This Is Not That Dawn: Jhootha Sach, page 141
‘A girl who had died was found alive and became an undersecretary in the ministry of information. Doctor Pran Nath, member secretary of the Planning Commission got married to her.’
‘When? Where?’ Sood asked.
Prabhu Dayal said as Sood looked at the opened page, ‘Nothing short of a miracle. Tara Puri had died in a fire. Bhappaji, she’s the sister of our own Jaidev Puri.’
‘If she had died in a fire, is this what’s-its-name the photograph of her ghost?’ Sood said throwing aside the magazine.
‘What an odd coincidence, bhappaji,’ Prabhu Dayal insisted. ‘How can I not recognize her? I’ll bet anything that she’s Tara. Puri used to live across from our house in Bhola Pandhe’s Gali and Tara was a close friend of my wife. It was I who put the dressing on the wound on her forehead. She had got married before the Partition. I remember the date, 29 July 1947. She was married to Somraj Sahni, that Somraj from Jalandhar. You helped him get the contract to build the boundary wall of the secretariat’s garden. It was a Hindu marriage. You can ask Puri.’
‘Hunh!’ Sood said, picking up the magazine. ‘How come she got married to what’s-its-name Pran Nath?’ He peered at the photograph, brought the page close to his eyes to read the caption, and said in surprise, ‘The wedding was in Delhi, at the Naya Hind Press. Pandit Girdharilal owns what’s-its-name the Naya Hind Press! What is going on? Somraj is alive and well.’
Sood lay prone on the sofa. Prabhu Dayal continued to talk about the mysterious event as he applied medicines and then ultraviolet rays to Sood’s backside, ‘There was some rumour before Tara’s wedding that she didn’t want to get married to Somraj. He’s the same Somraj, who was involved in the Professor Deen Mohammed incident. Tara, in all probability, didn’t die in the fire at Somraj’s house and managed to escape. Poor Puri, he has no knowledge of all this. He and Somraj still think that Tara had died. Tara hasn’t contacted her family. She was a bright girl. Wonder where she was all these years. Bhappaji, there’s no doubt that it’s her photograph, hundred and one per cent Tara.’
As soon as the treatment was over, Sood summoned the peon and ordered, ‘Get Bahri Sahib.’ When his personal assistant arrived, Sood ordered, ‘Call Jaidev Puri at his house in Model Town in Jalandhar.’
Puri found it difficult to comprehend what had happened. Sood asked him to read the Illustrated Weekly.
Puri managed to find a copy of the weekly by afternoon. His brain reeled when he saw the photograph, ‘Tara getting married when her first husband is still alive! And that too at the Naya Hind Press! This was done deliberately, just out of spite. And they had to publish the photograph! They are all in this together! Kanak wants to do the same thing whether I divorce her or not? This was meant to be a direct challenge to me.’
Puri wanted to hurt Tara and Kanak in a frenzy of rage and frustration. Then the thought crossed his mind that by doing that he’d be hurting himself, he’d be cutting off his nose to spite his face.
It was not possible for Puri to disregard Sood’s orders. Sood gave an assurance to Puri and Somraj that it would be an official and completely confidential investigation. Doctor Pran Nath would be taught a lesson.
Puri felt a surge of anger and hatred towards Nath, ‘What an example of cultured and gentlemanly behaviour! Wouldn’t have been satisfied unless he had set his guru’s home on fire! He used to call Tara his “younger sister”. What a web of deceit he had spun to get Tara to come to his house and tutor.’
Nath and Tara wanted to get married in November 1955, but several things got in the way of their wedding. Nath had to go to England in the beginning of November with the minister of finance, as his advisor. Then he went to the USA with the minster of industrial development as his advisor. After that he and Tara could not find a suitable time before July 1956. Tara did not like the dreariness of a civil marriage, of going through a formal procedure only to make their marriage legal. At the same time, both were reluctant to have a full-blown wedding or an ostentatious ceremony at their age.
Nath’s suggestion was to call a pandit or a granthi to his bungalow to perform the marriage rites, so that Tara could have the satisfaction of a traditional wedding. It was decided to have only twenty-five wedding guests, among them Dr Solis, Shyama, Prabha Saxena, Chaddha and Mercy, Kanak, Gill, Narottam and Kanchan, Sheelo and Ratan, and Mathur.
