N. Francis Xavier
Part XLV, (Continued from last week)
Nekram’s story added another worry to Hemraj’s already overburdened mind.
First it was Harpal’s admission of heading for Ferozepur, and now Nekram’s desire to be captured and taken back to Port Blair to be reunited with his beloved Anjoo. Over and above this was the tremendous responsibility of guiding their frail craft to the mainland coast of India.
Dark clouds started gathering overhead, so low as if one could touch them. The monsoon was still at its peak. The seas turned slate grey and rose in mountainous swells. It became dark like night. The whaler rose and fell moving in the direction Hemraj guided it. With the boat under full sail the men leaned against the bulwarks and rested. Their minds too were filled with thoughts of arrival and dispersal. They lost track of the time they spent at sea.
Debideen gave a loud shout suddenly. “I see a light … it’s gone now … there it is again.”
Hemraj handed the tiller to Bhaman Singh and stood up. In the gathering darkness he saw what appeared to be a flash. Then it flashed again, at the same spot. Hemraj knew what it meant. A lighthouse! They’re getting closer to land.
The lighthouse could still be miles away. There might be rocks there. They will have to approach during the day to avoid being smashed up on the rocks.
Hemraj asked for the lead sounding line. They could not find the bottom. Keeping the lighthouse to the starboard Hemraj sailed for another two hours before total darkness descended on them. The light was brighter now, and looked closer. Another sounding showed the bottom at nine fathoms. The sails were brought down. The anchor stowed in the bows was taken out and dropped. After short time they could feel the anchor taking a grip on the sea bed. The sea also abated a bit. After a light meal themen lay down in their places, waiting for day break. Are they going to touch a part of India or Ceylon? What kind of people are they going to meet? What would be their language? Many thoughts plagued their minds. The boat rolled gently in the swells as it swung on the anchor cable.
“Do you remember Hamid Khan,” Debideen asked suddenly.
“Which Hamid Khan?The Kabuli?” Hemraj asked.
“Yes. He was on the same ship as I was, in 1861. He got 14 years for possession of stolen property, a really harsh sentence. He came from a respectable Kabul family. The sentence was somehow reduced to 7 years and he went back. He lives in Kabul now.
“What does it mean for us? What kind of person is he?” Sheobrat asked.
“Hamid Khan’s brother Abdul Rahman Khan is an old and trusted servant of Amir Dost Mohammed Khan, the King of Afghanistan. Do you know that the King had written a letter to the Lt. Governor of Bengal requesting for the release of Hamid Khan?
“We used to meet sometimes, and he would talk about a conspiracy to implicate him in a false case by some of his business rivals. What do you know about him?
“Hamid Khan was engaged in mercantile transactions, visiting many countries. In 1859 he came to Calcutta and established a small trading post there. One day some people brought 50 pieces of cloth to him for sale, saying they purchased them at an auction. As Hamid knew them as brokers who acted as agents for the merchants of Khorasan he unsuspectingly bought the fifty pieces at rupees four apiece. He paid 100 rupees in cash and gave a note for the other 100 and entered their names in his books as Gopal and Kanhaiya.
“In the evening two English officers came to Hamid’s house and asked about the transaction. Being an honest man Hamid narrated the whole story and showed them the cloth. The officers then brought Gopal and Kanhaiya who denied having sold the goods. But on being questioned they gave their names as Brijnath and Munnoo. In the meantime the owner of the goods arrived and recognized them as his own. Hamid was arrested and locked up.
“The Andaman Penal colony had just been opened and there was urgent need for able-bodied convicts for developing the place. Poor Hamid, young and well-built, got 14 years for a trivial offence and put on the same ship in which I too was.
“Later it was discovered that Brijnath and Munna were two old thieves who regularly stole goods from the Railway Office. They too were sentenced to transportation.
“It was then the request for his early release was received from the King. The case was examined again and Hamid was released. He is believed to be in the court of the King of Afghanistan now.
“Well, what are you hinting at?” Sheobux Mina asked.
“I was very close to Hamid. He offered me asylum in Afghanistan once I get my release, or escape. The British will have no powers there. We can get some respectable employment and live as free men. The Afghans are nice people.”
Debideen’s story gave some solace to the men. Instead of the usual destination of Nepal, Afghanistan seemed a better place. But, how to get there? That would not be easy. (To be continued …)
