Happy got buzzed through once the clothes and cookies were inspected. Mummi had packed Minder Uncle a kurtha pajama and Parle G biscuits. She said he could have them with chai until Happy reminded him there was no chai in jail, only sad gora tea. She had intended to come with Happy until he’d told he would have no time to drop her off before work. He was happy to have an excuse to be rid of her for a few extra hours. Living at home had grown tiresome as his body grew and the surrounds shrank in equal measure with each passing day.
Minder looked terrible.
“How are you uncle?” Happy said.
“It’s bad in here. I can’t sleep,” Minder said.
“Just a couple more days until we get your hearing and they’ll let you out. We have your mental health letter ready from Dr. Sharma and the lawyer Mummi found is pretty good,” Happy said.
“Why did she do it? Why did she put me here, that bitch,” Minder said.
Happy had never heard him say anything bad about Jagpreet before, but this seemed like an appropriate time to change his tune.
“I heard Babbu on the phone with her,” Happy said. Mummi had told him not to mention this.
“Babbu? Why would they be taking?” Minder said.
Happy didn’t have the heart to connect the dots for a man who couldn’t draw the line himself. He was lucky when he moved on himself.
“Beta, the other Punjabis in here don’t like me, and I don’t know engregi. It’s scary,” Minder said.
“We’ll get you out in two days. Eat these biscuits and keep to yourself. Don’t change into these clothes. Mummi brought them but I think they’ll make you look more like a pindu. You need to look challack1 to the criminals to stay safe. No one’s going to hurt you. Keep your head and eyes down but don’t look scared,” Happy said.
“I always keep my eyes down. That’s how I ended up here,” Minder said.
Footnotes
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use this word more often ↩