Kanak and Mercy were competing with each other to organize the ceremony. Both were against the wedding taking place at Nath’s bungalow. Kanak made the decision, ‘The bride will not go to the groom’s house to get married. Doctor sahib will take her to his home after the ceremony in accordance with the custom.’
The ceremony took place at the Naya Hind Press. Pandit Girdharilal gave away the bride and Mercy, in the role of Nath’s sister, welcomed Tara at Nath’s bungalow.
Nath and Tara had arranged for three months’ leave. They left for Switzerland a couple of days after the wedding. For Tara it was heaven on earth, and she wanted to enjoy her happiness and contentment to the utmost.
Tara had been back only for a week when the home secretary’s peon came to her office and asked her to personally sign for a sealed envelope. On the envelope were her name and the position she was holding. The envelope was marked Very Confidential, which surprised Tara. She was in the middle of dictating some memos and letters to her stenographer. She finished giving the dictation before opening the envelope.
What she read in that very confidential letter left her aghast. She sat staring into space with her forefinger between her teeth, stunned as if she had lost consciousness for a minute. She sighed deeply and began to read the documents enclosed with the letter. Every word was like a blow to the head and every page she read made her feel as if she were sinking into a dark bottomless pit. She put the documents and letter on the desk after reading them and grasped the armrests to steady herself, staring blankly at her desk.
Tara took several deep breaths to bring herself under control. Her mind slowly registered the documents and the telephone on her desk. Her hand went to the phone, but she pulled it back, unsure if it were the right thing to do. Her head was flying off her shoulders. She clasped her forehead in her hands. In her agitation she wanted to smash her head against the desk. Memories of Banti banging her head on the threshold of her husband’s home flashed through her mind. Bracing her arms she pulled herself upright and began to pace the room.
The phone rang. She did not want to answer it, but the persistent ring was unbearable. She thought she’d pick up the receiver and quickly hang up, but in a state of shock put it to her ear, ‘Yes!’
Nath said, ‘Listen, Tara. Perhaps you received a letter?’
‘Yes, I did.’
‘Don’t let that upset you. I’ll pick you up by 5 or 5.15.’
Nath receiving the same letter came as a terrible blow to her, ‘I was doomed to suffer all my life and he has to suffer because of me.’ She felt her legs buckle and held on to the desk to regain her balance, ‘Does my fate await him too?’
Tara somehow found the strength to keep going, but that strength drained away when Nath put his arm round her; she just fell into his arms. Nath helped her get out of the car, took her to the bedroom and helped her lie down. He sat on the edge of her bed and asked her for the letter. He showed her the letter he had received and she saw that both the letters were the same. Attached to the letters were the testimonies that Puri, Somraj and Doctor Prabhu Dayal had given to the Special Police.
Tara pressed her head into Nath’s lap and began to cry.
Nath put his hand on her head to console her, and asked, ‘Who is Doctor Prabhu Dayal?’
Tara said, ‘He used to live across from us in our gali. This is all bhai’s doing. I don’t know what grudges he’s harbouring against me.’
‘Puri alone can’t do all this. He doesn’t have the political contacts. Sood has a hand in this. This is not an attack on you, but the result of Sood’s resentment towards me. Puri is nothing but Sood’s puppet. You got dragged into this mess because of me. When grain is ground for wheat, the weevils are ground with it. Have you thought about replying to the letter?’
‘I don’t know what to say.’ Tara took a deep breath. ‘As far as the facts are concerned, those testimonies are correct, but you know I was never his wife. I have done nothing wrong. If I broke the law, I am responsible for the consequences. You weren’t married before, so let them punish me. I don’t care for this job….’
‘That’s not the issue. The real issue is not your job, but clearing your name,’ Nath said. ‘I went into this marriage with my eyes open. I knew all about you. It was me who proposed to you. I have a moral responsibility to you. I’m sure that we did nothing wrong, but the charges against us are not on moral but on legal grounds. We’ll have to take legal action to counter the allegations against us.’
‘Huzoor, Gill babuji has come,’ Parsu said from outside the door.
