8/17/2019 ChandraV_Eternal Don.pdf

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rhe

speaker

after

thel'had

been

on

the

door

for three

hours.

They

e cold

chisel

on

the

lock first,

but

b.r.i iooked like brorvn rvood

from

a

arvay

was

in

fact

some

kind of

metal,

and

although

it rumedwhite

the

bhc{e

and

rang

l-ike a sharp

tem-

the door

dicln't give.

Then

thry had

to

thc

lintels with

tools

borrorved

;1

r(i'Jd

cretv,

but

even

rvhen the

road

took

ovcr,

wieiding

the

sledgeham-

rvith

long,

expert nrings

and

huffing

rhe c()ncrete

bounced

their blows

and

tl-re Sony

speaker

next

to

iaughed

at

them.

"You're

behind

Gaitonde

crackled.

I'm

not getting

in,

you're

not get-

Sartaj

said.

I cen't

hear you."

stepped

up to

the

door.

The

build-

a precise

cube,

lvhite

rvith

green

on

a square plot

of

land

in Kai-

which

was on the

sdll-develop-

edge

of

Zone

13. Here,

among

machinerl'groping

at swamp,

out

talther

and

wider,

In-

S-artaj

Singh

had

come

to

arrest

Genesh

Gaitonde,

gangster,

don

rvilv and eiernal

survi?oi

long are

you going

to

stav

in

Gaitonde?"

Sartaj

said,

craning

his

up. The

deep,

round

video eye

of the

above

the door

srvivelled

from side

and then

setded

on

him.

that fucking

Sardar

inspector,"

said.

1 am,"

Sadqi

said.

There

were

Sikh

commissioners

on the

force,

but

-o_nty

S_ ttt_i$g9ctor

in the

citl

ina

ao was

-niea

to

being

by

his turban

and

beard.

He

was

fbr the cut of

his pants,

which

tailored

^tavery

film-starrybou-

in

Bandra,

and also

for

his

pro61e,

had

once been

featured

by

Modern

magazine

in

"The

Ciqv's

Best-

FICTION

ETERNAL

DON

Has Inspector

Sartaj

Singh-the

silky

Sikh

nnd

Munbai\

'

fnesi-mZt

his

match'at

last?

BY

VIKRAM

CHANDRA

Looking

Bachelors."

His assistant,

Katekar,

on the

other

hand,

had a

large

paunch

that

sat

on

toP

of

his belt

like

a

iuitcase,

and a

perfectly

square

face

and

very

thick

hands.

Katekar

was a senior

constable, and

an

old

colleague,

and norv

he

came around

the

corner

of

the build-

ing and

stood

wide-legged,

with his

hands

in his pockets.

He

shook

his head.

'Where

are

vou

going,

Srrdarji?"

Gai-

tonde said.

'Just

some

things

I have

to take

care ot,"

Sartaj

said.

He and

Katekar

rvdked to the

comer

together,

and

norv Sartaj

could

see

the

ladder

thev

had going

up to the

ventilator.

"That's

not

a

ventilator,"

Katekar

said'

"It

onlv looks

like

one.

There's

just

concrete

behind

it.

\\'hat

the

heli

is this place,

sir?"

"I

don't knorv,"

Sartaj said.

It

rvas

somehorv

deeplr'satisfi'ing

that

even Ka-

tekar,

Ilumbai

native

and

practitioner

of

a

ven'

superior

Bhuleshwar-bred

cy'n-

icism,

rvas startleci

by

an impregnable

white

cube suddenlv

grown

in Kailash-

pada,

w'ith a black

srvivel-mounted

Sony

video camera

above

the

door.

"I

don't

know.

And he sounds

very strange'

you

knc'rv.

Isn't

he supposed

to be;ery

polite?"

'Yes,

like

a

congicssman

who wants

a

\,'ote from

vou,"

Katekar said.

&iitglike

an

g_il

ma,ssage'el'en

with constables."

"I've

never

met

him.

You?"

"No,

but

that's

what

eve{yone

says.

Never

heard of

him being

rude

to

poLice."

'Today

he must

not

want an1'thing,"

Sartaj said.

"But

what's

he doing

here, in Kailash-

pada

ofall

places?"

Sartaj

nodded.

The

Gaitonde

they

had

read about

in police

reports and

in

the

newspapers

lolled

in the

stands during

Sharjah

cricket

matches

with

bejewelled

starlets,

he bankrolled

politicians

and

bought them and sold them,

his dailY

skim

from

Bombays

various

dau.k

dhan-

daswas

said to

be greater

than

annual

cor-

porate

incomes,

and

his name

was used

to

frighten

the

recalcitrant.

Gaitonde

Bhai

said

so, you

said,

and the

srubborn

saw

reason,

and all

roads

.'vere

smoothed,

and

there

lvas

peace.

But he had

been

on the

run

for many

months,

on the

Indonesian

coast

in

a

yacht,

it

was rumored,

far but

onlv

a

phone

call

arval'.

Which

meant

that

he might as

lveli have

been

next

door,

or

as

it turned out,

amazingly

enough,

in

dusry

Kailashpada.

The tipoff

had come

from

an anonrmous

mirle','oice

on Sanaj's

direct

line

rt

the station,

bringir-rg

them

to

Kailashpada

in

a h'.rsn'cirrtvan

bristling

*'ith

rifles.

"I

don't

knorv,"

Sartej

said.

"But

norv

that

he's here,

he's ours."

"He's

a prize,

r'es,

sir,"

Katekar

srid.

He

had

that

denseh'snobbish

look

he al-

rvars

assumed

rvhen he thought

Sirnaj

lvas

being

naive.

"But you're

sure

you

tvvant

to

make

him

yours?"

"He's

already

mine, only

he doesn't

knorv

it," Sartaj said,

tuming

to

rvalkback

toward

the

door.

"All

right. Cut

offhis

porver."

"Hey,

Sardarji,"

Gaitorrde

boomed

over

ihe

speaker.

'You

lvere

the one

rvho

I

urkaa

e

d IVlahinder

Mathu's

i*q_L_"

There

rvas

a strange

rolling richness

about

his voice, even over

the tinny

speaker.

"I

did," Sartaj

said.

"Friend

of yours?"

"Not

exacdy,"

Gaitonde

said.

"Butwhy

the

hell

did

you have

to

shoot

him five

times? In the

face?"

"He

was

trying to bowl

me

out

also'

Gaitonde. And

it rvas four

times,

and only

twice

in

the head."

"Mathu

should

have goften

you.

But

he

thought too

long,"

Gaitonde

said.

"Mahinder

N{athu

always-"

And

his

voice stopped

short, as

if

cut

by

a

knife.

Sartaj turned

from

the door.

Now

it

was a

matter of

lvaiting, and

an

hour

or

two

under a hot

June

sun

would

turn

the

unventilated,

unpowered

building

into

a

furnace

that even

Gaitonde,

who

was

a

graduate of

Arthur

RoadJail

many

times

and

many years

over, would

find as

hard

to

bear as

the corridors

of

Hell.

And

Gaitonde

had been

lately

very

successfirl

and

thus

a

litde

softened,

so perhaps

it

,,v,rr.rld

rrken

,

hurrr

r:

knees,

"\\'

crsvi"

ll()\vc

tl

Sor

the

cul-

in

Artl

in

Bonr

it,

safe

l

trades

r

constni

think

r,

.r.i-

Slltrl.

is r,'en

designe

"Ne..

signe

d

qLrestior

going

t,

"\vl

c()lllc

(l

l

krt oi'-

out

h,:r

rr

hert.l.i

'I"hc;

fillccl rv:

inc

of

ti

\\'cre gai

of th':1:r

I c:r.

'\

\

''.

"

I'nr

me

bv

rl

"I

th

'-.'^fiiends

c

: evenrvh,

8/17/2019 ChandraV_Eternal Don.pdf

2/10

;uld

be doser

to

an

hour. But

Sartaj had

ken

only

two

steps

when

he felt a deep

rm

rising through his toes and into his

iees, and

Gaitonde

lvas

back.

'TVhat,

you thought

it

u'ould

be so

.sy?"

Gaitonde

said,

chortling. 'Just

a

)\4rer

cut? \\trat,

I'ou

think

i'm

a

fooli"

So

there

was

a

generator someu'here in

e cube.

Gaitonde had been the

first

man

Anhur

RoadJail,

perhaps

the first rran

Bombal', to

o\l'n a cellular phone.

