A Journal of Mahatma Gandhi Antarrashtriya Hindi Vishwavidyalaya

“Good evening. You may take this chair.
In the evening I don’t like to sit with
my back to the window.”
“I’m Nath-a Fellow of the Institute.”
“Please sit down, Mr Nath. I’m Grace
Leacock, retired music teacher. And this
is my sister, Ruby Leacock. She ... ’’
“I’m not doing anything. I was a nurse.
But I did not work as a nurse in this
country.”
“I’m pleased to meet you.”
“Do you want to buy our house, I
mean Sunny Cradle?”
‘‘Yes, I would like to.”
“What do you mean I would like to?
Don’t you have the money for it?”
“I’ve the money but...’’
“Is it too big for you?”
‘‘It’s not that.”
“Oh, I understand. You are a scholar
and cannot look after Sunny Cradle-is that
what you mean? Look, scholars are a bit
soft at heart. Even the servants don’t listen
to them. And scores of people live here.
The cottages on the lower side of the
building-look in that direction, to the right
of the window. It was all our property
but now the tenants have established their
right over it. They don’t even pay us
the rent. They say that the place does
not belong to us.”
“Grace is right, Mr Nath. Yesterday
someone picked up a quarrel with her.
They call us ‘Old Witches’. They keep teasing
us in so many ways. They say that after
our death Sunny Cradle will pass into
their hands. Oh, they are going to kill
us.”
“Miss Ruby, it can’t happen like that.
The law is on your side.”
‘‘Do you really think so? But I can’t
believe it. Mr Nath, they say that the
law is also in their favour. Nobody knows
us here. The lawyers and the judge who
were our friends have either passed away
or have become too old. These new people
just do not know us. They don’t know
which family we belong to. Ruby, I think
we should sell Sunny Cradle to Col. Batra.
He looks so ferocious-the man who can
throw out these troublemakers.”
“No, Grace, Mr Nath is the right person
for us. He looks a gentleman and speaks
immaculate English like us. Mr Nath, do
you love animals?”
“Oh, yes, why not? I particularly love
dogs. My wife and our daughter are also
very kind... I mean to the dogs.”
“Oh, how nice. In our family we kept
dogs of very good breeds.
We were proud of our pedigree dogs.
Grace’s Hunter... wait I’ll show you his
photograph.”
“And your Diana, Ruby! Just let me
see. I may also have her photograph in
the album.”
January-March 2012 :: 117