Kabira told him that the previous night, after Ustad Ramzi returned from the exhibition bout, he had overheard the trainees talking about the variety of holds and locks they had witnessed in Tamami’s fight with Sher Ali. He had been furious.
“A pahalwan does not sell his body!” Ustad Ramzi had shouted angrily. “Tamami brought disgrace to the clan by fighting a fixed bout with Sher Ali.”
Everyone was silenced by Ustad Ramzi’s outburst, Kabira told Tamami. Ustad Ramzi remained irritable and short-tempered the rest of the evening and forbade the trainees from having anything to do with Tamami.
Tamami sat around in the akhara, looking around and pondering what he must do. When Kabira asked him when he would start his exercises, Tamami told him that he was taking a day of rest. He left the akhara and spent the day with friends in the neighborhood.
When Tamami returned, Ustad Ramzi had retired to his room, the trainees had gone to their quarters, and Kabira had also left. Except for the old enclosure attendant, there was no one in the akhara. Standing there, Tamami felt lonelier and more powerless than he had ever felt in his life.
Resolve
Tamami came to the akhara an hour late one day. This happened again a few days later. Ustad Ramzi was told that Tamami had modified his old exercise regime. After a few weeks, at his own initiative, Tamami reduced it further. Then he began to come home late at night. He slept longer and showed up later and later for the morning exercises. He finished the training sessions early, too.
It was whispered among the trainees that Tamami was taking drugs.
One evening Tamami returned later than usual and went to sleep. The room was left unlatched from inside and the light was on. Unable to contain himself any longer, Ustad Ramzi searched the room and found a small paper packet that contained drug residue.
This was grim confirmation of all the rumors that had been flying around. He felt more devastated than if he had found Tamami lying dead.
The trainees noticed that Tamami took longer rests, then quit in the middle of the exercises. Ustad Ramzi saw pahalwans leaving the akhara whispering among themselves.
One afternoon Tamami woke up late and went out. The trainees who were busily discussing these events in the courtyard silently dispersed when Ustad Ramzi stepped out of his quarters.
Tamami had not yet returned to the akhara in the evening when Ustad Ramzi gave a lock to the attendant and asked him to lock the gate of the enclosure. After the gate was locked, he took the key from the attendant.
“It shall remain locked tonight,” he said.
The attendant looked puzzled and said, “Tamami has not returned yet.”
“It shall remain locked tonight. It has been shut forever on Tamami. Tell him that when he comes,” Ustad Ramzi said, and retired to his room.
A few trainees were in the enclosure when this exchange took place and they spread the word. Those who had retired to their quarters also came out. Seeing them congregate in the akhara, Ustad Ramzi came out of his room and said:
“You have heard. The gate of the enclosure and the clay of the akhara are now closed to Tamami. If you see him, drive him away. These are your orders.”
The trainees were too shocked to say anything.
Ustad Ramzi’s distrust of Tamami had been finally vindicated with all its horror. He did not think of reproving Tamami this time. He had struggled alone to guard his creed, he had tried to stem the disintegration of his world, but he had been failed again by the one on whom all his hopes were pinned. In the horrid new development of Tamami’s addiction, he saw the portents of a complete collapse of all that he cherished. It had not taken him long to come to his decision to excommunicate Tamami.
Tamami returned late at night and found the gate closed. As it always remained open, he pushed it to see if it had swung shut by itself. Realizing that it had been secured, he knocked. When nobody answered, he started banging on it. He called out the attendant’s name. The attendant woke up when Tamami began rattling the gate violently. He watched Ustad Ramzi’s window. There was no light in his room. Afraid of becoming a party to the brothers’ feud, he quietly crept away into the darkness. Tamami was now calling out loudly and angrily for the gate to be opened. When no one responded, he fell quiet.
Ustad Ramzi heard Tamami shouting at the gate. He had not switched on the light in his room and was sitting on his bed in the darkness, still dressed. He did not move from his place.
Hearing Tamami shouting, a few neighbors came out of their houses. In the light from the municipal lamp, they saw Tamami sitting on his haunches, leaning against the enclosure walls, with Kabira talking to him. Someone had called him from his house. Tamami began to shake his head vehemently when Kabira repeatedly asked him to come with him. But Kabira did not give up and eventually Tamami accompanied him to his house.
❖
The following day Ustad Ramzi rose before anyone had gotten up and long before the trainees started arriving in the akhara. He performed his routine tasks with a lightness of body. When the first light of the morning appeared in the sky, Ustad Ramzi had his bath, said his prayers, filled the pitchers, and went out to tend his rose bushes in the cemetery. He asked the enclosure attendant to send Tamami’s belongings to Kabira’s house. Then he retired to his room and did not come out for the rest of the day.
The next day was a Friday. In the afternoon there were few people in the akhara and it was quiet as usual. Ustad Ramzi had not spoken a word after his directions were given to the attendant, but the events of the past days had become known and generated much gossip. When he came out of his room to leave for the Friday prayers, Ustad Ramzi noticed more than a few trainees gathered together in the enclosure. They became quiet as he approached.
Ustad Ramzi saw Tamami resting against the holy fig tree that stood near the gate. His legs were spread out and his back was turned towards the enclosure.
Anger welled up inside Ustad Ramzi at the sight of him. He snatched up a lathi standing by the gate, and stepped menacingly towards Tamami.
“Who let him in?” he shouted.
Tamami, who had not yet seen him, slowly turned his head. His face was drenched with tears. Ustad Ramzi felt strangely weakened by the sight, but grimly he took possession of himself.
“Get out!” Ustad Ramzi roared. “Get out!” he yelled once more and raised the lathi. At his words Tamami tried to move towards him and leaned on one of his arms to get up. Noticing that Tamami was still drugged Ustad Ramzi was filled with a blinding rage.
As Tamami came crawling towards him, he hit him with the lathi. But Tamami managed to cling to his legs. He sobbed loudly, mumbling something. Ustad Ramzi did not hear anything his brother said, nor was he any longer conscious of what he said himself. He wrenched himself away with all his force and brought the lathi down again across Tamami’s back.
Kabira threw himself over Tamami.
“Enough, Ustad! Enough!” Kabira shouted. Ustad Ramzi stopped.
“Get him out of here.” Ustad Ramzi gasped. “I will not have this filth defile the clay of this akhara.”
“Ustad, he is your brother.”
“I don’t wish to see his face again! Get him out this instant or I will kill him!”
Kabira rose, looking darkly at Ustad Ramzi, who was almost out of breath. Kabira tried to help the sobbing Tamami to his feet. The enclosure attendant rushed out from his room to assist Kabira. A few trainees also stepped forward and accompanied Kabira and Tamami outside for a short distance until Kabira sent them back. When the trainees returned to the enclosure, Ustad Ramzi had already left for Friday prayers.