\\rith

safe in

his

ceil, he had run the essentia-i

.rdes

of

drugs, ma//:a,

prostitution,

rnd

,nstruction. "No,

I don't

ink

vou're

a fool," Sanaj

id.

"This,

this building

verv irnpressile.

\\'ho

'signcd

it

for

voui"

"Never mind u'ho

de-

;ned

it,

Sardarji. The

restion

is, hou'

lre lou

,ing

to

get

ir.ri"

"\Vhy

don't

.

ou

jusr

nre

outi

It'll

s,n'e

us

dl

ot of tinre. It's rcallv hot

:t

here, and I'r-n

qcning

'readache."

Thcre

u'as

a

silence,

lcd

u'ith

the mr.rrnrur-

';

of the spectrrt()rs

\\'ho

rre

girtherinq

.rt tlrc

cnd

thc lrrne .

"]

crtn't

conrc

()Lrt.

'\\Ihv

not?"

I

nl

alone.

I

nr

(,nl\'

c bv rnvsclf."

"I-thought

vor.r

hrrd

cnds

evenrvhcrc,

Gaitonde. Evcn'one

rnl'here

is a

fricnd

of Gliton.lc Bhrri's.

r't

iti In

the

government,

in

thc

|ress,

,:n

in

the policc forcei

Hou'

is

ir

thcn

.lt

vou

are a]onci"

"Do

vou

krorv

]

get

applications,

Srrr-

rjii

I

probabh'

get

rnore

applicrrtions

iln

vou

police lircks.

Don't

believc nrcl'

cre, I'11 read

vou

one .

Hold

on. Ilcrc's

e.

This

one's fiom \Vardha.

Hcrc it is."

"Gaitonde "

"'Respected

Shri

Gaitonde.'

Flcrrr

.rt,

Sardarji?'Rcspected.'

So thcn

. . ,'l

l a

f\\'enn.-nvo-\'ear-old

vounq nrlrr lir'-

1

in

\\/ardha,

l\

Iuh:rrashtra.

Currcrtlr'

I

J,,i11g

11,'r'

\l.(',r1n.,

lrr6'irrq

l,.r:'r,.1

r'r11

L'onr.

eram

u'ith

scvcnfi-onc-ircr'-.

rt

.r'ks.

I

lrnr :tlso knou'rr

in

rlt

it,ilcge .,.

lie.t

.rtlrlctt,

.ir,'u

I .rrrr t:r1ri.1111 ,,1

i1 .

'.kct

tcun.'

l'lre

n

tlrerc's

li

lot

oi'crrLir

,ut

ho\v bold

anJ

strorrg hc is,

hol'cr

-

one

in tou.r.r's

scarecl olhir.n.

O.K., thcn

qoes

on,

'l

arr surc

that

I

can [.c of

u.c

to

you.

I

have for long

follorved

I'our

dar-

ing

exploits in

our ne'rvspapers, rvhich

print verv

often

these stories

of1'our

great

porver and

porverfirl politics, rvhich

make

1.ou

the first

man in Xlumbai.

N{any times

rvhen

my friends get

together,

v'e talk

about

your famous adventures.

Like how

lou

finished

Dhanraj Kalia's

game,

in

spite

of

his

police guards.

And

of course I

hope

you

are not offended if

I

mention

vour

great love aft-air rvith

our ou'n X1iss

India,

Iliss

Nandita

Kumar. Please,

Shri

Gaitonde,

I

respectfi.r1lr'submit

ro vou m\/

vita,

and

sorre

srnall clippings

about me.

I

uill

do u'hatcver *'ork

r-ou

irsk I

am

very

poor,

Sirri

Gaitonde. I'fuI1i'believe

that

vou

u'ill

give

me

a chrrnce

to rnake

a

life.

Yours

frrithfirllri

Amit

Shirraj Patil.'

"I{ear

that,

Sardarji?"

Giritonde called

out.

"Yes,

Gaitor.rde,"

Sartaj

said.

"I

do. He

sounds

like

a fine recmit."

"He

sounds

like

a

prick,

Sardarji,"

Gdtonde

said.

"I

u'ouldn't

hire

him

as a

bhangi

to clean

m),toilets.

But he'd prob-

ablv

do u'ell

as a

policeman."

"l'rn

qcttirrq

tircd

,'f

rhis,

Gaitonde."

Gaitonde

lauehed.

"Are

vour

feclings

hun,

sadb?

Should I be

nrore respectfirl?

Should

I

tell

you

about the u'onderful

and

rrstonishing

Jcrrts oi

thc

police

,

our

de

-

lirrticrs

rriiti

givc

tlrcir

livcs in scrlice

n'ithtiut

a

thought

ftrr thcir

ou'n profit?"

"Critonde)"

"\Vhati"

"l'll

be back.

I need

a cold drink."

t3t

Gaitonde

laughed

long

and very

hard,

and became

ar,uncular,

affectionate.

'Yes,

I'es,

of course

you do.

Hot

out

there."

"Fory'ou

also?

AThums

Up?"

"I've

a fridge

in here,

cbikniya.Justbe-

cause 1,ou're so

fair

and

so

herolike

good-

looking

doesn't

mean

you're exra

smart.

You

get

1'our

drinli"

"I

will.

I'll

be back."

'What

else would

you

do, Sardarji?

Go,

go."

Sartaj walked

down the

street, and

Katekar

fell

in

beside

hirn.

The

cracked

black tarmac

seemed

to

sr.l'im

and shimmer

in the

heat.

The

street had

emp-

tied,

the spectators

bored

bi'

the

lack

of

explosions

and

bullets

and hungrv

for

lunch. Benveen

Bhag-

s'an

Tailors

rnd

Trinrirrti

11usic,

ther

found

the

straightfonvardiv

nancd

Besr

Cirf6,

u'hich

had

tables scattered r.urdcr

a

neem

tree

ar.rd

rattling

black

floor

frns.

Sartaj

pulled desperatell'

lt rr

Coke, and

Katekar sipped

at liesh

lin.re

and

sodr,

onlv

slightli'

s\\'cet.

Hc

u'as

tn'ing

to lose rveigl.rt.

From u.herc

thev

sat thcy

could sce

Grr,itondc's

rvhire

bunker.

"Let's

blorv

it

up,"

Katekar

said,

'With

rvhat?"

Sartaj

said.

"And

that'll

kili

him for

sure."

Katekar

grinned.

'Yes,

sir.

So

u'hat,

sir?"

"And

wl.rat

would

the intelligence

bols

say?"

"Sahib,

excuse

me, but

the intelligence

boys can suck

my

lauda.Why didn't

they

know

he was

building this

thing?"

"Norv,

that would

have

been very,

very

intelligent,

rvouldn't

it?"

Sartaj

said.

He

leaned

back in

his

chair and

stretched.

"You

think

we

can

find *

bulldozer?"

Q.rnra;

lud

a nretal cheir

brought to

t)

the

fiont

of the

bunker, lrrJ he

.at

on

it pattine

his face

'rvith

a cold,

u'et

tou'ei.

I{e

vyas

sleepy. The vidco

camerr

uil)

ur)rr0\'ing

arrJ silcrrt.

"A1i Gaitondel"

Sartaj

said.'You

there?"

Tl.re

camera made

its very sn.r'all

buzz-

ing

machine

noise, nosed

about

blindli',

and then

found

Sartaj.

'Yes,

I'm

here. I

8/17/2019 ChandraV_Eternal Don.pdf

3/10

searching

this

bastard

place.

S:udarji,

vou beLieve

iti

There's

nothing

to eat

hcrc.

"\othing?"

"-\

brand-new'

nvo-lakh

liidge

big

to

rvalk

into,

and

not a s[ce

of

.iJ in it.

I

hrrve

i,iiots u'orking tbr

me."

S::tii

Crou:r:

:uJ,Jeniv

th;t

Gaitonde

lef,:iec

th.rl biZ

r-oice from

the

mor-

tio:r

Pd'.:rrxrj

Kr-toor

in

a smoking

co::.9hi:.in3

about

the sen'ants.

*'e

selJ

vou

somethingi"

Sartaj

:.

-S:-j:::pi

Cirickenl'

-\.r.

r'c.l

can't.

end stoP

tning

to

be

---r--imlf

-\'eruli

s:rr:hungq'?"

Sanaj

rvas trying

;:-J.r:e

dre

chrnces

of staning

Gai-

out.

