not to smile. Asad, flustered at not finding his handkerchief, excused himself and was getting up when another Sikh gentleman took out a new, flower-patterned silk handkerchief from his pocket and handed it to him. As Asad covered his head with the handkerchief loaned to him, his eyes met Tara’s. A smile crept to her lips. Asad was trying to hide his embarrassment. They both averted their eyes to stop laughing.
Having finished his incantation of the scriptures, the granthi announced, ‘The gathering prays to the Granth Sahib that they should learn the first letter of the lad’s name.’
He again opened the Granth Sahib at random. He looked at the first letter on the page, and said, ‘The Granth Sahib commands that the first letter of the lad’s name be a T. The gathering may suggest a name beginning with a T.’
Names beginning with a T were called from all sides: Tej Singh, Tara Singh, Tota Singh, Takht Singh. One Sikh gentleman suggested Tope (cannon) Singh. Asad found it difficult not to smile at some suggestions.
The gathering approved Tara Singh. Asad leaned towards Tara and whispered, ‘The lad’s now your namesake!’
Huge salvers heaped with sweet halwa were brought in. The granthi stood up and led the gathering in a prayer, all standing with their hands folded in supplication. A small portion of the prasad was placed in a vessel as an offering before the Granth Sahib. Narendra Singh and another youth carried a salver over to the men’s side, Surendra and her sister to the women’s side, and began distributing handfuls of halwa to the guests. Asad was intrigued: no plates, no cups, no leaf plates, not even pieces of paper to hold the prasad. Everyone accepted the ghee-drenched halwa reverently into his or her hand. Narendra Singh reached Asad with his salver. Asad motioned him with his eye to pass him by. Narendra Singh motioned back that he could not refuse the offered prasad.
Asad could not but accept the halwa. In his awkwardness he watched Tara to see how she handled the situation. Tara and her friends had small hands, and they had succeeded in accepting a smaller portion of halwa. Asad again whispered into Tara’s ear, ‘That’s the punishment of having big hands.’
‘I’d call it the reward,’ she replied.
‘Want to exchange?’
‘Uh-uh, be content with what you get.’ She hid her hands.
Tara and her friends ate their portion of halwa, but with some difficulty. The problem now was how to clean their ghee-smeared hands. Most Sikh gentlemen were content with wiping the hands on their long full beards. A few used handkerchiefs too. Tara and her friends somehow managed with their tiny women’s hankies. What was Asad to do? He could not soil the silk handkerchief someone had graciously loaned to him! He sat quietly with his hands spread out in front of him, waiting for a chance to slip out.
Tara was enjoying Asad’s predicament, and he was trying to keep a straight face. Tara threw her handkerchief to him; Kanak and Gurtu gave theirs too.
Nodding at Narendra Singh, Asad said, ‘The idiot had heaps of halwa to eat; couldn’t he arrange for plates or leaf cups?’
Tara said, ‘This is prasad. It has to be accepted in bare hands. You defile it by accepting it in anything else.’
As others were leaving, Narendra Singh and Surendra asked their friends from college and from the Student Federation to stay behind. Once he was alone with his friends, Asad threatened the siblings in mock anger, ‘Why didn’t you warn me beforehand? I too would have worn a large turban, and carried a towel in my pocket. Well, one day I shall take you smart alecks to a mosque under some pretext, and make you do all that bowing and getting up again!’
Narendra Singh took out the new issue of
People’s Age
, the Communist Party organ. They gathered around him, and began discussing how the British government’s intentions were far from honest, and its representatives were making hollow promises to the
Having finished his incantation of the scriptures, the granthi announced, ‘The gathering prays to the Granth Sahib that they should learn the first letter of the lad’s name.’
He again opened the Granth Sahib at random. He looked at the first letter on the page, and said, ‘The Granth Sahib commands that the first letter of the lad’s name be a T. The gathering may suggest a name beginning with a T.’
Names beginning with a T were called from all sides: Tej Singh, Tara Singh, Tota Singh, Takht Singh. One Sikh gentleman suggested Tope (cannon) Singh. Asad found it difficult not to smile at some suggestions.
The gathering approved Tara Singh. Asad leaned towards Tara and whispered, ‘The lad’s now your namesake!’
Huge salvers heaped with sweet halwa were brought in. The granthi stood up and led the gathering in a prayer, all standing with their hands folded in supplication. A small portion of the prasad was placed in a vessel as an offering before the Granth Sahib. Narendra Singh and another youth carried a salver over to the men’s side, Surendra and her sister to the women’s side, and began distributing handfuls of halwa to the guests. Asad was intrigued: no plates, no cups, no leaf plates, not even pieces of paper to hold the prasad. Everyone accepted the ghee-drenched halwa reverently into his or her hand. Narendra Singh reached Asad with his salver. Asad motioned him with his eye to pass him by. Narendra Singh motioned back that he could not refuse the offered prasad.
Asad could not but accept the halwa. In his awkwardness he watched Tara to see how she handled the situation. Tara and her friends had small hands, and they had succeeded in accepting a smaller portion of halwa. Asad again whispered into Tara’s ear, ‘That’s the punishment of having big hands.’
‘I’d call it the reward,’ she replied.
‘Want to exchange?’
‘Uh-uh, be content with what you get.’ She hid her hands.
Tara and her friends ate their portion of halwa, but with some difficulty. The problem now was how to clean their ghee-smeared hands. Most Sikh gentlemen were content with wiping the hands on their long full beards. A few used handkerchiefs too. Tara and her friends somehow managed with their tiny women’s hankies. What was Asad to do? He could not soil the silk handkerchief someone had graciously loaned to him! He sat quietly with his hands spread out in front of him, waiting for a chance to slip out.
Tara was enjoying Asad’s predicament, and he was trying to keep a straight face. Tara threw her handkerchief to him; Kanak and Gurtu gave theirs too.
Nodding at Narendra Singh, Asad said, ‘The idiot had heaps of halwa to eat; couldn’t he arrange for plates or leaf cups?’
Tara said, ‘This is prasad. It has to be accepted in bare hands. You defile it by accepting it in anything else.’
As others were leaving, Narendra Singh and Surendra asked their friends from college and from the Student Federation to stay behind. Once he was alone with his friends, Asad threatened the siblings in mock anger, ‘Why didn’t you warn me beforehand? I too would have worn a large turban, and carried a towel in my pocket. Well, one day I shall take you smart alecks to a mosque under some pretext, and make you do all that bowing and getting up again!’
Narendra Singh took out the new issue of
People’s Age
, the Communist Party organ. They gathered around him, and began discussing how the British government’s intentions were far from honest, and its representatives were making hollow promises to the
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