‘I’ll tell him I can’t spend time with him today,’ Nath said, and went to the living room.
Gill had been writing editorials for two Delhi newspapers twice a month on the national economy and the Second Five Year Plan. He often got some matter for his editorials from Nath. He had made an appointment with Nath for them to meet that day.
This was the first time Gill was meeting Nath after his return from Switzerland. The photograph and news of Nath’s marriage had been published in their absence. Gill had brought along the magazine to show Nath. He opened the magazine at the page with the photograph and put it on a side table before Nath came into the living room.
Seeing Nath’s long face and worried look, Gill asked, ‘Doctor sahib, what’s the matter? You are well?’
‘I’m a bit worried.’ Nath motioned Gill to take a chair, ‘I’m sorry that you came from so far.’
‘No. no, Doctor sahib, please don’t bother about that. Is bhabhi all right?’
‘No. She’s also quite upset.’
‘What’s the matter, Doctor sahib? Please don’t hesitate to tell me if I can do anything to help,’ Gill said with sincerity.
‘I don’t know how to explain,’ Nath said, taking a deep breath. He pointed to the magazine, ‘There is the problem, thanks to Puri and Sood. People playing dirty politics. They want me removed from the Planning Commission. How can anyone sink so low?’
Nath briefly told Gill why he was worried and about the testimonies of Puri, Somraj and Prabhu Dayal. ‘I’ll show you the documents,’ he said, and went to an inner room.
Nath made an attempt to smile when he returned, ‘All this is because of your mischievousness. You couldn’t resist getting the news published that the marriage took place at the house of Puri’s father-in-law.’
‘Huhn. That must be the main cause of his anger,’ Gill acknowledged.
‘We believe that we haven’t done anything dishonest. We can face them with a clear conscience,’ Nath said, ‘but the charges against us have legal basis. The law is not concerned with truth and conscience. Legal issues are complex and open to interpretation. We must seek advice from a lawyer. We should attempt to stop this news from spreading.’
‘If you want legal advice, wait till tomorrow,’ Gill said. ‘All offices will be closed tomorrow anyway due to the Dussehra holiday. Kanak’s brother-in-law Nayyar is arriving tomorrow. He’s serious minded and a successful lawyer. He knows Puri and Sood well. If the marriage was unlawful, Kanak and Panditji are also implicated in organizing it. After all Panditji gave the girl away. I’ll go from here to Kanak’s place and explain.’
Nayyar had come to Delhi for a different reason.
After Kanak had come back from Jalandhar at June end, Pandit Girdharilal had, after much deliberation, written another letter to Nayyar at the beginning of August, ‘Try once again to convince Puri that there is more to married life than just keeping up appearances. Puri and Kanak both need to rid themselves of the bitterness and enmity that plague their relationship. Puri is a very sensible person. He should think of a compromise that allows both to do away with the acrimony in a dignified manner.’ Panditji himself read the divorce law and suggested that if Puri wants he can divorce Kanak on the grounds of desertion, Kanak will not contest the charge and Puri won’t get the blame. A request can be made to the court to conduct the proceedings in camera.
It was clear to Nayyar that Panditji was supporting what Kanak wanted. Since he didn’t want to be blamed for the suggestion, he told Puri what Panditji had written in his letter.
Puri was very offended and angry that Tara’s wedding ceremony was held at the Naya Hind Press. Without saying anything about his feelings, he told Nayyar curtly, ‘Panditji is going senile. Kanak’s just leading him on. She can’t treat me as if I were a puppet in her hands. There are legal grounds for divorce, but I won’t divorce her. I know what she’s up to. I won’t encourage promiscuity. What sacrifice did I not make for her? The relationship may be dead, but I won’t give her the opportunity to get married again. If she decides to go ahead, she won’t be somebody’s lawful wife, her marriage won’t be legal. I know how to get even with both.’
What could Nayyar say in reply and what could he tell Panditji. The thought of Panditji’s mental state distressed him greatly. He supposed that Panditji wanted to hurry up only for the sake of Kanak. He wrote back that he had some work in Delhi and that he’d come to see Panditji during the Vijayadashami festival and discuss everything at that time.