But

he

remembered

that

hrd

lested

for

rveeks

on water

::i.je.

The bulldozer

would

arrive in

iour-an

hour

and

a

half,

at most.

'1're

been

hungn'before,"

Gaitonde

said.

hungl'

than you

could

imagine."

"Lisien,

it's too

bloody

hot

out

here,"

s,rid.

"Come

out

and

back

at the

vou cm tell

me all

about

how hun-

"

ou

\l'ere.'

'

tI

a"n't

come

out."

"I'iI

t,riie

care of you,

Gaitonde.

There

all sorts

of people

trying

to

ki1l

you,

I

But

no danger,

I

promise.

This is

;oing

to fttrn

into

an

encounter.

You

-

=e

out

norv

and

we'il be

back at the sta-

in

slx

minutes.

You'll be

absolutely

From

there

you

can

call your friends.

eAitnt

safe. You

have

my

promise."

But Gaitonde

wasn't

interested

in

"Back

when I

was a kid,

I

left

counm'tbr

the fust

time.

It was

on

a

:::.

\'ou knou'.

Those days

that

was

the

get on

a boat,

go to

Dubai, go

3i:rain,

come

backwith

gold biscuits.

',.':.-,.

ercited,

because

I

had

never left the

j:]5'betbre.

Not

even

to

Nepal, you

O.K.,

Sardarji,

establishing

r,ilere

was

the small

boat,

five of

us

i:. sea,

sun, all that

kind

of crap. Salim

rvas

the

leader, a

six-foot

Pathan

l:::

a long

beard,

good

man with a

Then

there

was

lMathu,

narrow

thin

evenrvhere,

always picking

his

supposed

to be a

tough

Buy.

Me,

and

didn't

know

a

damn

thing.

fiere

*'as

Gaston,

the

owner of the

and

Pascal,

his

assistant,

two small

-:1-r\s

from

somewhere

in the South.

'.',:-.

Salim

Kaka's

deal,

his contacts

a:i.j

his

monet'that

hired

the boat,

i:rs

anpeience,

when to go

out, when

:

:::ri

':rcii

er-enthing

was his. Mathu

THE

MOST

BEAUTIFUL

JVEET

THINC

I live

rvherc

the

rvorld's

most

exceLlent

fruits

and

m.rst

respectable

people

are

and

rvhere the

most berrr,rtiful

birds

build

their

ncsts.

Vulgar people

live

here,

too,

in

filthy

ditches

brilliant

waterlilies

bloom.

The

smell

ol

children's

pee-soaked

blankets

surrounds

the

Place,

and I

live

here,

too,

as excess.

I am

the citizen

of

an

ertremelv

oveqpopulated country:

everything

in

it drorvns

at

times

in

the flood tide

of

the

new moon.

Sometimes

the slvan's

neck

emerges

from

the

lava stream

glistening

in

the

sun.

The

dream

pitcher

doesn't

rvait here

for

the touch

but

simplv floats

au'a.r-

With

such

coundess

disgraces,

unbeanble

w'ounds and

pain,

under

the

merciless gaze

of

the

developed

rvorld

I

live

on

in

this

country

like

this.

Because

the

w'orld's

most

amazing

thrits

have grotvn

here,

the

most

respectable

people,

the

most

beautiFrl

birds,

I survive

through

the

year,

through

rein

and

shine-

I

survive

with

the

indomitable

longing

for

the

harv'est's

golden

grains

in

this

place,

like

this.

-Srru,urt

Azlo

\Translated,

fom

the Bengalt,

by

Carolyne

ll/right,

Syed

fulanzocrul

Islam, and the authar,)

and I

were his boys,

behind

him

all the

time. Got it?"

Katekar

rolled

his

eyes. Sartaj

said,

'Yes,

Salim

Kaka

was

the leader,

you

and

N'Iathu

the

thin

guy were the

guns,

and

Gaston and Pascal

sailed the boat.

Got

it."

Katekar propped

himself

against

the

wall next to the

door

and spilled paan

ma-

sala

into his palm.

The

speaker

gleamed

a

hard metallic

silver.

Sartaj

shut

his eyes.

Gaitonde

went on.

"I

had

never

seen

such

a huge

sky before.

Pulple

and gold

and pqple.

Mathu

was

combing

his hair

again

and again

into a Dev

Anand

puff.

Salim

Kaka

sat on

the

deck

with

us.

He

had

huge

feet,

square

and

blunt,

each

cracked

like

a

piece

ofwood, and

a beard

that

was

smooth and red

like

a

flame.

That night

he told

us about

his fust

job,

robbing

an

angadia couriering

cash

to

Bombay

from

Surat.

They

caught

the

nngadia as he got

offthe

bus, tossed

him

in

the back of an

Ambassador,

and

went

roaring

away

to

an

empty

chemical

godown

in

the

industrial

estates at

Vikh-

roli.

In the godown

they

stripped

him

of his

shirt,

his banian,

his pants,

every-

thing, and found

sewn

inside the pants,

over

the

thighs, four

lakhs in

five-hundred-

rupee notes. Aiso

a money

belt

with

slx'

teen

thousand

in it.

He

was

standing

there

baby-naked,

his

big

paunch

shaking,

holding his

hands

over

his

shrunken

Iauda,

as they

left. Clear?"

Sartaj opened

his eyes.

"A

courier,

they

got him,

they

made

some

moneY.

So

what?"

"So the

story's

not

over

yet'

smart Sar-

darji.

Salim

Kaka

was closing

the

door,

butthen he tumed around

and

came

back

FI.

hir

fw

sor

'S,

ils

cr(

br,

tal

gr(

agl

ne:

Kl

lVi.I

thi

Bu

tal

Pc,

br,

cr'i

cr('

d/i

K.

hir

\,\

sai

do

hi'

/a:

hi

..tl

stl

sh

cu

tu:

Kl,

afi

aIl

sti

wi

e\'

Ir

clt

te

ni

se

an

p(

lit

ot

d,

h,

I

t

I

I

i

rt

I'

8/17/2019 ChandraV_Eternal Don.pdf

4/10

He

caught

the

guy

by

the

throat,

lifted

him

up

and

around,

and

put

a knee

be_

tween

his

legs.

'Come

on,

Salim

pathan,'

someone

yelled

to

him,

'this

is

no

time

to

want

to

fuck

a

boy.'And

Salim

Kaka,

u,ho

was

groping^

the

angadia's

bum,

said,

')ometlmes

rf

you

squeeze

a

beautifirl

ass,

as

you

would

a

peach,

it

reveals

all

the

se_

crets

of

the

world,'

and

he

held

up

a

lide

brown

silk

packet,

which

the

orgodiohad

taped

behind

his

balls.

In

it

weie

a

good

gross

of

the

highest-qualiry

diamo"nds,

"gl.r*

and

aglitter,

rvhich

they

fenced

the

next

week

at

fifry

per

cent,

and

Salim

Kaka's

cut

alone

rvas

one lakh,

and

this

was

in the

days

when

a

lakh

meanr

some-

thing.

'But,'Salim

Kaka

said,

,the

lakl

was

the

least

of it,

money

is

onlt.monel,.'

But

after

that

he

rvas

knoun

as

a

iusrrous

talent,.a shalp

lad.

'I'11

squeeze

i.ou

like

a

peach,'

he'd

say,

cocking

r

.r^gg.,.

..,..-

brow,

and

the

poor

unfornrnate

,iih.

,.-

ceiving

end

would

spill

cash,

cocaine,

se-

crets,

an'"thing.

"'How

did

1'ou

knou,

rvith

the

angadia,

Saiim

Kaka?'I

asked,

and

S;.iinr

Krka-said,

'lt

is

verv

simple.

I looked

rr

hirn

from

the

door

and

he rvas

still

alieid.

\44'ren

I

had

my

knife

at

his

throat

he

had

said

to

me

in

a

child's

linle

voice,

..please

don't

kill

me,

rn\,

/,nnp."

I

h.rdn't

killeJ

him,

he \\'rrs

srill

alirc

end

holding

his

lnuJa,

the

mone\'\\'rs

qone.

bur

it

r,iisrr't

Itis,

u'c

u'crc

lcar.inq,

so

uhr.rvas

hc

:till

.rfraidi

A

nran

u.lro

is

al-r.iid

is

a lrran

u.ho

stiil

has

sorxerhing

to lose.'

