‘Take care, Ian,’ she said softly. ‘And don’t go dreaming …’
That was the first time Isobel had kissed him, and as he watched her disappear through the wilderness of the courtyard, Ian couldn’t help feeling a sudden and inexplicable fear that it might also be the last.
Almost an hour later Ben and Sheere emerged, their faces inscrutable but strangely calm. Sheere walked over to Aryami, who had spent all the time alone on the veranda, away from the discussions of Ian and his friends, and sat down next to her. Ben made straight for Ian.
‘Where is everybody?’ he asked.
‘We thought it would be useful to investigate this individual Jawahal,’ Ian replied.
‘So you’ve been left to babysit?’ Ben’s forced humour didn’t fool either of them.
‘Something like that. Are you all right?’ Ian motioned towards Sheere.
His friend nodded.
‘Confused, I suppose,’ Ben said at last. ‘I hate surprises.’
‘Isobel says it’s not a good idea for you two to go out and about together, and I think she’s right.’
‘Isobel is always right, except when she argues with me,’ replied Ben. ‘But I don’t think this is a safe place for us either. Even if it’s been shut up for over fifteen years, it’s still the family home. And St Patrick’s isn’t any safer, that’s fairly obvious.’
‘I think the best thing would be to go to the Palace and wait for the others there,’ said Ian.
‘Is that Isobel’s plan?’ Ben smiled.
‘Guess.’
‘Where has she gone?’
‘She wouldn’t tell me.’
‘One of her hunches?’ asked Ben, alarmed.
Ian nodded.
‘God help us.’ Ben sighed and patted his friend’s back. ‘I’m going to talk to the ladies.’
Ian turned to look at Sheere and Aryami Bose. The old lady seemed to be having a heated discussion with her granddaughter. Ben and Ian exchanged glances.
‘I suspect the grandmother is sticking to her plan of leaving for Bombay tomorrow,’ said Ben.
‘Will you go with them?’
‘I don’t intend to leave this city – ever. Even less so now.’
The two friends observed the development of the argument between grandmother and granddaughter for a few more minutes, then Ben whispered, ‘Wait for me here,’ and headed over towards them.
Aryami Bose went back into the house, leaving Ben and Sheere alone by the entrance. Sheere’s face was flushed with anger and Ben gave her a few moments until she was ready to speak. When she did, her voice shook with fury and her hands were clenched in a rigid knot.
‘She says we’re leaving tomorrow and she doesn’t want to discuss the matter any further,’ she explained. ‘She also says you should come with us, but she can’t make you.’
‘I suppose she thinks it’s for the best.’
‘That’s not what you think, is it?’
‘I’d be lying if I said I did,’ Ben admitted.
‘I’ve spent my whole life running from town to town, taking trains, ships, carts … I’ve never had my own home, my own friends or a place I could think of as mine,’ said Sheere. ‘I’m tired, Ben. I can’t keep hiding from somebody I don’t even know.’
Ben and Sheere looked at one another. After a while she spoke again.
‘She’s an old woman, Ben. She’s frightened because her life is coming to an end and she knows she won’t be able to protect us much longer. Her heart is in the right place, but running away again just isn’t an option. What use would it be to take that train to Bombay tomorrow? To get off at some random station and change our names? To beg for a roof in any old village, knowing that the following day we might have to move again?’
‘Have you said this to Aryami?’ asked Ben.
‘She won’t listen. But this time I refuse to run away. This is my home, this is my father’s city and this is where I plan to stay. And if that man comes for me I’ll stand up to him. If he wants to kill me, let him try. But if I’m to go on living, I’m not prepared to do so like some fugitive who has to give thanks every day simply for being alive. Will you help me, Ben?’
‘Of course,’ he replied.
Sheere hugged him and dried her tears with the tip of her shawl.
‘Do you know, Ben,’ she said, ‘last night, with your friends in that old house, your Midnight Palace, while I was telling you my story I kept thinking that I’d never had the opportunity to be a child. I grew up surrounded by old people, by fear and lies. The only company I had was beggars and people I met on our travels. I remember I used to invent imaginary friends and spend hours talking to them in station waiting rooms or on the long journeys we made in covered carts. Adults would look at me and smile. To them a little girl who spoke to herself seemed adorable. But it isn’t adorable, Ben. It’s not adorable to be alone, as a child or as an adult. For years I’ve wondered what other children were like, whether they had the same nightmares I had, whether they felt as miserable as I did. Whoever said that childhood is the happiest time of your life is a liar, or a fool.’
Ben observed his sister and smiled.
‘Or both,’ he joked. ‘They usually go hand in hand.’
Sheere blushed.
‘I’m sorry. I’m a chatterbox, aren’t I?’
‘No,’ said Ben. ‘I like listening to you. Besides, I’m sure we have more in common than you think.’
‘We’re brother and sister.’ Sheere laughed nervously. ‘What more do you want? Twins! It sounds so strange!’
‘Well, you can only choose your friends,’ Ben said, ‘so having family is a bonus.’
‘I’d rather you were my friend,’ said Sheere.
Ian had come over to them and was relieved to see they both seemed in good spirits. They were even cracking jokes, which, given the circumstances, was no small achievement.
‘As long as you know what you’re letting yourself in for. Ian, this young lady wants to be my friend.’
‘I wouldn’t recommend it,’ said Ian. ‘I’ve been his friend for years and look at me. Have you come to a decision?’
Ben nodded.
‘Is it what I think?’
Ben nodded again and this time Sheere joined in.
‘What is it you’ve decided?’ came Aryami Bose’s embittered voice behind them.
The three youngsters turned to see her standing motionless, half-hidden in the shadows beyond the doorway. The silence was tense.
‘We’re not taking that train tomorrow, Grandmother,’ Sheere replied eventually. ‘Not me, not Ben.’
The old woman looked at each one in turn, her eyes ablaze.
‘So the words of a few senseless children have made you forget, in just a few minutes, what I’ve been teaching you for years?’
‘No, Grandmother. It’s my own decision. And nothing in the world is going to make me change my mind.’
‘You’ll do as I say,’ retorted Aryami, although the pain of defeat could be heard in every word.
‘Please-’ Ian began politely.
‘Be quiet, child,’ snapped Aryami, her voice cold.
Ian suppressed his desire to answer back and lowered his eyes.
‘Grandmother, none of us is a child any more. That’s why I’m not taking that train,’ said Sheere. ‘And you know it.’
Aryami glared at her granddaughter but said nothing.
After a long pause she finally spoke again. ‘I’ll be waiting for both of you tomorrow at dawn, in Howrah Station.’
Sheere sighed and Ben noticed her face going red again. He touched her arm and motioned for her to drop the argument. Aryami turned away and her footsteps disappeared inside the house.
‘I can’t leave things like this,’ Sheere murmured.
Ben let go of his sister’s arm and she followed Aryami into the candlelit living room, where the old lady had sat down once more. Aryami didn’t turn her head when she came in, ignoring her granddaughter’s presence. Sheere drew closer and put her arms around her.
‘Whatever happens, Grandmother,’ she said, ‘I’ll always love you.’
Silently Aryami nodded, and her eyes filled with tears as her granddaughter walked back to the courtyard. Ben and Ian, who were waiting outside, greeted Sheere with the most optimistic expressions they could manage.