You can read below a sample chapter from my new novel Remembrance - of Fading Dreams a sequel to my previous novel Recalcitrance based on events of 1857
"Stanley’s
story became well known in Lucknow after the war. He had become a greatly
respected person in Lucknow. He had set up a hospital which looked after the
insane and the nearly insane. Such a thing was unheard of in Lucknow and people
with members in their family that they believed were insane rushed to him
seeing in him a ray of hope. As they reached his hospital and waited for their
turn the story of his life in Lucknow was communicated to them and by and by
the following story became well known.
Stanley
left his wife at the doorstep of Acche
Nawab where the servant girl and sister-in-law of Wazeer Ali waited for her
and took her inside the house. Before she disappeared into the house Stanley
saw Rosemary wave to him. He waved back and rushed off with Wazeer Ali. Stanley
had never imagined that he would not meet his wife for the next six months.
In
less than an hour Stanley and Wazeer Ali reached the Residency sometimes
dodging missiles thrown at them by people on balconies and sometimes lying down
on the road to avoid being spotted by sepoys.
The
Residency was a picture of confusion. Almost as soon as Stanley and Wazeer Ali
reached the Resident’s office the firing began and the sepoys besieged the Residency for nearly six months.
Constant
remembrance of the name of God helped both Rosemary and Stanley keep their
sanity. Stanley always believed that God had trained both of them how to keep
from going insane by remembering his holy name and so never blamed God or
anyone else for their separation.
Acche Nawab remained true to his
nickname which in Hindustani means the good Nawab.
Being mainly engrossed in counting of rosary, namaaz and running several charitable organisations sitting or
lying down in his bed, he had little time on his hands. He however did not
forget to ask about the well being of his guest from his servants. People
gradually came to know about Acche Nawab’s
guest but it being a lady and that too pregnant no one really bothered Acche Nawab with inquiries about
Rosemary.
Stanley
was deeply pained by his separation from Rosemary for the first few days but
then set about using the siege and his inability to move out of the place as an
opportunity to study insanity in great detail using all the notes he had
prepared over a period of several years.
After
six months a large relieving army lifted the siege of the Residency in Lucknow
and an opportunity was presented to Stanley to take away Rosemary. They had
only exchanged letters once a month during those six months but Stanley
received word from Wazeer Ali’s wife every week about how she was doing at Acche Nawab’s house.
Lucknow
was the very picture of confusion during the lifting of the siege as most
sepoys and their supporters moved towards Kaiserbagh which they mistakenly
believed was about to be attacked. Taking advantage of the situation Stanley
went with Wazeer Ali to Acche Nawab’s
house.
Acche Nawab welcomed him in his baithak. On seeing Acche Nawab Stanley could not control himself and taking his hand
he kissed it and then pressed it against his eyes and started weeping. Acche Nawab said smiling ‘Big men do not
weep and you are a little too big for our country.’
Stanley
met Rosemary in her room. She lay on the bed being attended to by Wazeer Ali’s
wife. She smiled weakly. Her baby was due to be born in a month. Stanley could
clearly see that she was not fit even to descend the steps of Acche Nawab’s house. They parted quickly.
Stanley
went to Acche Nawab again who had
read his mind and said ‘Do not worry my child.
I am sure you will be able to come back soon. In the meantime Allah had made arrangements so that I am
able to tickle a little baby soon. I have no children of my own because I never
married but always missed playing with little ones. Now Allah has answered my prayer. As long as I am alive not even the
Devil himself can cross this threshold. Go without a care about your wife. She
is like a daughter to me now.’
Stanley
knew, having kept the company of many spiritual people, that the truly holy
never do their acts of charity selectively. Their charity flows like a river
quenching the thirst of anyone who comes in contact with it.
Stanley
was advised to go to Cawnpore with the army that had lifted the siege. Once
there he used the time to find volunteers for the project he had in his mind.
Stanley
returned after four months. He greatly missed seeing his son who was born a
month after the siege of Residency had ended. He was informed of the birth of
his boy by a note from Wazeer Ali in Cawnpore.
Only
the biggest guns in the world which were directed at Lucknow could douse the
flames of recalcitrance temporarily but it took four months from the end of the
siege before a white man could go about freely in Lucknow. At the earliest
opportunity Stanley visited Acche Nawab
who had an infant in his lap throwing about his limbs and squealing.
‘Here
comes your father you little angel!’ saying this Acche Nawab lifted up the little boy from his lap.
Stanley
took his boy and closed his eyes and
said a prayer.
‘So
what are your plans? Will you leave soon? Will you deprive me of the pleasure
of holding the little one in my hands?’ said Acche Nawab and Stanley almost felt a tear fall from his eyes.
Stanley
said with great resolution ‘Nawab Saheb
we will not leave this city unless you permit us. I do want also to work in
this city and if you allow we will try and help people in other parts of the
world but we will only move when you permit.’
‘Ah! May Allah bless you! I will not keep you
here for long but at this point of time even if I had to beg to keep the infant
near me I will do so in spite of being a Nawab’
said the old and invalid man who had never been infatuated with anyone the way
he was with Stanley’s son."