"

.

,

-V:ry

impressive,"

Sartaj

said.

Hc

shifted

in

his

chair,

and

regremed

it

im_

mediately

as

his

shoulde,

blade

found

a

cun'e

of

heated

metal.

He

adjusted

his

turban

and

tried

to

breathe

slor"ly,

evenly.

K-atekarrvas

fanning

himselfrrith

a folded

.rttcrnool

ne\\.spaper,

his

eles

abstracted

end

his

forehead

slack,

u,hi1e

into

the

slorv

stirring

of

the

air

came

Gaitonde's

voice

u'ith

its

cool

electronic

hiss.

"I

r-esolved

to

be

sharplv

rvarchfi-rl

for-

rver

after,

for

I

u'as

ambiiious.

That

night

I.laid

my

bodl'dorvn

along

the

bo,,'rlas

:lose

as.

I

could

get

to

the

o-nrushing

u,a-

-er,

and

I

dreamed.

Did

I

tell

you

T

.,,r,*,

rirrcteen?

I

u'rs

ninetccn

and

I

made

mr._

elf

stories

about

cars

and

a

hieh

house

.nd

m1'self

entering

a

par$.and

flashbulbs

roPplltg.

"llathu

c:rme

and

sirr

bcside

rrc.

I

Ic

t

a

cigarctte

ior

hinrself

and

grn,e

nrc

ne.

I

drerv hard

on

it lke

hirn.

In

rhe

.rrk

I

could

see

rhe

pulIof

his

hrir,

Iri,

.r{{ard

shouldcrs,

and

]

tried

to rcmcrn-

ber

his

features,

which

were

too

bonv

to

be

anlwhere

close

to

Dev

Anand's,

iut

still

ev€ry

day

he

stroked

ta_lcum

powder

onto

that

poinry

rat

face

and

triei.

I

felt

suddenly

kindly

toward

him.

,lsn't

this

beaudfi.rl?'I

said.

He

laughed.

,Beautiful?

We

could

drown,'he

sJd,

,and

nobody

rvould

know

what

happened

to

us.

\Ve

would

drsapp:N,

phat,

gone.'

His

ciga_

rette

made

spirals

in

the

dark.

,Whatlo

1'ou

mean?'I

asked.

'Oh,

you

pitfii

de/tati

idiot,'

he

said. 'Don't.r,ou

knorv?

Nobody

knows

lve

are

out

here.'

,But,'

I

said

'Salim

Kaka's

people

knou..

his

boss

knou's.'I

could

feel

him

laughing

at

me,

his

knee

.jogginq

aqainsr

mv

shloulder.

'No.

rhev

don'r.'Heivas

leaning

closer

to

me,

rvhispering,

and

I

could

s:lell

his

banian

and

see

the

pale phosphorescence

of

his

eves. '\obodi

kno,,,rs,

he

didn't

rell

his

boss.

Don't

vou qer

iri

This

is

his

ou.n

deal.

\\hr

do r.ou

thirrk.,.\.e

re

on

rhis

Lnle

Ahatara

ot-a

boat.

nor

a

rrau.leri

\\'hr.do

'r'ou

rhirrk

\\.e

are nirh

him.

one

,ltl,t:i

smelling

oipig

shit

and

firrr

din

rrnd

a

111',_t_1ry'

junior

menrber

of

the

companr.i

Ehi

\\hr

i

This

is

Salim

Kakr's

o.,,,,r,

li.,l.

operation.

He u'ants

to

go independent,

and

to

go

independenr

rrhat

do

r

ou needi

Capirrl.

Th.rr's

u.h.ir.

Th.rr's

r*.hr.

,r.e'rc

our

here

s).tppin.q

rrr.ru.

in

rhi.

iucking

\vncezlng

tln

rrxp,

orre

pitch

au,av

tiorn

t33

the.

big

fishes.

He

thinks

he's

going

to

make

enough

to

start

himself"all

iew

and

fresh

a.nd

shiny.

Capital,

capital,

you

understand?'

.

"I.

sar

up

rhen.

He

put

a

hand

on

my

shoulder

and

swung himself up.

.Beta,,

hle

sard,

if

)'ou

want

to live

in

the

ciry

you

have

to

think

ahead

three

turns,

.nd

took

behind

a lie

to

see

the

truth

and

then

be-

hind

that

truth

to

see

rhe

lie.

And

then,

and,then,

if

I'ou_want

to

live

well,

you

need

a

bankroll.

Think

about

it.,Mrth"

patted

my

shoulder

and

drew

back.

I

saw

his

face

lbr

a

second

in

dim

light

as

he

lorvered

himself

into

the

cabin.

A"a

I

a;a

think

about

it."

f frotn

thc

speaker

Katekar

rurned

his

,\J.

head,

right

and

left,

and

Sartaj

heud

the

snrall

clicking

noise

of

the

borres

in his

neck.

"l

renrimber

this

Salim

Kaka,"

Katekar

said

softlr..

,,I

rerr:.:mber

seeinq_him in

Donqri,

,,,jking

eround

in

a red

lun{ai

and

a

silk

kuna.

The

kunas

u'ere

of

ciifi-erent

colors,

but

the lungi

rvas

rrlu'a_r-s

red.

He

u'orked

u,ith

Haji'Sal-

mrn

s

gang,

and

he

had

a

\\,oman

in

Don-

gri,

I renrenrber

hearing.

Dongri

u.as

Bachchu

Singh's

area,

butitill

Satil

faU

..1T..

for

rhe

t'oman,

in

a r.ed

lungi

and

silk

kurras."

Sartaj

noddcd.

Katekar's lace

u,as

6

8/17/2019 ChandraV_Eternal Don.pdf

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t34

puffi,

rrs if he had

just

rvoken

from sleep.

"Love?"

Srirtaj srrici.

Krrtekrrr

grinrrcd. "fLrdqinq

bv

thc

silk,

it

rrLrst h.n'c bccn," hc said.

"Or

rnaybe it

lvls

jtrst

that shc w'.ls sevcntecn

ar.rd

hird

',rn

irss like a

prrrncing deer's. She was an

rtuto

ntcchrrnic's

drrughtcr,

I

think."

"Don't

belicve

in love,

Kateklr?"

"Satb,

I befievc in

silk, and

in

every-

thing thrrt is

soft,

'.rnd

ever)'thing

else

that

is hard, but . . ."

Abovc

their

heads

the

speaker rum-

bled.'\\4rat in

God's

name

are you mum-

bling about, Srrd'rrji?"

"Go

on,

go

on,"

Sartej said.

'Just

mi-

nt;r instructions."

"Not

eiving

up? Good,

I like

that. So

listen.

The

next xfternoon,

we

started to

see

tree brirnches

in

the water,

pieces

of

old

crates,

botdes bobbing down

and up,

tires, once the

whole wooden

roof

of a

house

floirting

upside

down.

Gaston

strncJ orr dcck thc

rvhole

timc now, one

arnr arouncl.

the

mlst,

looking

this way

and

that

lvith

binoculrrrs, never stop-

ping.

I

askccl Nl.rthu,

'Are

rve

close?' He

slrru.{ged.

S.rlirn Klkl c:lmc rrp in

r ncrv

kurtr.

Ilc

stood

by the

bo'"v, looking to

thc

north,

and I s'.rv his fingcrs dabbing

at the

sil'r,er

medallion

at

his

chest.

I

lvanted

to

ask

him

where we

were, but

there

was

a narrow-eyed grlviry*

on

his

face thlt kept me frorn

speaking."

Srrtaj

leaned

fbnvard

torvard

Katekar.

"Do

you think

our

friend

Gaitonde

reall1'

hrd an aftair r,.'ith Nliss

Indie)"

Katekirr

grinned.

"She

wls

a

very

English-medium

t)?e, that

one. But it's

true, she stayed

at

his

house in

Hong

Kong."

"N1aybe

he learned English."

"Nlay'be

she

liked his

sweaters.

He has

a lot of

sweaters."

Srrtaj

remembered the

pictures

of

Gritonde,

the

medium-sized body

and

the medium

face, neither

ugly nor hand-

some,

all

of

it instandy

forgettable

despite

the bright-blue

and red

cashmere

sweat-

ers,

everything

quite commonplace.

But

now

there was

this

voice,

quiet and ur-

gent, and Sartaj

tipped his

head toward

the

speaker.

