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ask?’
    â€˜Yes son; you thought of me in the truthfulness of your heart. For this whatever your heart wills will be granted.’
    â€˜Give me a small loaf of Delbis and half a pat of butter,’ blurted Bachana smacking his lips.
    â€˜A loaf of Delbis and half a pat of butter! Four and three — that is only seven
annas
worth per day! Son, know the status of the one who gives and then ask. Ask for happiness in this life and the life to come; ask for dominion over the globe and I shall grant it to you; I can make you King of the three worlds.’
    â€˜No my Lord! I do not want dominion or power. It was different in your age; today King’s heads roll in the dust and are kicked about by common people. All I need is a loaf of bread. And many who are as poor as I also need bread. I do not wish to own a kingdom; but I also do not want to spend a lifetime in hunger and want. Appease my hunger in this life; I will not bother about life hereafter.’
    â€˜You will get all you want and quite soon in the life to come you will have everything in full measure. I will have to come back to this world again; not to save India from the perils of a foreign invasion but to give every Indian bread and butter. Wait for my return.’
    â€˜True Emperor! I have waited long. Don’t take more time, come as soon as you can.’
    â€˜I will not be long.’
    The effulgent figure remounted the horse and vanished.
    â€˜Oi Bachania!
Get up you lazy lout! Its almost afternoon and you are still in bed. Get up and get my Delbis and butter.’
    Bachana had gone to bed very late; then there was that strange dream! When he heard the word Delbis, he rose with a start — but still in his dream world.
    â€˜True Emperor! You have really come — and sooner than you promised! Where is my Delbis and my pat of butter?’
    Sundar Singh gave the boy a quizzical glance.
‘Oi,
whose father are you talking to? You didn’t drug yourself with hashish, did you? Do I get the breakfast for you, or you for me? Hurry up you slug-a-bed and get my Delbis and butter.’
    â€˜Someone there is who is going to get Delbis and butter for me; soon, very soon.’
    Bachana opened his eyes. Sundar Sigh stood glowering over him. Bachana quickly shut his eyes and stretched himself on the charpoy again.
    Sundar Singh picked up the charpoy from one end and tilted it over. Bachana rolled off and fell on the floor.

g ods on trial

    Gulzar Singh Sandhu
    Â Â Â Â Â Â Â  N oora sat quietly under a mango tree by the tombs of the
Pirs
. He was absorbed in doing the home task given by his teacher. Rahmte, his sister, was cutting fodder from the Sikh Martyrs’ field, near the
Pirs’
graveyard.
    The Martyrs entombed near our field are supposed to possess great miraculous powers transcending death, fire and time. We, of the Sikh religion have profound faith in them. So much so that I was not allowed even to take the school examination unless I pledged an offering to them. My grandfather believed that it was only because of the Martyr’s kind intercession that I never once failed in any examination.
    That summer day, I was also sitting with Noora under the mango tree. While Noora was engrossed in homework I watched Rahmte, cutting fodder from our field. I liked her so much that I felt like talking about her to Noora.
    â€˜Of your two sisters whom do you like more? Rahmte or Jaina?’ I asked.
    â€˜Jaina,’ he said, naming the elder one that had been married for four years then.
    â€˜Why don’t you like Rahmte?’ said I and was suddenly aware that I could be misunderstood.
    â€˜She beat me once, which Jaina never did,’ he said casually, to my satisfaction and returned to his book. Assured that I was not misunderstood, I started watching the rhythmic movement of Rahmte’s limbs operating the sickle.
    Just then something startled a peacock on the Martyrs’
peepul
tree, and