Raj quartet IX

Guy is shocked but not really surprised. He always thought Merrick was sinister and he attracted trouble. His involvement in the Kumar case has angered Indian nationalists who have been trying to get at hime for years. And he was idealistic about the Raj, believing that the British would avenge him, whereas they were just keen to get out of India and leave it to its own devices. He came from a relatively poor family, and for him, the Raj was a family, whereas the other members of the colony were better off and had connextions in England to go back to. THe Laytons are planning to go back to England very soon and buy a small country home. Bronowski is pleased that the Prince's daughter Shiraz has become more westernised under Sarah's influence and that she has attracted a suitor Ahmed Kasim. Kasim is the son of a well known Indian politican who has been fighting for Indian independence all his life. Ahmed was something of a playboy and a bit of a disappointment to his father but in recent years, he has developed a sense of responsibility and is working with the Prince and Bronowski. He looks like a suitable husband for Shiraz, and his father is very pleased that he is making a success of his life now. Guy notices that Sarah seems very close to Ahmed, but she too plans to go home to England, so he presumes it is not a serious love affair. He hopes that she may turn to him when they go home. Indian independence is now very close, but the partition of the country is in Guy's view a disaster which will lead to hatred and violence. He blames the British rulers for encouraging divisions between Muslims and Hindus - feeling that they used this to weaken the Indian independence movement, but now are making a fast getaway and leaving the problems to be solved by the Indians. The Laytons are due to leave. Susan has her Ayah to look after her son, and she is carrying Ronald's ashes in an urn. Col and Mrs Layton have gone on ahead to find a house. Ahmed is escorting them and he gets on the train into their carriage (which does not please the other British) . However the compartment that he is travelling in has been marked, and Hindu activists are aware of where this prominent Muslim is sitting. After a time, the train is held up and a gang call for Ahmed to come out. Everyone is bewildered as they have not yet formed a strategy for dealing with these attacks. Ahmed goes out and is killed. So are many others. Sarah tries to nurse the injured and she feel angry and helpless that she is reduced to this feeble English memsahib role of trying unsucessfully to help when she knows it is useless. She and Guy go home to England, and she tells him that she loved Ahmed but she wasn't in love with him. But she is angry that he has died and she could not do anything to prevent it. Her country caused the trouble and divisions and they then leave it to the Indians to suffer the consequences. They get married and Guy becomes a well known academic historian - and India is just a part of their past.