Free Travelers by Ruth Prawer Jhabvala Page A

plate, and when Shyam had already got to the door, he said in a voice of thunder, “I asked for puris.”
    Shyam stood at ease in the doorway. He said these were eggs, scrambled eggs, such as sahibs ate for breakfast. He was used to cooking for sahibs only and if this did not suit Gopi then there were other places he could go to—plenty of little shops in the bazaar where he could get the kind of Indian food he was used to.
    Gopi wasted no time. He was across the room in an instant and struck the servant across the face. He called him some bad names and struck him again. Shyam cried out and put his arms up to protect himself, for Gopi looked as if he intended to continue hitting him. Perhaps he would have done so but Raymond held his arm. Raymond said, “Stop that, Gopi.”
    Gopi struggled but Raymond held on. After a while Gopi said, “All right, let me go, I won’t hit him again.” But Shyam cried, “Sahib, Sahib, hold him!”
    Gopi saw that Raymond was seriously angry and began to defend himself. He said such insolence from a servant was not to be tolerated. When Raymond continued to look displeased, Gopi said it was all Raymond’s fault—hadn’t he warned him over and over again that Shyam was a bad servant and should be dismissed? Here Shyam chimed in and said that it was not possible for him to continue working for Raymond as long as Gopi was in the house, and Gopi cried yes, let him go, let him go today at once, now, now! And Shyam said he would go now.
    Raymond turned away from both of them. He told Gopi in a weary voice that it was time for him to leave for his college. Gopi went in to get ready. He was very quiet. Shyam too was very quiet; he went into the kitchen and no sound was heard from there.
    â€œI’m going now,” Gopi said. But he lingered, glancing anxiously at Raymond’s face. He said, “How could I let a servant insult me like that, how could I allow it? Please understand my feelings also.”
    â€œAnd his feelings?”
    Gopi had a flash of pride: “Are you putting him on a level with me?” But when Raymond did not respond, he became soothing again: “But now it’s all right, we won’t quarrel about him any more. Because you won’t let him stay, you’ll dismiss him, isn’t it?”
    â€œIt’s not me dismissing him—he doesn’t want to stay. You heard him.” He added, “You’ll be late for your classes.”
    Gopi went very slowly as if waiting for Raymond to call him back. But although Raymond knew that Gopi wanted this very much, he remained silent.
    Usually, when there had been a scene between Shyam and Gopi and Shyam gave notice, Raymond would go to seek him out in the kitchen, to soothe him and persuade him to stay. Today he could not bring himself to do so. He felt the offense had been too great and that it would be an additional insult to ask him to stay. But he became aware that Shyam was waiting for him in the kitchen. Shyam moved about and coughed. Finally, when Raymond did not go to him, he came into the room. Raymond did not look up. Shyam began dusting. He moved slowly and dusted noisily. Then he began to sigh and make other pathetic noises. Raymond had to look up. He also sighed. Out of a full heart he said, “I’m very sorry, Shyam.”
    â€œYes, sir,” Shyam said. After a while he said, “How can I stay, Sahib? It’s not possible for me to stay.”
    â€œI know, Shyam,” Raymond said. “I do quite understand.”
    They remained in stricken silence.
    â€œI’m very happy with your service,” Shyam said in a broken voice. “My whole family is happy. We are all very happy.” He cried out: “And now where are we to go? Where else can such a sahib like you be found? And such a fine quarter to live in.”
    Raymond winced. The fine quarter consisted of one airless room in a tenement facing a service lane.