"As

night

came,

in

the

last

failing

light,

there was

a pinpoint of

red

wink-

ing

steadily to

the

north.

We dropped

an-

chor,

then headed toward

it

in

a dinghy.

Nlathu

rowed,

and Salim Kaka

sat oppo-

site,

watching our

beacon,

and

I

between

them. I was

expecting a'"vall, like

I had

seen near the

Gateway of India,

but

in-

I

I

JHOVCAJE

DY MAX

VADUKUL

I

tcad

there

'"vere

high

nrshes that towered

above our hcads.

S.rlim Kakr took a

pole

rrnd

pLrshcd

trs

throrrgh

thc felthcred

brnks

thrrt creakecl rrnd r.vhisperecl,

and al-

though

I

rvasn't

toltl

to

I hrrd

nry

pistol

in rny'ha.nd.

Thcn

the',voocl

scraped

un-

der m1'fect, irarcl

on

ground.

Flashlight

in

hrr.rcl, S:rlim Kakr

led us up the island,

that's what

it

was,

a soft wet rising in the

swamp.

We

rvalked

for

a

long

time,

half

an hour ma1'be,

Salim

Kakr in front, un-

der a rising moon. He had

a

brown can-

vas

bag over his shoulder, big

as a

wheat

sack. Then

I

sarv

the bercon agein, over

the

top of the stallis.

It

."vas

a torch tied

to

a pole.

I

could

smell

the tallow;

the

flames

junrped

nvo feet high.

Under

it

there

lvere three me n. Thev rvere

dressed

like

city people, and

in theieaping

light

I

could

see their

fair

skin, their bushyblack

eyebrorvs,

their

big

noses.

Turla? Iranis?

Arebs?

I don't knorv

still, but

nr.o

of them

hrrd rifles, muzzles

pointed

just

a

little

:rway

from

us. IIv trigger

,,vrrs

cool

and

swertl'

on m\' finger. I

cramped and

thought, \'ou'11

6re

and

6nish

us all. I

took

a

breirth, turned

n.rv

wrisr,

feeLing

the

butt

against

mv

thumb,

and rvatched

them.

Srlim

Kaka and

one

of

them

spoke,

their

heads

close together. Now

the bag

rvas

offered,

and a suitcase in re-

turn.

I

sirrv a

gleam

of

vellorv, and

heard

the

clicks of

locks

shutting. IIv

arm

ached.

"Salin-r

Kala

srepped

backrvard, and

rve

edged

a*'ar-lrom

the foreigners. I felt

the

smooth

rvet

rim of

a stalk against rnr.

neck,

and I couldn't

find

a

rvav

out, onlv

the

vielding pressure of

vegetation,

and

panic. Then

Salim Kaka

nrned

abrupdy

and

sl,ipped benveen

the bushes,

the

faint

beam

of

his flashlight

marking

his

wa1',

and then Nlathu.

I

came

last,

sidervise,

my

pistol hand held

lorv, my neck

taut. I

can

still

see

them rvatching,

the

three

men.

I

see the gleam

of the metal

bands

around the

rifle

muzzles,

and their shaded

eyes.

We

were

walking

fast. I felt

as

ifwe

were

flying,

and

the

tall grass

that

had

pulled

and clawed

at

me

at first

now

brushed

softly along my

sides. Salim Kaka

turned his

head,

and I saw his frantic

smile.

We

were

happy,

running.

"Salim

Kaka

paused at the edge

ofa

little

stream

where

water

had cut a drop

of three feet, maybe

four, and he reached

down

with

his right

foot

and

found a

place

for

his

heel.

Mathu

looked at

me,

his face

cut into

angles

by

the

gaunt

moonlight, and I

looked at him. Before

t.

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

L

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I

t:

I

I

I

MALCUDI'J

MASTER

K. N,\R\\'d\,

born

in

1906,

lives

on, as if preserved

in

the

tranquil,

.

perennial

essence

of

Nlalgudi,

the

fictional to'"vn where

almost

all

his

fiction

takes

place. The lightness

of his

touch,

the

smallness

ofhis chosen field

of

obsenation,

and

the

profound equanimiryof

his

Hindu

vision

have

been criticized

as inadequate

to the

problem-ridden, poverry-stricken

immensiry

of India. But who

takes

a

con-

tinent

for a subject rvhen humaniry

is

dose

at

hand? An

observed detail

has

a reso-

nanc-a

branching

truth-that

no gen-

eralization

can

match.

V.

S.

Naipaul,

who

as a

boy

in

Trinided and

a

young

man

in

England

had read and adrnired

Narayan,

rvas

dismaved, on first

travelling

to India,

to

find it

"cmel

and

overwhelming"

com-

plrcd

to

the cozv and

comic

lvorld

of

Nlrll'an's

no'"'els.

He concluded

that

"hrs

comedv

and ironv rvere

not

quite

rvh'rrt

thel'

had appeared

to be, were

prrrt of a

Hindu

response

to the world."

As a Hindu,

Nrravln

believes

in reincernrtion---a

uni-

verse

of

infinite rebirths-and

a

genial

eterniw

keeps

company

rvith

his

unb[nk-

ing

social

realism. In'The

Guide"

(1958),

a

con mrn

becomes a

saint; in

"The

Painter

ofSigns"

(1976),

the heroine

ofa

doomed

romancc

is

momentlrilv

"per-

haps a

goddess to

be

rvorshipped."

lVeste

rn liberal

prejudice

demands

that

Indian

rwiters

confront

suffering.

Naray'an

confronts

it

somervhat as Fielding

and

O. Henry

do,

with

the

recognition

that

suffering

is never all

there

is

to the picture;

human

buoyance

and hopefulness are

also

part

of it.

"India

will

go on," Narayan

told

the

young Naipaul,

and

if

this

affirmation

falls

short ofa

political program it

does

pro-

daim

a

lifelong

opportunity

to observe,

to

in-

vent,

to express

sulprise at the permuta-

tions

ofhuman

behavior, to smile. Travellers

to India

frequently remark

upon

its

exhil-

arating

liveliness,

once culture shock

has

been absorbed;

Narayan

gives

the

reader

that

livelyjoy

as

registered

by a

native

im-

munized

against shock.

He

surveys

his

teeming

scene

partly from the perspective

of

this most

ancient of practiced

rel-igions'

and

pardy

from that of

Edwardian

En-

gLish

fiction, which

took an animated,

caste-

conscious,

at times heartless

sociefy

as

selF

widendy

an entertainment

-JorD{

UPDIKE

8/17/2019 ChandraV_Eternal Don.pdf

6/10

r36

Srrlim

Kaka

had

complctcd

his

step,

I

knerv

where

rve

were

going.

The

report

of

the

pistol

bounced

ofl

tte

r.varer

into

my

belly.

I knew

the

butt

had

bruised

the

base

of

my

thumb.

Onll.

rvhen

the

flare

left

my

e)€s

coLrld

I

see

again,

and

m)r

stomach

rvas

trvisting

ar.rd

loosening

and

twisting,

and

at

the

bottom

of

th

ditch

Salim

Kaka's

feet

rvere

treading

steadil)i

as

ifhe

\vere

still findrng

his

rvaf

to

the

boat.

The

rvater

thrasted

ani

boiled.

'Fire,

X{irthu,'I

said.

,Fire,

damn

you.'

Those

rvere

the

first

rvords

I

had

spoken

since

rve'd

come

ashore

.

N4r,r

oice

*'as

firnr

and

strange,

the

souni

of

it

alien.

X{athu

tilted

his

head

and

pointed

his

barrel.

Again

a

flash

brought

the

rveeds

out

from

the

shador,i.s,

but

still

those

feet

clirrnbercd

au'a1',

going

ste

adilr.

sonteu'here.

I

aimed

mv

pistol

into

the

round

frothl'turbulence,

and

at

the

first

discl.rrrge

all

ntoven-rent

stopped,

but

I

put

:rr.rother

one in

just

to

make

surc.

'Conrc

orr,'

I

said,

'lct's

go

horne.'

\ larlru

noddcd,

as

i[

I u'ere

in

charge,

and

he

.jurnped

into

the

ditch

and

sciabblcd

fbr

thc

stritcrrse.

The

flashlighr

g.rrs

gloning

undcr

tl'rc \\,ater,

a |.rn-rinous

r.cllorv

bub]

ble

tlrrrr

enrbr,rcetl

c\.rcrh.

h.rliof

S.tlinr

Klkrr's

lrcird

and

his

grccn

kun,r

cojl:rr.

