The invisible hand stretched out of the window and reached the lonely Peepal tree outside the dilapidated haveli. It gave the hanging roots a violent shake, which woke up the bats hiding from the sun.

People living inside this old-new haveli looked out but saw nothing. The sun blinds them. They see at night but only what’s up close. They can never see far or wide, day or night.

They always keep their windows closed but sometimes they forget that they are not supposed to open the windows. So they open it. And this allows the ghouls living out in the wilderness to enter their home, the old-new haveli.

Now wild spirits of the desert howl and wail inside the haveli and when the residents try to cast them out, they hang them upside down.

Many people live in this haveli – some would say millions. They arepeople of all castes, colors and creeds. But all have one commoncharacteristic: they are all hanging upside down.

The outside view from this haveli is always poor but it is worse in hot summer days when nothing is visible for miles except mirages. Layers after layers of heat dance wildly in the sun, assuming mysterious shapes of ghosts and spirits long forgotten in other homes and havelis.

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The desert spirits dance silently inside this haveli as if performing a sacred ritual. The helpless residents watch them quietly, hanging upside down. Nobody ever rescued them, although many came, claiming to be their saviours but they had other interests.

In the evenings, bats come out of their hiding places and fly around the haveli. Since the residents know the bats are not on their side, they do not expect much from them. They know the bats are there to make sure that they do not escape.

At night, the bats fly on secret missions, doing chores for invisible powers.

The moon brings some comfort but it is always short-lived. Just as the people begin to feel nice, a thick cloud comes from somewhere and covers the moon. Then the jackals come out, hordes of them, howling madly.

Their howling brings out the living-dead who have been hiding in nearby caves. They gather under the cloud and have long conversations with the bats.

The residents know the bats have always betrayed lovers to cruel kings who bury them alive. The bloodsuckers dance in wild ecstasy at every tragedy in the neighbourhood.

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As I told you earlier, many fake saviours have come to the haveli-dwellers but none worse than the general who hated light.

One day, a man went to the general and said:

“General, you hate the moon but you know that the moon will outlive you. You hate the sun but you know the sun will outshine you.

“General, you love the night but you know that the night will devour you, holding you in its paws, like a bat that you are. It will crush you under its feet.

“General, you hate us because we ask you not to hate the moon, not to love the night. Do not hate. Learn to love us. We may survive many fake saviours but you cannot outlive us. We are many. You are alone. And there are men, women and children among us who will outlive you. So learn to love us.”

The general did not learn what he should have. So one day, he was in flames. Many watched him but nobody saved him.

Now a priest has come who also claims he has been sent to save the haveli-dwellers. Some believe him. Most do not. But they are all confused. They do not know what to do, who to believe: the priest or the round-faced caretaker who always tries to do more than he can handle.

The round-faced caretaker also has a strong desire to ride untamed horses. Twice he tried and failed but did not give up. He is trying again and has asked all in the haveli to come and watch.

They do not want to come watch this game because they already know the result. They do not want him to make the same mistake again because they know he will fall, once again. But the round-faced caretaker has never liked sane advice. So he is not willing to listen this time either.

And it is not just the priest who wants to destroy the round-faced caretaker. There are others too. One of them is good at hitting balls with a flat bat. He has won many trophies in this game. But he does not understand that what he is doing now is no game. It is serious, more serious than anything he has done in his life.

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He has challenged the round-faced caretaker to a duel in the capitalcity. The caretaker is willing to fight him but he fears that thepriest and the player may gang up against him. And he cannot fightboth.

The problem is that the priest and the player have their own differences, so they do not trust each other too.

They also do not trust the caretaker. The caretaker does not trust them.

All claim to love the people of the haveli but the haveli-dwellers do not trust any of these saviours. And the saviours do not trust the people.

But the game has already started. Although the main players can still retreat peacefully if they desire to do so, they will not. And the horses are ready. Knives have been sharpened.

People of the haveli do not care because they know there is nothing for them in this fight.