Viper Prison Break

N. Francis Xavier

Part XLII, (Continued from last week)

Only Nekram remained silent while the men sang. He sat huddled in a corner on the floorboards, head slumped on his knees.

Hemraj noticed the change in Nekram’s demeanor ever since the whaler entered the open sea. First he thought it was seasickness. But on a gentle sea, with a fair breeze there was no need to sit and sulk.

Nekram belonged to the early batches of convicts brought to the Islands in the 1860s. He was very young at that time, convicted, as it was with most cases, of murder. He was a handsome looking lad, with chiseled features. Long years of pulling the oars as a convict boatman made his body lean and hard. He was quite popular among the female convicts, who occasionally boarded the ferry to work on Ross.

Hemraj remembered that Nekram had applied to the Chief Commissioner some years ago for permission to marry. For some reason the permission was not granted. Many thought it was because he did not have a house of his own. He went regularly to the matrimonial parades held at Shadipur, where the female convicts could come and look at the men. Once a choice was made the Chief Commissioner conducted a thorough enquiry into the antecedents of both parties, including their religion, caste and family history. Sometimes it turned out that one of the parties already had a spouse living in India. Their cases were rejected.

Hemraj passed on the tiller to Debi Deen and moved over to Nekram’s side. He placed an arm over his shoulder and pressed. Nekram looked up. His eyes were full of tears.

“What’s this at a time when there’s rejoicing all round? Is there any problem bhai?” Hemraj asked.

Nekram’s answer was more tears and loud sobbing.

Hemraj hugged him tightly, running his hand through his hair.

“Tell me what it is. Don’t worry. Haven’t we been together all these years? What’s it?”

“What to say Hemraj bhai. I shouldn’t have joined this escape bid at all. It was the heat of the moment, and all that torture we endured at the hands of the cruel jamadars that made it appear to be the right thing to do. But when I look back I feel I should have stayed back.”

“Oh! Now I know you left something behind. Your heart! Am I right?” You never told me about it. Or else I would never have forced you to join us,” Hemraj said.

“Yes bhai, I left my heart behind. I left my beloved Anjoo. We have been in love for many years. I was hoping to reapply for marriage, now that a new Chief Commissioner had taken over.

“Why was the earlier application turned down? You have a wife and children back home?”, Hemraj asked.

“It’s the other way bhai. It’s a long story.

“Please tell me. It’ll ease your pain. Perhaps we can find a solution. Come on. Open up,” Hemraj prompted.

Nekram leaned his head on the gunwale and started his tale.

“Anjoo and I came to Port Blair on the same convict ship. While boarding the ship at Calcutta itself I noticed her. Everyone notice her, actually. She was just a child, perhaps thirteen years or so. And pregnant!

“The ship doctor initially refused to take her on board due to her condition. However, he was assured that there’s still a month or more for her confinement.

“Once on board the chains of the convicts, except those considered the most dangerous, were removed. We could come on to the deck to get some fresh air.

“It was then I first met Anjoo. She was terribly seasick. I was watching her from a distance. Her eyes were swollen due to crying. She couldn’t even stand as she had not eaten anything after we boarded the ship.

“As I watched she managed to get up with a great effort, as if trying to vomit over the ship’s side, but got a leg over it with the intention to jump. I ran to her and held her. She struggled violently and bit my arm, but I held on. Once she calmed down I made her lie down on the deck, gave her some water and forced her to eat a ship’s biscuit.

“I somehow convinced her against taking her own life, at least for the sake of the life that was growing inside her. I told her how, being very young she could start a new life again in Kala Pani. After long persuasion she gave up the idea of suicide.

“That’s how our friendship developed. Slowly, during our meetings over the years she revealed her story to me.

Hemraj leaned against the wall of the boat and stretched. He realized that the singing had stopped and the others too were listening. The boat was running free, with the wind behind her. A hush fell over the boat, except for the occasional flapping of the sail and the gurgle of water under the boards.

“Anjoo was sentenced to death for murder,” Nekram started.

“She was married to a man much older than herself at a very young age in the Dinajpore district of Bengal. She had not even reached puberty then. She was sent to her in-laws where she worked more like a slave. Her husband and his mother regularly beat her.

“It was during those times she came under the influence of Naseeruddeen. He too was much older than her. But it was easy for him to win her affection by sympathizing with her.

“Slowly the relationship developed into love. When they realized thatAnjoo became pregnant Naseeruddeen proposed they runaway. But it would not be easy to hide from her powerful in-laws. Naseeruddeen told her that it would be easier if her husband was killed in such a way that it appeared like a natural death. He knew a man who could supply them with a poison that served the purpose. All that Anjoo had to do was to mix it in his food and serve it to him.

“With the fear of discovery of her condition increasing every day Anjoo agreed to Naseeruddeen’s plan. She mixed the poison in the food her husband ate. Contrary to her expectations her husband died a most painful death. The police arrested Anjoo. Interrogation revealed the accomplice. Naseeruddeen tried to flee but was arrested and tried. Both were sentenced to death for willful and pre-meditated murder. Anjoo’s pregnancy also progressed along with the trial.

“Naseeruddeen was hanged in what was to be one of the last public hangings. Anjoo’s execution was delayed due to her pregnancy.

“It was at that time a man named McKenna entered her life. She only knew him as ‘Keno saab’, but I found out about him later. Angus McKenna was a Baptist missionary at Dinajpore. He was a very kind-hearted man. As she was lodged in the Dinajpore jail McKenna started visiting her and started taking interest in her case. Her young age and innocence made him take pity on her. He wrote a long letter to the Hon’ble Ashley Eden, then Secretary to the Lt. Governor of Bengal praying for clemency. He requested that the death sentence be commuted to transportation for life to the Andamans where she may have a chance to start life anew.

“When the case came up for hearing in the Calcutta High Court the judges felt that her lover, many years older than her, exercised a powerful influence over her. As he has already been hanged publicly they recommended that her death sentence be commuted to transportation.

“Anjoo was not aware of McKenna’s clemency petition. As she waited for death she received the news of the commutation. She still considers McKenna as a god, who gave her a new life.

“The child born to her was adopted. After completing her sentence she has also attained self-supporter status. We were both planning to apply again to Cadellsaab for marriage … well, when this happened”, Nekram ended his tale wiping his tears.

“But she’s a Muslim bhai, and you are a Hindu. Do you thing the CC would agree to it? Anyway, let us talk about it later. Eat something first and let us reach the mainland. We’ll find a way out.

Hemraj’s words brought some solace to Nekram.