Boys without Names (17 page)

“If Boss finds out, what will he do?” I ask.

Before Barish can reply, GC says, “Boss might send one of them away. He doesn't like relatives working
together because they can gang up and create problems. Barish knows that, right?”

“Let's not talk about it,” Barish says.

“It is not my rule, but I guess you know it as well as I do. No two blood-related people in one group.”

Barish sighs. “I know.” His voice shakes as if GC has dumped a bucket of icy water on his head.

“I just thought of this. You are Barish—as in ‘rain.' No wonder you didn't want to share your name!” GC chuckles.

I am nervous. Will Barish get angry at GC for making fun of him?

Instead of getting mad, Barish laughs. “It is a funny name. The night I was born it rained so much that everyone called me Barish Boy and then the name stayed.”

I smile. Even Amar giggles.

Now we can call one another with proper names except for GC. When will he share his name?

I hope GC doesn't rat on Barish and Amar and tell Boss that they are related. Barish must have known Amar was his cousin as soon as he saw him. He must have kept it a secret because he wanted Amar to stay here. Like GC says, Boss doesn't want relatives working together because they might gang up on him. Since Barish and Amar's secret is out, GC might bully Barish, which means he might bully us all.

No matter what, it is nice for Amar to know Barish is his cousin. It is so strange they have ended up together.
Maybe the same person brought them here. If that is true, it is possible that Jatin might bring Naren and Sita here. Worse yet, he might take them somewhere else. I shiver in the warm night, thinking about Naren and Sita separated from each other. They will not know how to cope, especially Naren.

I try to throw the thought out of my mind. Like the
gorus-chinch
pit I spat into the pond, I want it to be gone forever. I must think and solve the problem I have and not worry about the imagined one.

 

That night Barish stays up to take care of Sahil. When I wake up in the morning, Roshan is sitting by Sahil. When I ask him why didn't he wake me up, Roshan lifts up his eyes with long lashes and smiles at me. “There was no need.”

Roshan and Barish must be tired. I am rested, so I can stay up tonight.

“I wish we could share stories while we work,” Amar says. Scar has not come in yet and that is good, because we can talk while we work and it makes time go by faster. I don't want Scar to come too late, though, because then he will skip our tea.

“We can do that until Boss comes,” GC says.

“And we can whisper after he comes,
yaar
.”

“No. If Boss finds out we waste our time by talking and laughing, he will tie our mouths shut.”

Amar cringes with fear.

“Don't worry. He has never done that before,” Barish assures Amar.

“Just because he hasn't done it before, don't be so
bindaas.
I had a boss before who did that to me with old, oily rags. Let me tell you. It is not fun to gag on a smelly cloth.” GC's gray eyes fill with sadness.

Amar's mouth turns as round as an onion.

“I think—” Barish tries to say.

GC gestures with a sweep of his hand and cuts in, “None of you have suffered like I have, and you think this boss can't be so cruel, but he can be. Just wait until something goes wrong. He will slap, kick, starve, and whip us up. Just like he didn't show mercy to Sahil even though he is sick and has worked for him for a long time, he won't be easy on Amar because he is the youngest or forgive you because you are the leader. He has a boss to report to himself and if things don't work out, he will make sure that we get blamed and punished.”

My fingers and toes curl with dread.

GC continues, “If we hadn't saved those boxes of frames during the big storm, what do you think would have happened?”

A bitter feeling goes through my veins as I think of how GC took credit for moving the boxes and Sahil and I suffered. “What did it matter? Sahil and I were punished anyway.”

GC shakes his head. “I shouldn't have complained about you. I am sorry.”

“You lied,” Sahil says. “It was Gopal's idea and it didn't do him any good.”

I don't glance at GC because I know his anger will show through his eyes. I wait for his words. They come slow and soft. “I thought Boss would be upset that someone new thought about how to save the boxes rather than me. I was scared I would be punished. I am really sorry.” We have all stopped working to stare at GC, whose face crumples. He doesn't cry, though.

