Cracking India

While Lenny, Adi, Cousin, Papoo, Peter, and Rosy are playing, Cousin discovers a black, coffin-like box in Lenny’s parents’ bedroom. Lenny’s mother refuses to tell them what is in the box, which belongs to Lenny’s father, so the children stage a hunger strike. At the same time, Gandhi goes on a hunger strike after Muslims are massacred in Bihar. But Gandhi’s strike is more successful—eventually, the children are force-fed and Colonel Bharucha gives them shots of calcium and glucose. Lenny suggests, “If they want to get Gandhijee to eat the next time he fasts they should send for Muccho and Electric-aunt and Mother and Colonel Bharucha” (139). The black box disappears.

It has been a year since Lenny’s visit to Pir Pindo. Lenny, who is privileged, thinks about Ranna, who is poor. When Imam Din plans another trip, Lenny begs to accompany him.

In Pir Pindo, Lenny goes to a festival with Imam Din and his family and enjoys music, food, and carnival rides. On one ride, Lenny notices that there is a strange tension between Ranna and a group of young people. Later, a granthi, a Sikh ceremonial leader, reads from the Koran. Lenny listens as Ranna’s father learns from the granthi of a plot by the Akalis, a sect of Hindus, to drive Muslims out of Punjab. Lenny wishes that Imam Din were there to hear since he has been warning the people of Pir Pindo of this since they arrived. Several men gather to talk, but they don’t mention the plot again. At dusk, the granthi warns Ranna’s father that he should go home before dark since it’s impossible to tell who might wish him harm. On the radio, a government spokesperson insists that Muslims will be safe and should ignore rumors.

But after Imam Din and Lenny return to Lahore, news arrives of horrific attacks on Muslim villages. Imam Dim is certain that the news is fake, designed to frighten Muslims. After all, his grandson and family can’t uproot their lives and relocate. Besides, there are far too many Muslims there to kick them all out. But two weeks later, an army truck delivers at least 15 people from Pir Pindo to the Sethi home. They describe other military trucks evacuating “those [Muslims] who want to go to Pakistan” (145). The Muslim people are confused, asking about their land and belongings. In the end, only the poor families who didn’t own land agreed to g

In the winter, Lenny hears that Mr. Rogers, who had attended her parents’ dinner party so long ago, has been murdered and mutilated. Lenny is horrified and saddened, but at Godmother’s house, Slavesister (also known as Mini Aunty) exclaims aggressively, “All Englishmen will burn in hell for the trouble they’ve started in the Punjab!” (147). Discussion turns to what will become of the man’s body, which Godmother says will be buried because he is a Christian. Lenny asks why his body wouldn’t end up at the Tower of Silence. Godmother corrects Lenny, calling the building Dungarwadi, since the English made up the other name. In Dungarwadi, dead bodies are left for the vultures. Lenny is both fascinated and disturbed.

Yousaf, a handyman for the Sethi family, walks Lenny home. On the way, they walk by a Hindu teacher who is eating in the park. As Lenny and Yousaf pass him, their shadow falls across his food. Disgusted, the man throws the food away, making Lenny and Yousaf feel dirty. Lenny thinks, “Now I know surely. One man’s religion is another man’s poison” (154). That evening, the servants once again scuffle to steal the gardener’s loincloth. But this time, in the cold and at night, it doesn’t seem like a game. Bitterly, Lenny wonders why Hari, the gardener, insists on showing off his Hinduism, asking to be mocked. Suddenly angry, Lenny joins the fray and rips at Hari’s clothes until the man is pathetic and naked. Imam Din, shaken, tosses a shawl to Hari. Lenny runs to Ayah who has turned away. Lenny sees fear in Ayah’s eyes as a man walks toward them, but Lenny is reassured to see that it’s only Ice-candy-man.

Ayah, with Lenny alongside her, spends more and more time with the Masseur, who romances and sings to her. However, Ice-candy-man follows Ayah, surprising her and Lenny wherever they go with new gossip. When the zoo attendant wanted his Muslim tenants to move out, Ice-candy-man and his friends went to the windows of the house and exposed themselves to the tenant women. Horrified, they left the next day. Another day, Ice-candy-man tells them about the local tailor, who ran off with the wife of the Mission padre. Before each story, Ice-candy-man tries to send Lenny on an errand, but she refuses, determined to listen. He tells her to beware of tailors as well as masseurs “with their cunning fingers taking liberties!” (162). Ayah is surprised at this expression of jealousy. Lenny asks Ice-candy-man whether he has more than one wife. Ayah tries to silence Lenny, but Ice-candy-man gives Lenny a popsicle.

Each week, Lenny goes with her neighbors to hear traditional Indian music. Desperate to absorb Indian tradition and culture, Lenny, Adi, and their cousin dance excitedly until they annoy the adults. In the streets, processions are occurring more frequently. The English will be withdrawing from India soon. Instead of meeting at the park, Ayah gathers with her friends and suitors at a restaurant. The men argue—“everybody appears to be quarrelling these days” (165)—about whether Lahore will remain in India or become part of Pakistan if the Punjab is divided. They debate which religious group has the most political clout and their arguing becomes aggressive, making Lenny anxious and miserable. Moving to Ayah’s lap for comfort, Lenny realizes uneasily that there are 13 of them at the table. The next day, Lenny asks whether 13 is unlucky. She learns from Mrs. Pen that the superstition about the number comes from the Last Supper, when Jesus dined with 12 apostles. That night, Lenny has a nightmare about crucifixion.

