Once Upon a Time In India

The sun had set in the village. The bellman sounded and announced something in the native language of the villagers. As he passed by the bushes he could hear a few men talking. Yet he went silently. A voice was heard, “Siva!!” “I too heard” “What are our next plans?” “Let us wait for the rest to come. I think they will be soon here.” They waited for another ten minutes and there came more persons. They quickly went into a hut. Jeevan shouted, “We must put an end to these atrocities. At least if not completely but for a while.” Saleem said, “The Mughal Emperor has been exiled and his two sons have been -- damn it.” Immediately, they murmured something and finally Saleem spoke, “Siva, we bomb the carriage tomorrow.” They dispersed.
The next morning in the British Bungalow the clock sounded 7.00 AM. There came a person in his long, blue nightgown. He had whitish hair and a shiny, rosy skin. He shouted, “Hey!” Immediately three servants stood before him. “Sir…” He spoke in a half-awaken tone, “Did you announce the fate of Bahadur Shah last night?” “Yesss Sir...” He then shouted, “Vincent.” His son did not turn up. He slowly walked to take his bath. He came out and asked, “What’s today’s meal – Indian or --?” “Sir, Today I have cooked your favourite non vegetarian dishes.” He started to have his meals. He tasted it heartily and congratulated the cook, “Extra ordinary.” He left the place and said to his driver and spoke, “I feel I would like to drive the cart myself...” “But Sir...” “What buts…?” “No nothing. Nothing Sir.” He then walked towards his cart. At the door, he could see his board, “General Clammedore” hanging upside down. He set it right at once and again called his driver, “Ram You better drive the cart.” He went inside his bungalow, drank a cup of water and came out. Then both set out on the chariot.
About fifteen minutes they should have travelled when Ram spoke, “Sir, I feel ...I feel there is some danger for you.” “I knew it. So long as you Indians play a double game, this country is at our disposal.” Ram kept quiet. “Well, What’s that?” But Ram had no time to speak. Almost immediately a knife from nowhere pierced into the heartless chest of Ram and he fell on the ground. Clammedore having understood that something strange was going to happen jumped out of the carriage. Immediately, his carriage was bombed, yet he survived. His carriage flew into the air to a height of about 10 metres and Clammedore’s eyes were anchored to it. Immediately he called his soldiers and asked them to round up the village. But both Saleem and Siva had escaped.
Clammedore quickly went back to his palace and came out with his huge rifle. He spoke at the top of his voice, “You bloody Idiots!! I give your men ten minutes time. The plotters are to be here now or else you know what I would do.” He then started counting on his watch – one, two, three and so on till ten. Nobody turned up. Clammedore again shouted, “Well, nobody’s come. I said I would do that. Guards!! Bring the youngest man out of every house and arrange them here. The whole village is going to watch me shoot them. When the first door was opened by one of his guards, a knife thrown had cut his thumb. Soon they could see the origin of the knife. There stood Saleem in the bravest fashion.
He immediately drew another knife and this time he targeted it at Clammedore. But Clammedore could notice him and he dodged the knife. A rope was thrown over Saleem’s neck and he fell to the ground.



Soon the rope was cut by the shot of a rifle and a voice was heard, “Saleem run…” It was Siva. But Saleem could not. He was on all sides surrounded by the British. Clammedore shouted, “Shit, It’s Shiva again. Catch him!!” Saleem hoped that Siva would manage to escape but soon both stood as captives in front of Clammedore.
He spoke, “How dare you do this non sense? For the past three months I have been noticing your actions. Do you really want to exhibit your bravery? Let us see now. Display your skills now. You are tied and surrounded by your enemies. Try to escape. I know – It is not possible for you to do that.” Both Saleem and Siva stood erect facing the sun. “What the hell you do? Can’t you open your ugly mouths? If you don’t speak now you will not have a chance to do it after. My sword will have to peep into your eyes then.” When he was about to draw his sword he heard Siva, “Saleem, Do you think we must talk to these cowards?” Saleem replied, “I don’t think we really need to. Lets rather lose our eyes—is it not?”
Clammedore continued, “Cowards --- You call the British cowards?!? Don’t think too much of yourselves. Today is the last day of your life and you will return back to the soils. Why do you waste your time in speaking of cowardice and bravery?” His voice softened, “I give a final chance. Serve us. Join the British army.” Both remained silent. Their legs did not move. Their hands were still. They stood like statues.
It was then Clammedore realised that there was no use in talking to these people. “Get ready to hang these two.” He then turned towards Siva, “Okay!! The last chance. State your last wish. Normally we don’t ask these things but remember you are special to me.”
Even then both stood still. Clammedore spoke, “And once again no talks…And I think your father is going to face the same situation that your Mughal Emperor faced three days ago. You know what happened?” As he spoke his face started to smile which slowly turned into a wild laughter. “When he wanted to see his sons before exile – you know what we did – we gave him the heads of his sons. You must have seen him cry…That bloody…” His wild laughter echoed throughout the village that stood watching the scene in silence. “The Mughal Emperor ….his two sons…heads...ha ha!!”
But slowly, there were two other voices laughing along with that if Clammedore’s. He was shocked. His eyes slowly changed and he asked in a really serious tone, “Why … Why do you both laugh…?”
Siva spoke, “Well, instead do you want us cry for what has happened…?” Clammedore could not understand what he spoke. “What … What happened?”
Siva continued to laugh, “Ha…Ha…Saleem I am really unable to control my laughter. You better recite him.”
It was Saleem’s turn. “Our Emperor, at least he took his son’s heads with great grief!! But you…” Siva continued, “None in this world… Nobody other than you can really enjoy his own son’s heart for a good meal.”
As both of them stood laughing, a scream was heard “Vincent”. Bullets pierced through their hearts and they fell on the ground.