Serendipity and After/50

a novel about publishing of a novel

“Well-done Mrinal!” Subhas patted me on the back. “You’ve done what was really due for a while. It will serve as a lesson to the bastard.”

We had already left the office and the building, and were going to hit the street. Then someone called out to us. They were following us in a group. They were all from our printing press. Moni-da was behind them.

We stood in a corner. It was about nine PM. Which season was it? I don’t remember. But there was no crowd in the street. An empty tram sped by leaving a metallic harsh noise.

“You’ve done it right, Mrinal babu,” they all said in a chorus. “You punished the harami on our behalf. Our shukriya to you. The bastard has made a hell of our life. He never keeps his words of increasing our wage.”

Moni-da was standing at a distance from us. I saw him stuffing snuff in his nose. He was waiting for the euphoria to fizzle out. So when the press people took leave of me showering their blessings on me, he came in small steps up to me.

Subhas blurted out, “Moni-da, here is our hero today. I still can’t believe he thrashed the bastard that way.”

Moni-da didn’t so much as look or hear him. “Have you thought of the backlash?” He was addressing me.

“No.”

“Do you think they will let you get away with it?”

I thought about it a little. “Moni-da, what did they do to you when you pissed on the bald head of your house MD?”

“He came back with a posse of police.”

“Did they arrest you?”

“MD wanted to, but the police faced stiff resistance from the whole of our staff — from our reporters, subs, proof-readers, from non-journalists including class four workers. They all came out of their rooms and assembled in the premise. There shouted slogans, they threatened they would not bring out the next day’s paper. The pandemonium attracted crowds from the street. Reporters from other newspapers rushed in. The authority saw red in all of these. Meanwhile, the police contacted Lalbazar; Lalbazar contacted Home Ministry. After all, it was a matter of fourth state. In the end, the police want away taking our MD with them.”

“So they didn’t arrest you, and you won!”

“I won, but lost my job. Pissing was not accepted as a right form of protest. The investigation committee recommended my removal. And i didn’t challenge it in the court. Because by that time I was convinced it was a childish act on my part.”

“So what do you want me to do now?”

“If you have the slightest faith in me, the police is coming to look for you at your hostel tomorrow morning, if not tonight. You have one advantage, though, as a medical student. They will think it twice to arrest you. So now you’ve to play your medical student card. Who is the secretary or president of your students’ union? Are you friend with him?”

I said to him, “Swarup Das is president, and he’s a very good friend of mine. We live in the same hostel.”

“Go and alert him. Don’t waste time here. You can talk about heroism later.” Moni-da left us in a huff.

I looked up at Subhas. He looked a bit confused. None of us thought about the ramifications.

“Don’t worry,” Subhas said to me, “I’m going to our party office right now. They are still there, I suppose. I must tell them about you and the actual incident. I strongly believe they will stand by us. What’s a Marxist Party if it doesn’t come forward to help a right-thinking individual in times of need?”

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