I

snappcd

ir

trp

as I

u'ent

through,

thouglr

I

all

the

rval'back

to

the

dinghy

the

fat

moon

rvas

lou.orerhead

and

lit

us to

,afeg,.."

Q.lnr',+1

and

Katekar

heard

Gaitonde

LJ.

drink

nou..

The1.

he,rrd,

clearly,

er._

:1..1?iS

gulp

and

the

glass

empq-ing.

"WJ'riskey?"

Sartaj

rvhiip...,l.

.iB...i"

Katekar

shook

his

head.

,,No,

he

doesn'r

drink.

Doesn't

smoke

either.

\rery

health-conscious

don

he

is.

Exercises

er,l

ery

da1'.

Water

he's

drinking.

Bisleri

rvith

a

nvist

oflime

in

it."

.___Gaitonde

\\'ent

on,

hurrying

norv.

'When

the

sun

came

up

on

the

b-oat

the

next

diu'l{athu

and

I

u,ere

still

ar,vake.

\\'e

hrrd

spent

rhe

night

sitting

in

thc

crrbrn,

across

trorn

elch

other,

rvith

the

suitcrrse

nrcked

under

llathu's

bunk

but

stiU

risiblc.

I

hrJ

nrr

pi:rol

in

nl

l,ip,

and

I

coulJ

sec

JIrihu'i

unJer

his

thigh.

The

roof

above

mr-head

crerrked

out

aite

a.lthr.

step.

\\'e

h,rd

roli

Cr.ron

:rnd

pa.c,il

rh.rr

rve

hrd

been

ambushed

br-the

police,

rhe

police

oi u'hatever

countn.

rve

h.rd

be

en

in.

Pr.ial

hrJ

rrepr,

anJ

ih., u-erc

horh

nrovin:

r'rn

gcrid,,-notr..

in

,..pcat

tur

orri

mourning.

Behind

Jierhu's

heird

there

\f

its

rhc

drrrk

brcrrvn

of

the *.ood,

and

the

ri'hire

o1-his

biinirrn

llorrring

and

dipping

u'ith

the

s*'ell

oithe

rvirr.es.

There.r.,,

th.

hazl

distirnce

benr.een

us,

and

]

knerv

THE

NEV

YORKER,

JUNE

23

T"

3C.,1997

what.he

rvas

thinking.

So

I

decidecl.

I

pL,t

mypistol

on_the

pillorv,

put

my

feet

up

on

thc

bunk.

'l'm

going

io slelp,'

I

said.

'\Vake

me

up

in

thre"

hour,

.ni

rhen

you

can

rest.'

I

turned

to

the

rvood,

lvith

my

back

torvard

i\{athu,

and

shut

-y

.y.r.

Ver1,,

very

lolv

dor.vn

on

ml.back

there

iuas

a single

circle

on

ml.skin

u,hich

nvitchecl

and

cra'u'"led.

It

expected

a

buliet.

I

could

not

calm

it.

But

I

kept

m1.

breathinl

I:ody,

my

knuckles

"gainst

my

lipJ

Thcr_e

are

somc

thir.lgs

).ou

call

conr;ol.

'When

I

rvoke

ir

wai

evening.

Therc

wrrs.

a

thick

orange

light

pushing

into

rhe

cabrn

fronr

the

hatclr,

coloring

the rvood

like

fire

. M1'tonppe

flled

m1,-ihroat

and

mouth,

and

my

hr-rnd

rvheir

I triecl

to

mo'"'e

it

had

becorne

a

loathsome

bloatecl

rveight.

I

thought

the

bullet

had

founcl

rne,

or

I

had

found

the

bullet,

but

then

I

jerked.once

ild

-l'

hean

rvas

thudding

pain6.rllr' and

I

sat

up.

N{,v

stomuch

."af

co'ercd'*

irh

siveat.

Niethri,r.,

;;i.;1,

il;

f,rce

dou'n

on

rhe

pillou..

I

nrcked

mi

pis-

tol

into

ml

u.:ristband

and u.ent

up.

p.r_

c.il

smiled

rrr me

our

of

hrs

blrrck

little

face.

The

clouds

rvere

piled

abovc r:s,

e

normo,.ls

and

buleine,

higher

and

higher

into

the

red

herrvcn.

And

this

bort

i

nlig

on

the

w-irter.

trlv

lcgs

shook

and

I

srrr

dorvn

and

prrrved.

I

seid

the

Hantrman

ci:,t/i:a.I

sitid

,-7-

it

again

and

again.

\\/hen

it

u,ls

d,uk,

I

asked

Pascal

for

rrvo

srrcks.

He

ql-e

me

r\r'o

rvhite

sacls

m,rde

oicirrn..r.,

*'ith

drarvstrings.

"'\Vake

up,'

I

said

to

^\lr.iir,-:

u'hen

I rvent

dorvnstairs,

rnd

kicked

his

bunk.

He

c:rme

arv:rke

groping

for

his

pistol,

rvhich

he

could-n't

6ni

until

I

pointed

to

it,

benveen

the

maftress

and

the

rvall.

'Calm

dorvn,

you

jumpyfuck.Just

caLn

dou.n.

\\/e

have

to

share.'

He

said, 'Don't

er.er

do

that

ag:rin.'

He

.w,as

grorvlin€ ,

stretching

his

shoulders

up like

-ir

rooster

heal'ing

its

feathers.

I

smilecl

at

hirn.

'Listen,'I

said,

j.ou

fucking

sleepy

fu ck-drop

from

Kurnbhkrran,

do

you

want

your

half

or what?'

He

calculated

for

a

moment,

still

all

swollen

and

angry,

but

then he sub-

sided

with

a laugh.

Yes,

I'es,,

he said.

'Half-half

Hal-f:half.'

"Gold

is

good.

It

moves

and slips

on

yolrr

fingers

u'ith

a satisfying

smoothness.

When

it

is near

to pure

it

has

that

herrlthy

reddish

glorvlhat

reminds

1'ou

of

apple

cheeks.

But

thrt

afternoon

as

u,e

moved the

bars

fron-r

the

suitcase

into

the

sacks,

one

"vadkn

Mortini,

splash

Ef

,uerntouth,.u)ith

o

tzuist.

Let

tbe

henling begin."

8/17/2019 ChandraV_Eternal Don.pdf

7/10

CHANDRA

one.

one

fbr

one

and

then

:or the

other,

u'l-rat

I

liked

"r'ls

the

u-eight.

The

bars

s:nJ,

a Lirde

longer

than

l:e:dtil

of

i'r-rv paln-r,

much

i:

t:;n

I

had

erpected,

-:

::.e\'

:e1r

so dense

ar-rd

I

c.,uld

hardlv

bear

to

...::

ir

mr-sack

IIv

face

-,ta*

a"i

,,tu

heart

con-

:r:J

I knerv

I

had

done

:.

\\-:en

\\'e

got

to

the

last

'.'.:jil

rr'ls

nrine,

I

put

it

:--',' ieit prnts

pocket,'tvhere

:

:-l :eel

it

ilrvavs,

slapPing

r,e.

Then

the pistol

on

--:her

side

at the

back

of

]

Iathu

nodded.

home,'he

said. 'How

-;:

Jo

vou

think

it's

u'orth?'

;lr:ile

u'as

slotv

and

falter-

:.:

I

lr,oked

dou'n

at hirn

and

:l:

--:1r'contempt.

I

knerv

ab-

,

---::1r'.'-nd

tbr

certain

and

in

,-.: i:st:nt

that

he

rvould

al-

,...',:

re

t

i,tfcri,

nothing

more,

-:

.'.:e elen

u'ith ten

or

nvelve

:.-rle

u'orking for

him,

but

..-'.'.':',.:

nothing

more than

a

:-.=:.'e-ircked

srnall-time

local bufroon,

:..:ied

up

into torterybrutisirness'rvith

a

:.-l

rnd

a

cl.ropper

under

his shirt,

:.r..:'s

Jl.

Iir-ou

think

in mpees

you're

a

:

','iipr-s1ni1g

bhangi,

nothing

more- Be-

:..-..c

lakhs

are dirt,

and

crores

are shit.

I

:--:.:gl'rt.

\\'hat

is golden

is

the furure

in

'.

-;r

irs6f,s1,

the endless

possibility

of

it'

:

-.

