I brought up in captivity." " You turn evemhing your way I want this girl I will have her at any cost" "I want to talk to you" "There's no need to wory I will mary your daughter legally" "I'll give her good money and the respectability of ajunior wife" "But you are married already." " So?" "How is this possible?" "Why not?" "Our religion permits it I don't wish to argue" "Just recently your people killed my husband" "Not by my hand" "Now you might kill all three of us" "You are in mourning and need time" "Take your time" "But don't ever display your English superiority to me" "I was thinking of taking Miriam to my house for a few days" "And leave this girl here?" "No!" "It will be a change for all of them" " No!" ""Even in my home, they will be your responsibility"" ""After all you have the right óver them"" ""No, I have made up my mind"" ""Once I've decided, I never retract"" "Pay attention and listen I never take no for an answer" "Then how can you be so adamant with me?" "Be careful" ""Allah be praised, she is with child"" ""Enough dear, now allow Ruth to sing"" ""Ruth, please sing"" "Sing." "Sing one of your songs" "If you don't pour three mugs of water in the name of Allah... how will you be purified?" "What are you doing?" "How well you've embroidered it" "You people are vey clever with your fingers" ""Look at us, we just sit around, doing nothing all day long"" "God save us from these foreigners" "Akhtarbi." "Get me my waistband" "What atrocities have they not committed?" "They robbed us of our lives ln Kanpur they were taught a lesson" "They were hacked to pieces" "Allah shouldn't allow even one of them to remain" "Aren't you ashamed to talk like that?" "Why be shamed?" "Am I a foreigner?" ""After their ablutions, they don't wash"" ""They use paper, dirty paper!"" ""While husbands watch, they dance with other men"" "They indulge in kissing" ""That wife of the resident Lucknow, what was her name?"" ""Pretending love all that, she looted the Oudh territoy"" "Look at poor Javed." "She has him in her spell..." "Will you keep quiet" "I thank you" "Don't thank me. I am doing what decency demands" "Haven't your foreigners returned?" "Doesn't your Aunt plan to send them back?" "Pay my respects to your Aunt and tell her..." ""even if she makes a pickle of them, it won't hurt me a bit"" "Has the Nawab been enquiring?" "He's busy with his own problems" "This will remain your problem" "They are asking for you" "What have you decided?" "I want a definite answer I haven't had time to think about it" "Why are you making me angy?" "My mother hasn't been well" "Old age is full of illness" "You refuse to become a Christian" " Never!" "I will make your daughter read the Quran" "My brothers must consent to this" "There is a limit to your excuses" "Why don't you understand that I want your daughter?" "You know I can have her any time." "What will you do about that?" "She can't do a thing" "Take her then." "You will enhance the name of Pathans lt is because I am a Pathan that they are safe I have given them shelter" "And I treat them with respect" "What will happen to you if the English regain power?" "What can happen?" "Theywill hang us." "Or shoot holes into US" "Would you like Ruth to be a widow?" "You talk as if the English are round the corner" "Don't you know that Delhi is in our power" "The English have besieged the city" "Our General will rest only after all the English have been finished" "Then let Delhi be the deciding factor" ""lf Delhi is yours, Ruth is yours"" "But should the English capture Delhi... you should not even speak to Ruth" "Or force the marriage" ""Agreed?" " Yes, I agree"" "Are you afraid the English will win?" "All right" "When will you allow me to take them back?" "Why are you so impatient?" ""Miriam, please listen to me"" "Javed Khan is not dissolute as you think" "The enemy is always suspect" "But he does want to mary Ruth" "Unrequited love can consume you lt could lead to your doom" "Like the bird desiring moon" ""Defeated into consuming fire, and being reduced to ashes"" "Can't you see that our neighbors are spitting at me?" ""lf he marries that foreigner, what status will I have?"" "I will be worse than a slave here" "You must threaten those foreigners..." "We have been badly defeated in Kanpur I have come to look for soldiers lt's not for me to interfere in your personal quarrels" "You foreigners are a scheming lot... you took over the county under the guise of trade" "And now you wish to save your skin by offering your daughter?" ""With you here, what hope do we have"" "We witnessed your great humanity in the Church" ""For you, humanity becomes real when an Englishman is killed"" "Only he has an identity" ""With so many Indian, what do a few dead among them matter"" "That's why your Colonel Neill cuts