Kanak had gone to the railway station to receive Nayyar. She began to fill him in on how Sood and Puri had conspired against Nath and Tara at the station. In the afternoon, Gill took Kanak and Nayyar to meet Nath.
Nayyar now knew the whole story. He was already full of praise and sympathy for Tara after what Kanak had told him earlier.
Nayyar examined the notices sent to Tara and Nath, and read the secret testimonies of Puri, Prabhu Dayal and Somraj to the Special Police. He thought for a few moments with a worried expression and his lower lip clenched between his teeth, then said in English as he stroked his eyebrows, ‘There is no doubt that for all intents and purposes the first marriage was de facto dead. Those people wouldn’t have been able to hound you if you only had taken the advantage of the new divorce law.’
‘You are quite correct,’ Nath admitted. ‘First of all, who could even imagine that a situation like this would arise after nine years. Even to think about that inconsequential and unpleasant incident would have been humiliating. Legalities aside, what happened was not a marriage but a travesty of marriage. People think of going to law either when they need its protection or when they want to threaten someone with legal action.’ Nath laughed.
‘The law always means trouble,’ Kanak said, glancing sideways at Nayyar. ‘One should always be wary of it.’
Nayyar smiled lightly. He got the opening for getting down to business, ‘In order to defend yourself, you will have to go to law. You’ll need the protection of law to ward off this legal threat. Your case is rather unusual. This matter is neither within the purview of a court of law, nor is it a question of morality of actions or one that can be decided by common sense. This is not a simple legal action against you, but an attack on you with the help of the powers that be, under the guise of conducting a departmental inquiry. Had the matter been sub judice, Somraj himself could have been charged with plotting to kill Taraji by setting fire to the house. Charges could have been made. Questions could have been posed. Why was the news of her death believed and why were her last rites performed in such haste without ascertaining her death? Witnesses and evidence in support of such charges could have been found.’
Still stroking his eyebrows he asked Tara, ‘Can we prove these testimonies to be false?’
Tara answered with her chin sunk onto her chest, ‘The testimonies may not be legally false, but the fact is that I never accepted him as my husband. Never in the past nine years did I have any contact with him or live with him.’
Nath, ‘Actually, Sood is angry with me. He wants to get me out of the way.’
Nayyar admitted, ‘I know that, but I was talking about the accusations against Taraji.’ He asked Tara, ‘Did you ever receive a court notice that your second marriage was illegal, and that legally you were still the wife of Somraj?’
Tara shook her head.
Nayyar said, straightening his back, ‘Then according to law the charges against you are completely baseless. Well, it is obvious,’ he looked at Nath, ‘as you said, it’s not a complaint lodged by Somraj. If he had been the complainant, he would have prayed for your marriage to be declared illegal and for his right over Taraji. She should have been sent a notice about it. Somraj is only a pawn in this game. Sood is a lawyer, so he jumped at the chance of a possible legal loophole. But he judged it wrong because he has not practised law for a long time. I am surprised that your department overlooked this flaw. And why was a legal advisor not consulted? Maybe they wanted to charge you as a government official with an offence involving moral turpitude.’
Nayyar asked after a few moments’ thought, ‘You had no premonition of this notice? Granted, the decision to lay charges against you could have been confidential, but news does leak out here and there.’
‘We returned to Delhi just nine days ago. We both were abroad.’ Nath searched his memory, then said, ‘Yes, I had heard that someone was out to get me. But I’d heard that so many times before.’
‘I have my suspicions to the contrary, that the case against you was left incomplete and prepared half-heartedly. There are a number of weak links in the chain. Well, it’s clear that the ministry has a two-sided approach in your case. Some influential people are definitely against you.’
Gill said, ‘The whole affair stinks of political sabotage and political blackmail.’
Nayyar asked Nath, ‘Are you reasonably sure that you can get a sympathetic departmental hearing?’
Nath expressed his doubt, ‘The faction opposing the proposed nationalization under the Plan is quite powerful. Not everyone in the Cabinet is as enthusiastic about the Plan as the Prime Minister, but they have little say. Foreign experts offering unasked for advice have the ear of several top ministers, otherwise—as you said—the notices probably wouldn’t have been sent. I’ll incorporate the whole background to the case in my reply, including the conversation I had with Sood.’
