Twenty
Ish, I want to talk to you,' I said. 'We don't have time,' Ish said. 'Omi!' Mama's
scream came through the main door. 'Coming Mama. Give us five minutes,' Omi
screamed back. 'Get him fast,' Mama said.
I made Ish sit on the sofa that blocked the main door.
'Ish, can I offer a bit of logic in the current chaos,' I said.
'What? We have no time,' Ish said.
'I know. But I also know what will happen if we fight thirty people. We will all
die. They will get Ali and kill him too,' I said.
'So what are you trying to say,' Ish said and stood up.
'Giving up three lives to possibly save one. Can you show me the maths in
this?'
'Fuck your maths. This isn't about business.'
'Then what is it about? Why should we all die? Only because you love the kid?'
'No,' he said and turned his back to me.
'Then what?'
'Because he is a national treasure,' Ish said.
'Oh, and we are national filth? So maybe one day the kid will hit a few sixes
and Indians will waste the day watching TV and get thrills out of it. So fucking
what? What about my mother? What about Omi's parents? What about...,' I said
and turned quiet. I almost said Vidya.
'I'm not giving him up. You want to run away. Open the door and run. Omi,
you are welcome to go too,' Ish said.
'I am not going. But how do we fight them Ish?' Omi said.
Ish told us to follow him. He led us to the kitchen. He told us to lift a kerosene
canister each. He also picked up three buckets that we used to chill beer. We fell
in step behind him as we took the steps to the roof.
'It's heavy,' I said.
'Twenty litres each. That's heavy for sure,' Ish said as we reached the roof.
Fires dotted the neighbourhood skyline. The weather didn't feel as cold as a
February night should be.
'We are coming!' Mama said as his group pushed the rusted metal gate of the
bank open. They came to the porch and banged on the main entrance door.
'Stop shouting Mama,' Ish said.
Mama looked up to the roof.
'Where are you hiding sister-fuckers,' Mama said. The crowd hurled fire torches
at us. We stood two stories high. Nothing reached us. One fire torch fell on a
rioter and he yelped in pain. A mob maybe passionate, but it can also be quite
stupid. They stopped throwing torches after that.
Ish kept Mama engaged.
'Mama, I was born without fear. See,' Ish said and climbed on the roof ledge.
The crowd became distracted. If they weren't, they'd attack the main door.
Despite three bolts and a sofa in front, they would break it in ten minutes flat.
After that, they'd have to break the first floor entrance door and then the flimsy
one at the roof. In fifteen minutes, we would be roasted in blowtorches. Ish's plan
better be good.