Penalty( Jurmana) by premchand

                          Penalty                           Jurmana

Munshi Khairat Ali Khan was the inspector of Sanitation and hundreds of

sweeper women depended on him. He was good-hearted and well thought

of--not the sort who cut their pay, scolded them or fined them. But he went

on regularly rebuking and punishing Alarakkhi. She was not a shirker, nor

saucy or slovenly; she was also not at all bad-looking. During these chilly

days she would be out with her broom before it was light and go on

assiduously sweeping the road until nine. But all the same, she would be

penalized. Huseni, her husband, would help her with the work too when he

found the chance, but it was in Alarakkhi's fate that she was going to be

fined. For others pay-day was an occasion to celebrate, for Alarakkhi it was

a time to weep. On that day it was as though her heart had broken. Who

could tell how much would be deducted! Like students awaiting the results

of their examinations, over and over again she would speculate on the

amount of the deduction.

Whenever she got so tired that she'd sit down a moment to catch her

breath, precisely then the Inspector would arrive riding in his ekka. No

matter how much she'd say, 'Please, Excellency, I’ll go back to work again,'

he would jot her name down in his book without listening. A few days later

the very same thing would happen again. If she bought a few cents worth of

candy from the sweets-vendor and started to eat it, just at that moment the

Inspector would drop on her from the devil knew where and once more write

her name down in his book. Where could he have been hiding? The minute

she began to rest the least bit he was upon her like an evil spirit. If he wrote

her name down on only two days, how much would the penalty be then! God

knew. More than eight annas? If only it weren't a whole rupee! With her

head bowed she'd go to collect her pay and find even more deducted than

she'd estimated. Taking her money with trembling hands she'd go home, her

eyes full of tears. There was no one to turn to, no one who'd listen.

Today was pay-day again. The past month her unweaned daughter had

suffered from coughing and fever. The weather had been exceptionally cold.

Partly because of the cold, partly because of the little girl's crying she was

kept awake the whole night. Several times she'd come to work late. Khan

Sahib had noted down her name, and this time she would be fined half her

pay. It was impossible to say how much might be deducted. Early in the

morning she picked up the baby, took her broom and went to the street. But

the naughty creature wouldn't let herself be put down. Time after time

Alarakkhi would threaten her with the arrival of the Inspector. 'He's on his

way and he'll beat me and as for you, he'll cut off your nose and ears! 'The

child was willing to sacrifice her nose and ears but not to be put down. At

last, when Alarakkhi had failed to get rid of her with threats and coaxing

alike, she set her down and left her crying and wailing while she started to

sweep. But the little wretch wouldn't sit in one place to cry her heart out; she

crawled after her mother time and time again, caught her sari, clung to her

legs, then wallowed around on the ground and a moment later sat up to start

crying again.

'Shut up!' Alarakkhi said, brandishing the broom. 'If you don't, I’ll hit you

with the broom and that'll be the end of you. That bastard of an Inspector's

going to show up at any moment.'

She had hardly got the words out of her mouth when inspector Khairat Ali

Khan dismounted from his bicycle directly in front of her. She turned pale,

her heart began to thump. 'Oh God, may my head fall off if he heard me!

Right in front of me and I didn't see him. Who could tell he'd come on his

bicycle today? He's always come in his ekka. ‘The blood froze in her veins,

she stood holding the broom as though paralyzed.

Angrily the Inspector said, 'Why do you drag the kid after you to work!

Why didn't you leave it at home!'

'She's sick, Excellency' Alarakkhi said timidly. 'Who's at home to leave her

with!'

'What's the matter with her?'

'She has a fever, Huzoor.’

'And you make her cry by leaving her? Don't you care if she lives?

'How can I do my work if I carry her?'

'Why don't you ask for leave!'

'If my pay is cut, Huzoor, what will we have to live on?'

'Pick her up and take her home. When Huseni comes back send him here

to finish the sweeping.

She picked up the baby and was about to go when he asked, 'Why were

you abusing me!'

Alarakkhi felt all her breath knocked out of her. If you'd cut her there

wouldn't have been any blood. Trembling she said, 'No, Huzoor, may my

head fall off if I was abusing you.

And she burst into tears.

In the evening Huseni and Alarakkhi went to collect her pay. She was very

downcast.

'Why so sad?' Huseni tried to console her. 'The pay's going to be cut, so let

them cut it. I swear on your life from now on I won't touch another drop of

booze or toddy.'

'I'm afraid I'm fired. Damn my tongue! How could I....’

'If you're fired, then you're fired, but let Allah be merciful to him. Why go

on crying about it?’

'You’ve made me come for nothing. Everyone of those women will laugh

at me.

'If he's fired you, won't we ask on what grounds! And who heard you

abuse him' Can there be so much injustice that he can fire anyone he pleases!

If I'm not heard I’ll complain to the panchayat, I'll beat my head on the

headman's gate--'

'If our people stuck together like that would Khan Sahib ever dare fine us

so much''

'No matter how serious the sickness there's a medicine for it, silly.'

But Alarakkhi was not set at rest. Dejection covered her face like a cloud.

When the Inspector heard her abuse him why didn't he even scold her? Why

didn't he ~re her on the spot! She wasn't able to work it out, he actually

seemed kind. She couldn't manage to understand this mystery. She was

afraid. He had decided to fire her- that must have been why he was so nice.

She'd heard that a man about to be hanged is given a fine last meal, they

have to give him anything he wants-so surely the Inspector was going to

dismiss her. They reached the municipal office building. The pay began to

be distributed. The sweeper women were first. Whoever's name was called

would go running and taking her money call down undeserved blessings on

the Inspector and go away. Alarakkhi’s name was always called after

Champa's. Today she was passed over. After Champa, Jahuran's name was

called, and she always followed Alarakkhi.

In despair she looked at Huseni. The women were watching her and

beginning to whisper.

One after another the names were called and Alarakkhi went on looking at

the trees across the way.

Suddenly startled, she heard her name. Slowly she stood up and walked

ahead with the slow tread of a new bride. The paymaster put the full amount

of six rupees in her hand.

She was stupefied. Surely the paymaster was mistaken! In these three

years she had never once got her full pay. And now to get even half would

have been a windfall. She stood there for a second in case the paymaster

should ask for the money back. When he asked her, 'Why are you standing

here now, why don't you move along!' she said softly,

'But it's the full amount.’

Puzzled the paymaster looked at her and said, 'What else do you want--do

you want to get less!'

'There's no penalty deducted?'

'No, today there aren't any deductions.

She came away but in her heart she was not content. She was full of

remorse for having abused the Inspector.