I shoved

the sack

under

my bunk,

..:

jqing

the

last of

it under

rvith

my foot

.. \lrthu

s'atched

rvith

wide

eyes'

I

:-:::ed ml

brrck on

him

and clirnbed

up

:

:.e

deck

laughing

to

myself. I

was no

-:::er

rfraid.

I knew

him

now.

That

:.::rt

I

slept

like

a

baby."

Kl:ekar

snorted,

and

shook his

head.

-

l..J

tbr

vears

he slept

a restful

sleep

ev-

=:,'

r:ght,

u'hile the bodies

fell right and

-.::."

Sartaj

held up

a

rvarning

hand, and

I-.teLrr

uiped

the

sweat

fiom

his face and

::-.'-:ltere

d

quietly,

"They're

all of

them

::-e lucking

same, greedy

bastards.

The

::--.':ble is

u'hen one

gets

killed'

fir'e come

,:

to take

his

place."

"Qriet,"

Sartaj

said.

"I

want

to

hear

-L:-

'

1,t\.

The

speaker growled

again.

"The

day

:ier

the next,

I

saw, over the

water,

afar

.'.rav hi1lock.

\Vhat is that?'I

asked Gas-

:: l.

'Home,'

he said.

From

the bow

Pas-

:..i

cailed

to

another

boat

leaning

out

torvard

the

horizon.

'Aa,t-hcoooootc,'

he

called,

and

the long

cn'and

its echoiriq

re-

ply

rvrapped

about

mv shoulders.

I

r.'rs

horne.

'We

helped

to

beach

the

boet,

irnd

then took

leave

of

Prscal

and

Gaston'

Nlathu

rvas

rvhispering

threats

i1t

thenl'

but

I

shouldered

hin-r

aside,

not too gen-

tly,

and

said,

'Listen,

bo\-s,

keeP

this

quiet,

r,ery

quiet,

and

rve'li do

business

again.'

I

gave

them

a gold

birr

each-

from my

share-ar.rd

shook

hands

u-ith

them,

and thev

grinned

and

u'ere rr1'tel-

lorvs for

lif'e.

triathu

and I

u'a-lked

a little

rvay

dorvn the road, to

the bus stoP,

\\'ith

our

white sacl

8/17/2019 ChandraV_Eternal Don.pdf

8/10

t3B

he said

to the driver

of

the bulldozer,

who

lvas

leaning

ag:rinst

a gargantuan

track.

"BashirAli."

"You

kno."r'.lvhat

to

do?"

Bashir

Ali

tw.isted

his

blue

cap

in

his

hands.

"It's

rn1'responsibiliry,

Bashir

Ali.

I'm

giving

vou

an

order

as

a police

inspector,

so

you don't have

to

."vorr1.

about

it.

Let's

get that door

dorvn."

Bashir

Ali

cleared

his

throat.

"But

that's

Gaitonde in

there,

Inspector

sahib,"

he

said tentativell'.

Sartaj

took

Bashir

A1i

bi.the elborv

and rv'rlked

him

to the

door.

"Gaitonde?"

'Yes,

Sardarji?"

"This

is

Bashir

A1i,

the dri.,'er

of

the

bulldozer.

He's

afraid

of

helping

us.

He's

frishtened of1'ou."

"Bashir

A1i,"

Gaitonde

said.

The

voice

\\ias

commanding,

like

an empcror's,

sure

of

its

consonants

and its

generosig..

Bashir

Ali

rvrrs iooking

at the

middle

ofthc door.

Sertaj

pointed up

at thc video

camera, and

Ali

blinked

up

at

ir.

"Yes,

Gaitonde

Bhai?"

he srrid.

"Don't

rvorrl'.

I

u'on't

forgive

).ou"-

Bashir

Ali

blanched-"bec"use

there's

nothins

to forgir-e.

Wc

are

both

trapped,

1'or.l on that

side

of

the door

and

me

on

this.

Do

rvhat

thev

tell

1'ou

to

do,

get

it

over

rvith,

ar.rd

go

horre

to

your

children.

Nothine

*'i11

happen

to

vou.

Nor

nou-

and

not Llter.

I

gir.e

r-ou

my

tvord."

There

u.as

21

prluse .

"The

rvord

of

Glncsh

Grritonde."

81'the

time

Bmhir

Ali

had

climbed

up.

to his

seat on

top

ofthe

bulldozer

he had

rrndcrstood,

ir sccnrcd,

his

role in

the

sinr-

ation.

He

put

his

cap

on his

hcad

rvith

a

nr.irl and

pointed

it

bachvard.

The

engine

gmnted

and

then

settled

into

a

steadl'

rotrr.

Sartaj leaned

close

to

the

speakei.

The

left

side of

his hcad,

from

the

nape

of the

ncck

to the

temples,

rvas

caughtln

a

srveeping

pulse

of

heat

and

pain.

Ualtonde.'

"Speak,

Sardarji,

I'n.r

lister.ring."

'Just

open

this

damn

door."

"Oho,

yotr tvant

me

to

just

open

this

door?

I

knorv,

Sardarji,

I

larorv."

"Knorv

r'vhat?"

"I

knorv lvhat

)'ou

w2rnt.

You

want

me

to

just

open this dirrnn

door.

Then

1'or-r

\vant

to

arrest me

and take

me

to the

st:r-

tion.

You

\vrrnt

to be a hero

in

the news-

papers.

Yotr

rvirnt

a

promotion.

Two

pro-

motions.

Decp

dotvn )'ou

want

even

morc.

You

want

to

be rich. You

lvant

to

be an all-India

hero.

You.rr.ant

the

Presi-

JKETCHBOOK

BY DODO

LE

CURRY

/-flHn

inrisiblc

cook hcrc

is

clearly

 

setting

out to

mlkc

n curq',

but

I

rvhat,

cxactll'.

is

a currl')

Asking

an Indian isn't

much

help,

since the

-"vord

"curn/'

seems

to

have

been

popularized

by

the English

(as

r,r,as the

sruff

in

that

jar);

the relationship

of various

similar-

sour.rding

Indian

terms

to

the r.vord

in-

voh'es

a

fair

amount

of conjecrure.

When

Eneiish-speaking

Indians

sar"'curry.,"

they

usuallr'mean

a stew flavored

rr.itl.r

a subde

,

customized

mlxnlre

of

spices and

finished

rvith

anv

of an

assortment

of thickeners,

enrichers, and

narural colorings.

Request-

ing

a rnore

precise ans\\.er

is fike

asking

a trrble

of

French

rruckers to

define

a

cirssoulet.

This kitchen

scene,

dr:ru'n

by

the

Frerr.']r

rrnist

Dodo

in 199u,

on licr

lerur,'

from

a

joLrrner-

to

Indi,r,

acnrallv rells

us

nrorc

lbotrt

French

notiorri

of tooJ

rhln

about

Indian

cookirrs.

The

cloth-cor-cred

table belongs

in

a

French

kitchen, rvith

Grand-mdre

setting up

for

he r

blarrlu;tte

dt r,;,itr,

irnd

not in

an Indiirn rrrsoi.

Even

the

rvrrllpirper,

dcspite

its motil,

hints

nrorL'

ilt

thc

conciergt-'s

loge thrrn at

the

open

fire

lntl

fiene

tic

cacophonv

of an

In-

dirn kitchcn

in hrll

srving.

Obviouslr.,

the

irtirl

\r';l:

h.Lr

ing I lirrlc

tirn.

\o

proud Indirrn

cook rr'ould

forgo

thc

crrreful

hand-roasting

and

hand-

grinding

of

spicc

mi-\tures-the

corner-

stones of L.idian

cooking-in

far-or

of that

jar

of curn'porvder.

And

don't

bet

on

the

pitcher

of cream:

Indiirn

cooks favor

)'o-

gurt

(u.hich

provides

a

*'elcome

acidic

tane)

and

coconut

milk

(.rvhich

adds

srveetness

and

richness).

That

beaLrtiful

rectilngle

of

bufter

rvould

have

dripped

off

the

edge of

anr.'table

south

of

Darjeeling:

in

lndia,

butter

is

slou,h'and

ever

so

at-

tentivell.cooked

until

it

rakes on

the

but-

terscotch

aroma

of

a clear

and

golden

ghee. Lemons?

Indians

are far

more

likely

to

use lirles,

r'inegar,

t:Lmarind,

or

pow-

dered dried

mango

to

gir,'e

zing to

their

curries. And

thet'

eat

ra\r'

and

cooked

onions-never

leeks.