down Indians as if they are vegetables" "An entire regiment of blameless soldiers were mowed down" "Village after village burnt" "Evey tree strung with corpses" "Babies impaled with lances and fed to vultures" ""All this, in the name of humanity?"" ""Friends, we might have lost at Kanpur"" "But we haven't lost the war" "The war continues..." "The actual confrontation will be in Delhi" "But Delhi is surrounded by foreigners" "Four centuries we have paid our homage to this land and worshipped it ln no corner of India will we allow even the shadow of these impure people" "Blood...there is blood eveywhere" ""Like pigeons they hover and cloud the sky"" "Let me savour my own pain" ""lf that is my destiny, I will bear it"" "This fakir is talking nonsense!" "He is demented..." "ilar" "His speech is that of a coward" "And only cowards will pay heed to him" ""Friends, in this hour of trial..."" ""Let us, in the name of our prophets"" "prayto God for success in our holy cause" "In a face is reflected a suffering heart" "You see in it the havoc of love" "whenever her name is uttered" "notice the look on his face" "Swines!" "Scoundrels!" "Idiots!" "Haven't you fed the pigeons today?" "Why ask me?" " Aren't you the mistress of the house?" "I thought that the foreign girl was the mistress" "Some people are born shirkers" "Why haven't you got the 'hooka' ready?" ""lf you want to display your anger, go to war or shout at that woman"" ""Since you can't shout at her, why take it out on me?"" "Shut up" " Who are you to shut me up?" "What can she give that I can't?" "A child." "An heir" "You will never be able to do the same" "Hell and damnation on these pigeons" "They are birds of ill omen" "Their presence has cursed the death of our soldiers" "A thousand curses on them" "They are profare" ""Stop it, SarFraz"" ""Otherwise, I'll kill you"" ""You will kill me to save them, but not for the county"" "It is this self-indulgence that has betrayed us" "We have lost Delhi" ""Traitors, selfish rogues, this county is full of them"" "They are all traitors" "This obsession is causing you to betray your real self" "These foreigners have surpassed the massacre of Nadirshah lnhumanity and cruelty have over-reached their horizons" ""ln Delhi, the Indian sepoys have served as cannon-balls"" ""Mother, we have won Delhi"" "Now we need have no fear" "How do we know Javed Khan will keep his word" "God keep you safe" "You must make your decision today" " About what?" "About marying your daughter I thought a Pathan honoured his promises" "Giving my promise was an error" "What has war to do with human relationships lt has...why else are we here as prisoners?" ""lf you go free from here, do you know what will happen to you"" "People will burn you alive" "After what happened in Delhi..." "Why do you keep on about Delhi?" "There is the rest of India still" "We will still defeat the English" "You think the English are a pack of sheep?" ""That with a flick of a whip, they will bleat?"" "As your mother" "Why don't you ask your daughter?" "Ruth is still a child" "She'll do as I tell her" ""So, you won't change your stand"" ""Oh God, if someone pleaded like this before you..."" "so many wishes would be granted" "What of your manhood?" "To beg of foreigners is demeaning" "Why do you disgrace me so?" "Why can't you understand?" ""She has possessed me, body and soul"" ""When I die, only then will she leave me"" "What do you want?" "Shall I give in and commit suicide" "Let your enemies commit suicide" "Let that low-down slut die" "Mother has passed away" "May her soul rest in peace" "I'll arrange for the burial" "Mother will have a Christian burial" "How can that be possible?" "Mother was a Christian in life." "She will be buried as Christian" "We have caused you a lot of trouble I don't wish to add to your troubles by living here" "Can we go and live in your Aunt's house?" "From now on they will stay with you" "You too will join the battle" "You are so obstinate I will destroy your pride" "Let's see how many more will be hanged by these foreigners" "Don't leave!" "Stay...back!" ""What's the news, Kader?"" "The English are coming in this direction" "We must leave immediately." "The others are doing the same" "He will come here in search of us" "He will come to know where we're headed" "What will happen to them?" " Meaning?" "If the foreigners are coming this way then... lsn't it better to leave them here?" ""ln that case, you should come with us"" "Where are the foreigners?" " In the Church" "Who is that?" " It's me" "Who?" " Javed Khan!" "Open the door!" "I want to see your daughter once more" "You cannot meet Ruth" "Please go away from here." "Your life is in danger" ""Come, Khusro, it is time to go home"" "Dusk settles around us" "We will not see passion of such colour "again""