You Know That

In the meantime another problem cropped up. A friend of mine from Peshawar named Jiwan Lal visited me at the shop. He used to come to Kabul for wholesale purchases of dried fruits. In course of conversation I asked him what people thought of Bose Babu's disappearance. Jiwan Lal told me that the British had imprisoned him and they were spreading a lie that he had disappeared. Jiwan Lal was anxious to dine with me as usual. I told him that my wife was ill and he had to go away.

Next day Rahmat Khan and the guide came for a further talk about the journey. No sooner had Rahmat Khan and the guide arrived than Jiwan Lal also dropped in. Jiwan Lal had known the guide before and considered him a professional gambler. Rahmat Khan was clever enough and went away. Jiwan Lal took me to task for having friendly relation with a professional gambler. Jiwan Lal also saw me handing over a hundred-rupee note to the guide and naturally he was shocked and scolded me. His impression was that I associated with these two gamblers. Jiwan Lal persisted in asking about the companion (Rahmat Khan) of the guide.

In the evening I told Subhas Babu what had happened. He told me that I was at liberty to do what I liked in taking into confidence Jiwan Lal, but it was better to wait.

Jiwan Lal came next day and while I was talking with him Signora Karoni [Quaroni] came and passed an envelope into my hands. This made Jiwan Lal all the more suspicious. I was subjected to a fiery cross-examination by him and he wanted to know about the contents of the envelope. Jiwan Lal was annoyed and went away. The contents of the note were satisfactory. The couriers had left Rome and in a week's time they would be in Kabul. Subhas Babu was requested to come to Darulman for a photograph on the following day at 11 a.m. A car would be waiting for him. After, his photo he will be left at a point whence he would be picked up.