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Bhai Jinda's Great Escape Part II: No Free Lunch
By Bhai Harjinder Singh Jinda
A piece of art by Bhai Jinda in Jail before Shahidi
An Expensive Free Lunch
We all got on a 3-Wheeler and arrived at the hotel. Upon arriving, all the store-owners from around there began to come up to us to meet me. I thought to myself, “they’re going to ruin everything! The police are going to find out I’m the one from the bank robbery.”
For this reason, I quickly seated the Police Officers at a table and told the waiter, “Whatever they want, make sure they get everything.” I went up to the Sardar at the counter and began to meet those people around me. Everyone was surprised that usually there was such a big security arrangement around me and they asked, “Why are there only four people with you today?”
I replied, “I expect I’ll get bail next week. Home Minister Buta Singh is helping out quite a bit…”
So after saying a mix of lies and truth, I got them off my back. The police officers weren’t paying any attention to us at all but my attention was focused on finding the opportunity to run.
The food arrived and the police officers were engrossed in eating mutton. When we first arrived at the hotel, they were keeping a bit of an eye on me but not anymore.
I walked up to them and said, “Whatever you want, anything at all, just ask. Consider it your own hotel.” This hotel was on the main road. In front of the Hotel were fruit carts. I asked the police officers, “would you like some fruit?”
They looked at each other. One of them said embarrassedly, “bring some…”
The Chance
I saw things coming on track. I went to the counter and got some money from them. I glanced at the police officers and then went across the street to buy some fruit. The police officers became alert and watched me the entire time but I gave them no reason to suspect anything from my manner. All the other store owners were also watching all this in amazement. Maybe they were wondering why I was allowed to walk around freely now whereas before they had kept me tied up. I however didn’t give anyone any attention and began to buy some bananas and oranges from the cart as though the thought of escape hadn’t even entered my mind.
I was very alert and while making my purchase, I asked the 3-wheeler driver beside me, “Want to go to the station?”
He laughed and replied, “sit down…”
But when I looked closely, I realized it was the same driver who had brought us all from the courts and that’s why he had laughed. I also then laughed and changed the subject as though I had just been joking. By then, the driver had found another passenger and drove off.
I was looking for a chance to run when the fruit vendor said, “your order is done…”
In a rush, I couldn’t think of anything so I said, “Give me another dozen oranges”
At that very moment, a truck came and stopped in the middle of the road. I was now on the other side of the truck and away from the gaze of the police officers. I wasn’t going to get a better opportunity than this.
Making a Break
I right away went behind a house and then began to sprint. I couldn’t be seen by anyone now. Ahead of me were just fields. If someone went forward and looked carefully, I could be seen from a distance. Because of the police torture, I couldn’t run properly but with all my effort I kept running. After running for about three or four kilometers through the fields, I was exhausted. I fell face first a few times and because of the falls, all my clothes were ruined.
I then re-entered the city. At the entry was a river but it had very little water in it. Near the river was a field of melons and also a small hut. I quickly went into the hut and found a husband and wife in it. They looked at me with astonishment.
I quickly thought up a story. I said, “I was the conductor for a Sardar’s bus. The bus lost a tire on route and the Sardar beat me very badly and was going to kill me with his kirpan. I just barely escaped and saved myself. Please give me some old or ripped pants and shirt and you can have my new suit I’m wearing, because he’ll be able to recognize me in this suit and kill me…”
I was speaking in a way that made it seem I was very afraid. I said some other things as well and managed to convince them. They put an old trunk in front of me and opened it to show me some old clothes. I picked the oldest and ripped pants and shirt that were there and gave them my new suit. At first the woman wasn’t agreeing to give me the clothes but her husband believed my story and convinced her. I put on the clothes, thanked them and left.
To be continued...
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/24/2007 02:22PM by admin.