The key in the lock turns and the door bangs open. We all shut our mouths and concentrate on our work.
Tarrer, tarrer, tarrer
, Scar winds the clock. When he claps for us, I'm the last one to get down, right behind Sahil.

“Are you still pretending to be sick?” Scar yells at Sahil. “It costs me money to keep you fed, and you must earn it.”

Can't he see Sahil's bloodshot eyes and feverish face? “If you give him medicine he will feel better,” I blurt out.

“And who will pay for it,
tera baap
? This is not a charity clinic.”

I have to convince Scar to give Sahil medicine.
Nimba
will help, but medicine will bring his fever down quickly. “All you have to do is give him a few pills and he will feel good soon.” I take a step backward and brace myself for his reaction.

“Has he kept up with his work?”

“Yes,” Barish says.

Scar's eyes narrow and his brows knit together.
“Good. I will get him medicine.”

I am speechless.

“Thank you,” Amar says in English.

Scar stares at Amar before asking Barish, “First the new boy wants me to buy medicine for the sick one, and then this young English-mouth is thanking me.” He twists Barish's ear. “What's going on?”

Now Barish must come up with a smart, believable explanation so Scar doesn't get suspicious about all of us talking and getting along.

GC laughs. “Boss, there is nothing going on. The new boy is worried about getting sick himself.”

Scar turns to GC and lets go of Barish's ear. “And the English-mouth? Why is he thanking me?”

“I…I mean…He wants to tell the whole world he knows five words of English. Clown!” GC snorts.

Amar's face withers. Is he fearful of punishment from Scar or confused about GC calling him a clown?

“You two must keep the group under control. Do you understand?”

“Yes,” Barish and GC reply.

A popular movie tune comes on. We all look around. Scar has a smile on his face as wide as his belly. He pulls a tiny phone from his pocket. “Allo, allo!” he shouts into it. The person on the other end must be deaf.

“Yes. Right, Boss. The frames are done. I will bring them over as soon as I wrap them. Right away.”

Pause.

“No, he hasn't. You're right. We can't have them all get sick.”

Pause.

“I will send one of the boys to get it.”

When he is done talking, Scar clicks a red button on the phone and turns to me. “Gopal, are you good at math?”

Is he thinking of sending me out? I am so stunned that all I can do is nod.

“Go to the pharmacy to get medicine for Sahil.”

Bubbles of excitement tingle through my body. I can't believe my luck. An errand! Out on the street where I can be alone! But my happiness doesn't last long. “Stay with Gopal and make sure you both do your job right, or else you will be punished,” Scar says to GC.

GC stands straighter. “Don't worry, Boss.”

Then Scar puts his palms on my shoulder and squeezes them so hard that the pain travels down my arm. “Listen, if you try to run off I will take the skin off your back. If you get away I will bring you back, beat you up, and starve you. If you think you can ask someone for help, forget it. This city is big and no one has time to worry about a little worm like you. And if you even so much as talk to a stranger, not only you but your family will be punished.”

His eyes bear down on me. “Do you understand?”

I'm afraid I might wet my pants. Somehow, I manage a faint “Yes.”

“You have twenty minutes—fifteen to walk there and back and five to buy the medicine. If you take any longer than that I will beat all six of you and there won't be any dinner.”

Scar gives GC the money. He tells me to count the change, get a receipt, and hand both back to GC. “Hurry now.” He thumps Barish on the back. “Help me pack these frames. As soon as the two of them return, I want to lock up and deliver them.”

A minute later, GC and I are on the street. I haven't been out in more than three months and the world has changed. It takes me a few steps before my eyes adjust to the bright and blinding sunlight. It soothes my bare arms and legs and I wish I could gather it up and take it to the attic. The air, even though it is mixed with traffic fumes, is fresher than the gluey smell, and I breathe in deeply. To walk out in the open feels like I am on a picnic. I am giddy with happiness.