Crowds gather in the park to hear Master Tara Singh, a Sikh leader, speak. Lenny and her family watch from the roof of a nearby hotel. Master Tara Singh waves a sword and insists that the Sikhs will fight to the death before allowing the “Muslim swine” (175) to drive them out of Lahore. The Sikhs shout, “Death to Pakistan!” (175), while the Muslims scream back threats to turn the upcoming Sikh and Muslim Holi festival into a bloodbath. Ice-candy-man, who is Muslim, hurries Ayah and Lenny to the roof of his tenement where they can watch parts of the city burn. He tells them that the Sikhs and Hindus are plotting to drive the Muslims out of Lahore and take control, but the Muslims plan to fight back. Mobs fight in the street and Lenny sees a dead child—a young girl who has been murdered and impaled. A Hindu man is about to be drawn and quartered when Ayah hides Lenny’s eyes.

The Masseur shows up with another of their friends and reproaches Ice-candy-man for bringing Ayah and Lenny there. Lenny pleads to go home, and Masseur comforts her. They all watch as the marketplace burns beneath them. Ice-candy-man is dismayed when a fire truck arrives, but pleased when he realizes that they sprayed with gas rather than water. It is late when the fire dies down and it’s safe for Lenny and Ayah to go home. At home, Lenny gets all of her dolls out and starts ripping them apart while Adi watches. When she dissolves into tears, Adi, annoyed, asks, “Why were you so cruel if you couldn’t stand it?” (181) Many families flee the city as it burns, leaving their homes and belongings behind. In Lenny’s memory it feels like the fires burned for months.

India is partitioned and Lahore becomes part of Pakistan. Lenny notes, “I am Pakistani. In a snap. Just like that” (183). The monumental changes taking place overshadow Lenny’s eighth birthday. Godmother is distracted: Her new brother-in-law, Dr. Manek Mody, who married Godmother and Slavesister’s other sister, is coming to visit. Making halva for him, Slavesister suggests that they are also celebrating the birth of Pakistan. When Lenny tells Oldhusband, Godmother’s usually stoic spouse, about her birthday, he surprises her by giving her an autograph book with a poem written on the first page. At Electric-aunt’s house, Lenny’s cousin is the only one who makes a proper fuss about her birthday, greeting her and attempting unsuccessfully to kiss her like they’ve seen in the movies. They throw an impromptu birthday party for Lenny, listening to the radio as the first Governor-General of Pakistan, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, announces that all citizens of Pakistan have the freedom to practice any religion they choose.

Mr. Singh, along with his American wife and Rosy and Peter, drops in at the Sethi house. Mother greets them and gets emotional as they talk about the many Sikh families who have left Lahore. Father arrives home, and Mr. Singh informs him that they and other Sikhs will be evacuating the city. Mother sends the children away to play and Imam Din entertains them in the kitchen.

Then, Lenny and the others go to find Ayah. Her suitors no longer get along, so they see her separately or in small groups. Now, she is with Masseur and several of the Sethi family’s staff. The radio reports “trouble in Gurdaspur” (193), which one suitor interprets as a bloody massacre. Masseur suggests that the zookeeper, who is Sikh, should leave town. The zookeeper is offended.

Suddenly, Ice-candy-man appears, distraught. He tells the group that when a train full of Muslims arrived from Gurdaspur—a train he had been awaiting in hopes of meeting family—everyone aboard was murdered. Ice-candy-man adds, “There are no young women among the dead! Only two gunny-bags of women’s breasts!” (194) Lenny is horrified, thinking of her own mother’s breasts. She notices that the zookeeper is staring wide-eyed at Ice-candy-man, breathing heavily.

Another day, Lenny slips away from Ayah in a crowd that has formed around Sharbat Khan, who has returned to town and is in high demand sharpening blades. The zookeeper is there with his arms full of weapons. Masseur spots Lenny and brings her back to Ayah. That night, Sharbat Khan brings pistachios and apricots to Ayah. Ayah no longer seems interested in Sharbat Khan, so he leaves. One night, Lenny realizes with concern that Masseur is the only suitor left. Even Ice-candy-man hasn’t been there in a while. 

Adi tells Lenny that the black box has returned to their parents’ bedroom and he knows what’s inside: a gun. Enthralled, the siblings take it outside to practice holding it until their father catches them and angrily hits them both. Later, Father says, “Your lives weren’t worth two pice when you showed off with that gun” (201) and the black box disappears again.

One evening, Ice-candy-man finally comes back. Lenny notices that he seems different—angry, wild, and swaggering—but still full of gossip that he shares bitterly. Ice-candy-man talks about attacking Sikhs. He brags about getting revenge on the zookeeper for getting rid of his Muslim tenants.

When another man reminds Ice-candy-man that he and several Muslims had exposed themselves to the zookeeper’s family, and also sexually assaulted his sister and killed her husband, Ice-candy-man admits that he had lost his mind with hatred after seeing that train, stating, “There are some things a man cannot look upon without going mad” (204). The Sikhs in the group discuss leaving. Papoo and her father explain that they plan to convert to Christianity. After everyone else has left, Ayah worries to Masseur that she should probably leave the city too. Masseur begs her to marry him instead, but Ayah just promises that she belongs to him. Hearing this, Lenny panics, sobbing and demanding that Ayah never leave her. 

National borders in India and Pakistan have been solidified. Seven million Muslims and five million Hindus and Sikhs have been forced to relocate. The British show preference for India: Jawaharlal Nehru, the Indian Prime Minister is attractive and charming, while Governor-General Jinnah of Pakistan is old and unpleasant. Lenny is surprised when her mother shows her a photo of Jinnah’s wife, a beautiful and daring young woman who had died at age 29. Lenny notes that Jinnah must have been “brilliant [and] elegantly handsome” (208) to win her, and that her death must have been heartbreaking. Jinnah, “who for a decade was known as ‘Ambassador of Hindu-Muslim Unity’” is always villainous in British and Indian movies and books.