Ifan

Indian

sketched

a French

kitch-

en, u.hrt

rvould

rve

see? i\llai'be

a

big

jar

ofghee,

some

coconuts, and

one

ofthose

pretn'jrrs

of dried

htrbts de Provence.

-J

rrres Pr.;Tunsox

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A

/

8/17/2019 ChandraV_Eternal Don.pdf

10/10

VIKRAM CHANDRA

ninq

fonverd,

pistol

lield

in

front

of

bim.

"Cet

back, get

back."

Thcn

Bashir

Ali

was

gone,

ar-rd

Sartai

rvas

leaning

against

one

side

ofthe

doonvay,

and

Katekar

on

the

other.

An

icy

rvind

carne

out

and

Sartaj

felt

it drf

ing

the

su'eat

on

his

face

and

his

forearms.

Suddenlr',

for

a mo-

inent,

he er-rvied

Gaitonde

a1l

his

air-

conditioners,

the

frigid

climate

control

rvon

by

his

audaciq'.

And

for

a

moment'

rising

from

someu-here

deep

in his

hips,

unbidden

and

nauseating,

like a buolant

dribble

of

bile,

rvas

a

tiny

bubble

of

ad-

flooded

rvith

rvhite trcon

radiance'

gcn-

erous

and

encompassit.tg

and

cletrn.

Al-rd

irr the universal

illumination

Grritonde

sat,

revealed,

a

black

pistoi

in

his

left

har.rd,

and

half

his head

gone.

fl'

nrs

night

uhen

Sart,rj cemc

up

the

I

m.tal

stairs.

He

left

trndcrnelth

him

the

symn-retrical

roor.us

of

the

cube'

nhich

the

nlo

police

coumissioners

be-

lorv

1'ere

ne11,

snlling

a

slfe

house.

The

three

lab

technicians

u'ere dusting

it, and

Katekar

u'as

guardiug

lt

rt'ith

i1

Pro-

prietor's

fierce

u'atchhrl-ress.

Sartaj

stood

ihadorted

in

tl're

1ee of

the

rnetal

door.

There

u'ere reporters

u'aiting

behind

a

rorv of police

ieeps.

He

checked

his

col-

lar, and

ran

his

l.rands

trlong

the

sides

of

his

rurban,

arrd

step.ped

out'

In

the

flare

ofthe

flashbulbs,

he

found

that

he

could

not

leale

behind

Gaitonde's

.tare.

Gei-

tonde hird

looked

at

hin-r

in

the

I'rst

sud-

den

light;

his

right ele

had bulqed

uith

"

,',.rrni.

intensin'.

S.rrtri

hed

seen

the

fiagile

trrcen'

oi

pink

lines'

the

hrrd-

black

oi

the

cupil.

rhe

.hining

seep

ot

fluid

tiom

ile

ln.ide

.onler,

u'hich

de-

spite

himsef

he hrd

lhouqht

of as

a

tear.

Bl,t

it

.r',rs oi"lr-

the

bodv

reacting

to

the

gigrrntic

b1o*'

thrt h:d

erploded

even-

ihing

tiom

rhe

chir.r

uP

oil

the

other

side

of

his

tice,

slicin3

iron

the

leti

nostrii

into

the

torehetd.

"Enoush.'

S;nai

said.

:.:d

shoddered

l+t

his

u'a1'througl-r

the

pl-rotograpl.re

rs. Soon

he

u,rrs at the

u'heel

of

a GrPsl',

rvir.rdirlg

through

the

heat,y

trafllc.

He didn't

knorv

u,heri

he

rvas going.

He

thought,

It's

finisl-red,

Sardarji,

finished.

It's

only

rvork.

Enough.

But

he

could

still see

rvater

slap-

ping

against

tl're rust-brorvr-r

side

of

a

boat,

a cloud-laden

s}ry,

a

figure

sitting

irl

tl.re borv

lookir-rg

toward

the

horizon.

Sartaj

rurned

tl-re

je

ep's

rvheel

violently

to the

left

and

rvas

now

driving

along

a

familiar

road,

rvhich

led

to the

sloping

beach

at

Kausa

rvhere

he

used

to go

pic-

nicking

during

college.

The

curving

rva-

terfror-rt

lined

rvitl-r tiny

fishing

villages

had been

a great

secret

then.

Norv

there

u'as a huge

1'ellorv

hotel,

built

in

an

epic

'arc

to

maich

the bay.

The

hotel

belonged

to l tin-rily

in

tl.re

construction

business,

and the

perrnission

required to

build in

ir

l.rotected

,rrea

hrrd

conre

Jiont

I

nrinistcr

close

to Gaitonde.

There

n'as nothing

to

be dor.re

;.rbout

it r.rorv.

The

villirgers'

sor.rs

and

daughters

r.'orked

in

it, as gardeners,

u'aiters, rrnd

r.nirids.

Tl're l'rotel

u',rs

far

rhei.rd

in tl.re

tl;rrk

but

Sartaj

co,.rld

see

it

clearlr',

like

irr-r

eltormous

rvall

stretcl'rirlg

iion-r right

to

le ft.

In its

rooftop

bar,

Sartej

had once

drunk

a Scotch.

FIe

veered

to

tl-re

side of

the

rorrd

ar-rd

stopped

t1-re

Glpr)'.

Sartaj

sat

for

a

lor"rg

u'hile'

Tl-rerl

he

mor-e

d the

jeep

ir.r a slorv

halt

circle

across

the road,

'and

ri,ent

back to

Kailashpada.

r

miration.

He

took

a deep

breath.

"Do

vou

think

the building

u'ill

holdj"

he said'

Katekar

nodded.

He

u'as

looking

in'

tl'rrough

the

door,

and

his

face

n'as

dark

rvith

iase. Sartaj

touched

the

tip of

his

tongue

to

his upper

lip, felt

the

dryness,

andlhen

they

u'ent

in.

Sartaj

rvent ahead,

and

at

the

first door

inside

Katekar

u'ent

by

him.

Behind

them

follou'ed

the

rus-

tling

of

the others.

Sartaj

rvas trf

ing

to-

hear

above

the thunderous

ur.rclenchir.rg

of

his

heart.

He

had

done

entries

like tl-ris

before,

and

it

never got

better.

It rvas

ven'

cold

inside

the

building,

and

the light

u'as

low and

lururious.

There

rvas carPet

Lln-

der

their

feet.

There

u'ere

four square

rooms,

all

white,

all

empw.

Ar-rd

at

the

exact

center

of

the

building

\vas

a

\-erv

steep,

almost vertical,

rnetal

stirircase'

Sartaj

nodded

at

Katekar,

and

then

fol-

lowed

him

dorvn.

The

metal

door

at the

bottom

oper-red

easily,

but

it

rvas

verl'

l'rear.y,

and

rvl-ren

Katekar

finally

had

it

back

Sartaj

saw

that

it

rvas as

thick

as a

hatch

to a

bankvault.

Inside

it rvas

dark.

Sartaj

rvas

shivering

uncontroilably.

He

moved

past

Katekar,

and

now he

sarv

a

bluish

light

on the

left.

Katekar

slid past

his shoulders

and

'ivent

out

rvide, and

then

they

shu{fled

fonvard,'rveapor.rs

held

rigidly

before

them.

Another

step

ar-rd

now

in

the

nerv

angle

Sartaj salv

a

figure'

slroulders,

in

front

of a

bank

of

haze-

filled

TV

mot.titors,

a brorvn

hand

near

the controls

on

a black

Panel.

"Gaitonde " Sartaj

hadn't

meant

to

shout-a

gende

admonitory

assenion

rvas

the

preferred

tone-and

norvhe

squeezed

his

voice

dorvn.

"Gaitonde,

put

1'our

hands

up

verv

slowly."

There

was

no

movement

from

the

figure

in

the

dark-

ness. Sartaj

tightened

his

finger painfully

on his trigger,

and

fought

the urge

to

fire,

and

fire again.

"Gaitonde.

Gaitonde?"

From

Sartaj's

right,

rvhere Katekar

was, carle

a

very

smal1

click,

and

even

as

Sartaj

turned

his

head

the

room

rvas

I.*i+/

;i'/

{.ffi

r1

'Just

once,

Ict like

to

be

able

to

usrite

a check

u:ithout getting

throttsn

in

jail."