Page 132 - DENG503_INDIAN_WRITINGS_IN_LITERATURE

Indian Writings in Literature

Notes accompanied by a Nepalese looking girl. The fact that his still married master betrays his wife
drives Balram furious. As he waits for the two of them to come out of a cinema, he talks to a book
seller, who is sure that the Naxals are planning some kind of revolutionary civil war. After driving
Mr. Ashok and the girl home, he takes the car for a ride on his own, listening to loud music, and
spits on the seats afterwards.
As he eavesdrops on his master the next morning, he realises that the girl – Uma – is Mr. Ashok’s
old lover. He feels guilty for having condemned his master and punishes himself by pinching his
palm. Mr. Ashok tells Uma that she can trust Balram because he is ‘stupid as hell, but honest’.
Balram’s master spends the evening with a political assistant whose minister he bribes. After the
meeting, the assistant persuades Mr. Ashok to spend the evening with him and to have some fun.
The assistant, too, talks about a possible civil war, because he has seen lawyers beating down a
judge whose order they didn’t like. The two passengers drink whisky in the car and then go to
pick up a blond whore from Ukraine who looks like the famous actress Kim Basinger. Mr. Ashok
says that he sees someone and doesn’t need a whore, but he can’t get out of the situation. Balram
wants to give him advice, but he is just the driver. When Mr. Ashok follows the assistant and the
whore inside a hotel, he looks like a guilty little boy. Balram swears to defend his master’s honour
because the latter couldn’t defend him against being corrupted by others.
Having driven Mr. Ashok home, Balram drives back to the hotel, wishing to see the blond girl
again. He is sent away by the guards, but finds a strand of golden hair on the seat which he keeps
around his wrist. As he drives through Delhi, he feels as if the city would understand him. The
Sixth Night While Mr. Ashok is jogging around the block Balram suddenly asks Vitiligo-Lips for
a golden-haired prostitute. Vitiligo-Lips wants to arrange something for him.
Balram says there are four ways for a servant to betray his master to get extra cash: 1st He can sell
petrol from the car. 2nd He can go to a corrupt mechanic and inflate the price that is to pay and
keep the rest for himself. 3rd He can sell the empty whisky bottles. 4th He can use the car as a
freelance taxi. He never had cheated his master before but he starts to do that for a couple of weeks
and even feels rage instead of guilt while doing it. Later he will be ashamed of his behavior. “The
more I stole from him, the more I realize how much he had stolen from me.”
The moment he has enough money he goes to Vitiligo-Lips again and asks for the prostitute -not
for his master Mr. Ashok but for himself. Although she is golden-haired she isn’t as pretty as the
women Mr. Ashok has met. Nevertheless things start to happen and suddenly Balram jumps out
of the bed because he has discovered something he is not able to stand. The hair has been dyed
only. He leaves and in consequence he had spent all his money for nothing.
Balram arrives at his room and discovers a surprise there. Mr. Ashok is sitting on his bed and says
he would know where Balram has been. The shocking moment passes fast because Mr. Ashok was
told that he has been at the temple. Without any indication Mr. Ashok names his dissatisfaction
with his life. He thinks everything seems to be wrong. In his opinion actually Balram’s life is more
livable. Therefore Mr. Ashok wants Balram to show him his life. He has dinner with him. Balram
can’t understand this because he wants to be like Mr. Ashok.
Mukesh comes to town again. He persuades Mr. Ashok to marry again. But as Mr. Ashok is able
to convince him to leave some time to find a woman by himself. Mukesh gives him a red bag with
lots of money inside. He has to bring it to the minister again.
As they are waiting in a traffic jam some beggars come along the road. Without thinking about it
Balram gives them one rupee. The Mongoose gets really angry and shouts at him. Watching
Balram he keeps his eyes on the rearview mirror the whole drive. Later in their apartment the
Mongoose checks the breath of Balram because he thinks he was drinking and sends him away

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