'I know what we'll do. We'll visit Tarbuz ka Bazaar instead,' said the Rajkumar, hailing a tonga and pulling Maan onto it. Maan was in no mood to resist this suggestion.

But when the Rajkumar, who had placed a friendly hand on his thigh, moved it significantly upwards, he shook it away with a laugh.

The Rajkumar did not take this rejection at all amiss, and in a couple of minutes, with the bottle passing between them, they were talking as easily as before.

'This is a great risk for me,' said the Rajkumar, 'but because of our great friendship I am doing it.'

Maan began to laugh. 'Don't do it again,' he said. 'I feel ticklish.'

Now it was the Rajkumar's turn to laugh. 'I don't mean that,' he said. 'I mean that taking you to Tarbuz ka Bazaar is a risk for me.' ,,

'Oh, how ?' said Maan.

'Because "any student who is seen in an undesirable place shall be liable to immediate expulsion." '

The Rajkumar was quoting from the curious and detailed rules of conduct promulgated for the students of Brahmpur University. This particular rule sounded so

467vague and yet at the same time so delightfully draconian that the Rajkumar and his friends had learned it by heart and used to chant it in chorus to the lilt of the Gayatri Mantra whenever they went out to gamble or drink or whore.

6.19

THEY soon got to Old Brahmpur, and wound through the narrow streets towards Tarbuz ka Bazaar.

Maan was beginning to have second thoughts.

'Why not some other night - ?' he began.

'Oh, they serve very good biryani there,' said the Rajkumar.

'Where ?'

'At Tahmina Bai's. I've been there once or twice when it's been a non-Rupvati day.'

Maan's head sank on his chest and he went off to sleep. When they got to Tarbuz ka Bazaar, the Rajkumar woke him up.

'From here we'll have to walk.'

'Not far ?'

'No - not far. Tahmina Bai's place is just around the corner.^

They dismounted, paid the tonga-wallah, and walked hand in hand into a side alley. The Rajkumar then walked up a flight of narrow and steep stairs, pulling a tipsy Maan behind him.

But when they got to the top of the stairs they heard a confused noise, and when they had walked a few steps along the corridor they were faced with a curious scene.

The plump, pretty, dreamy-eyed Tahmina Bai was giggling in delight as an opium-eyed, vacant-faced, redtongued, barrel-bodied, middle-aged man - an income tax clerk - was beating on the tabla and singing an obscene song in a thin voice. Two scruffy lower division clerks were lounging around, one of them with his head in her lap. They were trying to sing along.

468The Rajkumar and Maan were about to beat a retreat, when the madam of the establishment saw them and bustled quickly towards them along the corridor. She knew who the Rajkumar was, and hastened to reassure him that the others would be cleared out in a couple of minutes.

The two loitered around a paan shop for a few minutes, then went back upstairs. Tahmina Bai, alone, and with a beatific smile on her face, was ready to entertain them.

First she sang a thumri, then - realizing that time was * getting on - she fell into a sulk.

'Oh, do sing,' said the Rajkumar, prodding Maan to placate Tahmina Bai as well.

'Ye-es -' said Maan.

'No, I won't, you don't appreciate my voice.' She looked downwards and pouted.

'Well,' said the Rajkumar, 'at least grace us with some poetry.'

This sent Tahmina Bai into gales of laughter. Her pretty little jowls shook, and she snorted with delight. The Rajkumar was mystified. After another swig from his bottle, he looked at her in wonderment.

'Oh, it's too - ah, ah - grace us with some - hah, hah poetry!'

Tahmina Bai was no longer in a sulk but in an ungovernable fit of laughter. She squealed and squealed and held her sides and gasped, the tears running down her face.

When she was finally capable of speech, she told them a joke.

'The poet Akbar Allahabadi was in Banaras when he was lured by some friends into a street just like ours. He had drunk quite a lot - just like you - so he leaned against a wall to urinate. And then - what happened ? - a courtesan, leaning out from a window above, recognized him from one of his poetry recitals and - and she said -' Tahmina Bai giggled, then started laughing again, shaking from side to side. 'She said - Akbar Sahib is gracing us with his poetry!' Tahmina Bai began to laugh uncontrollably once more, and to Maan's fuddled amazement he found himself joining in.

469But Tahmina Bai had not finished her joke, and went on : 'So when he heard her, the poet made this remark on the spur of the moment :

"Alas - what poor poetry can Akbar write

When the pen is in his hand and the inkpot upstairs ?" '

This was followed by squeals and snorts of laughter. Then Tahmina Bai told Maan that she herself had something to show him in the other room, and led him in, while the Rajkumar took another couple of swigs.

After a few minutes she emerged, with Maan looking bedraggled and disgusted. But Tahmina Bai was pouting sweetly. She said to the Rajkumar: 'Now, I have something to show you.'

'No, no,' said the Rajkumar. 'I've already - no, I'm not in the mood - come, Maan, let's go.'

Tahmina Bai looked affronted, and said: 'Both of you are - are - very similar ! What do you need me for ?'

The Rajkumar had got up. He put an arm around Maan and they struggled towards the door. As they walked into the corridor they heard her say :

'At least have some biryani before you leave. It will be ready in a few minutes -'

Hearing no response from them, Tahmina Bai let fly :

'It might give you strength. Neither of you could grace me with your poetry!'

She began to laugh and shake, and her laughter followed them all the way down the stairs into the street.

6.20

EVEN though he had not done anything as such with her, Maan was feeling so remorseful about having visited such a low singing girl as Tahmina Bai that he wanted to go to Saeeda Bai's again immediately and beg her forgiveness. The Rajkumar persuaded him to go home instead. He took him to the gate of Prem Nivas and left him there.Mrs Mahesh Kapoor was awake. When she saw Maan so drunk and unsteady she was very unhappy. Though she did not say anything to him, she was afraid for him. If his father had seen him in his present state he would have had a fit.

Maan, guided to his room, fell on his bed and went off to sleep.

The next day, contrite, he visited Saeeda Bai, and she was glad to see him. They spent the evening together. But she told him that she would be occupied for the next two days, and that he should not take it amiss.