Our one-story building stands a bit away from the other buildings and is at the end of a street that goes nowhere. They look newer and better constructed. When we get closer the noise picks up and people are hurrying along the street, going in and out of the buildings, and haggling with vendors. “Hurry or we will never make it back in twenty minutes,” GC says.

“What if the store is crowded and it takes us longer?” I ask.

“Then we get punished.”

GC walks so close to me that his arm brushes against mine. I try to distract him by saying, “Our building must be the oldest in the area,” and take a step sideways to put a little distance between us.

He also takes a sideway step. “Yes. Many years ago there was a factory here before it got burned. Most of the buildings were damaged except ours. The land prices are so high that the owner thought it was better to sell the land and rebuild the factory farther away from the city. I don't know how Boss managed to get the old shack.”

The traffic picks up as we turn onto a bigger street. It is as crowded as the one by the station or near Jama's house. GC keeps on blabbering. I read the signs, S
WEDESHI
M
ART
, C
HANDANI
B
ANGLES
, P
IYUSH
J
UICE
C
ENTER
. None of them tell me where we are.

I glance at GC. If I take off, will he be able to catch me? He is taller than I, so he can probably outrun me.

A bus honks and an old lady moves out of the way and bumps into a banana cart. GC holds her arm to steady her. While he does one of the few good karmas of his life I keep walking, faster and faster. The street is crowded and I weave through people swiftly. If that bus stops I can get on it. I wish Scar had given me the money, but he is not stupid. If I get on the bus it might take the conductor a few minutes before he asks for the money to buy the ticket and by the time he kicks me off the bus I will be two or three stops away from here.

Have I lost GC? My heart beats louder and louder. I
hide behind a truck to catch my breath and scan the street. I don't see GC. Maybe I will wait here for a few seconds and when I see a bus coming down the street, I will make a dash for the stop to get on the bus.

Someone grabs me from behind. “Why didn't you wait for me?” GC's gray eyes flicker with anger. “I don't want to complain to Boss, but if you try to run away again, I will. Just stay with me.”

“I don't have to.”

“Yes, you do. If we don't return soon Boss will beat up Sahil, Barish, Roshan, and Amar. Do you want that? If you run away, not only you but your family will have to pay for it.”

My hands are clammy and my throat feels like a withered
gorus-chinch
. I can hear the rubber tube coming down on my friends' backs because I took longer to finish my errand. Even if I run away Jatin knows where we live, so Scar will be able to take his revenge.

GC points across the street. “The store is right there.”

He keeps his grip tight on my hand while we zigzag through the traffic. We buy a pack of
Sudarshan
pills and GC pays for it. When the storekeeper returns the change with a receipt, I count it carefully as GC holds his hand out. I give him the change.

As we walk back, I keep reading more store signs. One says I
NDUSTRIAL
T
OOLS
C
OMPANY
. Oh, how I wish it said S
HREE
T
OOLS
, I
NC
., where Jama works! There is a readymade cloth shop with a pink and purple dress displayed
behind a glass window, which reminds me of Sita.

We walk in silence until I ask, “Why don't we both run away?”

“When you have been without family for as long as I have you can't run away, because there is no home to go to and no one to see.”

GC's words cut like Scar's lashes on my back.

“What if I escape?”

“Like you did a few minutes ago?
Bilkul bakvas
,” he snorts.

Someday, he will know my efforts are not absolute nonsense.

He gives me a sad smile where his lips curve up but his eyes stay blank. “Boss gives me a place to sleep and food to eat. It is not much, but it is better than being out in the cold and rain.”

“Why didn't Boss send you alone to run this errand?”

“I can't read, write, or do math. Boss knows you're smart and will bring the right medicine and the correct change back.”

GC is smart enough to buy the medicine himself. He must know that too. I don't know why, but for some reason he doesn't want to tell me that.

When we return, Scar is ready to leave. GC hands him the receipt, medicine, and the money. Scar counts the change, gives me a pill to give to Sahil, and puts the change and the bottle in his pocket.