aghori—ascetic devotee of Siva, typically naked, whose meditation is death
alaap—slow opening exploration of a raga’s scale
Ambassador—Morris Oxford car, made in India under licence
Amrika—America
anaar—pomegranate
arré—an exclamation, like “hey!”
Ashara Mubarak—the eve of the 10th of Muharram
asteen ka saamp—literally the snake up your sleeve, traitor
baar sau chees—Animal’s nonsense inversion of chaar sau bees (q.v.)
bada batola—a braggart, big mouth
badmaash—rascal
baingan—aubergine
baingan bharta—aubergine baked on coals, peeled, mashed and spiced
bakra banaana—to scapegoat
bakwaas—nonsense
barfi—milky sweets, of a fudge-like texture
basti—literally village, but in Khaufpur means a poor community
battameez kutté, main tumhe nasht kar doonga—Shameless dog, I’ll destroy you.
beedi—leaf-rolled cigarette
behanchod—sisterfucker
bhai, bhaiya—brother, often used as a term of affection as in Zafar bhai
bhang—intoxicating drink made from cannabis leaves
bhatt-bhatt sooar—bhutt-bhutt-pig. A large three-wheel vehicle, it can carry thirty people and gets its name from the noise it makes and its ugly upturned snout above the front wheel.
bhayaanak rasa—the emotion of dread, terror
bhel-puri—a popular street snack
Bhimpalashri—afternoon raga,
bhonsdi-ka—fart-born
Bilaval—raga whose scale is almost identical with western C major scale
biryani—a dish of meat in rice
Brahma—in Hinduism the Creator god
burqa—the black head-to-toe robe with eyegrill of some Muslim women
chaar sau bees—420, refers to section 420 of the Indian Penal Code which deals with cheating
cha-hussain—a gullible fool, someone who’s taken for a ride
chai—tea
chai chappa chai—a song from the film HuTu Tu, 1998
chakra—circle
channa—chickpeas
chapaat-zapaat—nonsense phrase made up by Animal to signify excitement
chappati—flat bread, roti
chataka—a kind of swallow, said to drink only raindrops
chuna lagaana—to deceive someone, to make an idiot of them
daal—lentils
dada—godfather, criminal ganglord
dadi—grandmother
daru—crudely distilled liquor
datura—Datura strammonium (Jimson weed), a highly poisonous plant
Deshkar—raga of scale
dhaap—as the sound suggests, a heavy slap
dhaivat—sixth note of the Indian scale, equivalent of “la”
dha pa ga—notes of the Indian system, sa re ga ma pa dha ni sa
dholak—double-ended drum slung round the drummer’s neck
dikhlot—good looking
elaichi—betel nut, see supari
enteena ko strain karo—strain your antenna, i.e., think harder
fataak—bang! crack!
fillum khatam—lit. film over; you’ve missed it
frangipani—Plumeria rubra (indica), fragrant white or pink whorled flowers
galla mandi—vegetable market
gandhara—third note of the Indian scale, equivalent of “mi”
garooli—Animal’s nonsense word for a cigarette
gaya zamaana—past age
ghurr-ghurr—to stare
ghusspuss—usually whispering, but here means the beast with two backs
goonda—thug, heavy, muscle
government-waali—of the government
guftagoo—conversation
gulli—narrow alley
gup, gupshup—shooting the breeze
gutka—perfumed and sweetened chewing tobacco, a speciality of Khaufpur
guttu ghumana—to charm, or cast a spell on someone
guzz—one of Elli’s rare mistakes, she meant ghuss, or squeeze
haathi—elephant
hashish—cannabis resin
hindi mein samjhaun?—Should I tell you in Hindi? i.e., Do I have to spell it out?
holi—Spring festival of colours
imli—tamarind
Inglis—English
Isa—Jesus
Isayi—Christian
ishtoo—stew
itraana—to be a bit too clever, protest too much
jaan—life
jaanvar—animal
jahã jaan hai, jahaan hai—While we have life, we have the world.
jahaan—the world
jarnail—corruption of English “general��
jhadoo—household broom, made of a bundle of long grass stems
jugaad—a great idea; a jugaadu, a genius of good ideas
juloos—demonstration march
jungli—wild
kaané—cross-eyed
kabbadi—a rough game, involving wrestling opponents to the ground
kachambar—cucumber chunks with pepper and lime juice
Kali—Hindu mother goddess, dark goddess of death and destruction
kameez—long loose shirt, usually worn over
shalwar (q.v.)
kankana—ever youthful, full of energy
karnail—corruption of English “colonel”
khã—Khaufpuri term of familiarity like “mate.” See yaar.
khaañsi—a cough
kheer—a milky pudding
khuda hafez—lit. God protect you, in Farsi. Used as a farewell.
kismiss—what English sounds like to non-English speakers
KLPD, khade lund pe dhoka—betrayal of the erect dick, used of disappointments
kulcha—flat breads, thicker than a chappati, not as thick as a naan
kurta—fine embroidered muslin shirt worn by men and women
kushti—wrestling
kutiya ki aulad—son of a bitch
kya main Hindi mein samjhaun—See hindi mein samjhaun?
kyõ khã?—So, friend?
laal imli ka gatagat—tamarind pieces in salt and spices, sold as a chew
laat sahib—a big shot, corruption of English “Lord sahib”
langur—long-tailed monkey
lassi—a yoghurt drink
latkan—a helpmeet, a benefactor, a close mate
look london talk tokyo—a case of a bad squint
Lukhnawi—from Lucknow, a city renowned for its courteous speech
lund latkayé—with dick dangling
lund pasanda—the dick’s favourite
madhyam—fourth note of the Indian scale, equivalent of “fa”
Mala Sinha—film actress
Malkauns—serious raga of the night
marsiya—a Muharram song about the martyrdom of Imam Hussein
masjid—mosque
maut pade—lit. may you die; means To hell with you; can be a greeting
mazaaq—fun, a fun jape
mehboobi—beloved
mela—fair
miyañ—polite word meaning gentleman, a cultured person
Muharram—Shi’a festival of mourning for the death of Imam Hussein
munsipal—municipal
murgi-ka-panja—Chicken Claw
musaafir—traveller
naala—an open drainage canal
naan—flat unleavened loaf
namaaz—a Muslim’s five-times-daily prayers
naqsheen katora—one whose face is scarred by smallpox
nasha—intoxication
Naya Adalat—the new courthouse, which is two hundred years old
neem—Azadirachta indica tree, bitter and astringent, used in herbal remedies
nishada—seventh note of the Indian scale, equivalent of “ti”
õ—nasal o, id
entical to the last syllable of French Proudhon
oot pataang—nonsense
ous raat—that night
pancham—fifth note of the Indian scale, equivalent to “sol”
pandu—contemptuous name for a policeman
qasam Khuda ki—by god
raakhee—a token tied by a girl on the wrist of a boy she regards as a brother
raal tapkana—to drool, but in Khaufpur to stare, casting the evil eye
raat-ki-rani—lit. Queen of the Night, night jasmine, cestrum nocturnum
Rajshree—film actress
Rampuri knife—switchblade with serrated edge, synonymous with gangsters
Reshma—film actress
risabha—second note of the Indian scale, equivalent of “re”
romanchik—literally hair-raising, causing tiny hairs to stand on end
roti—flat bread, chappati
sa re ga—equivalent of do re mi in the Indian scale
saala, saalé—used like English “bloody” (literally brother in law)
sadak chhaap—street-stamped, used of street kids, hardened by that life
Sadda Miyã ki tond—the belly of Sadda Miyã, a self-important person
sadhu—a Hindu ascetic, one who has renounced the world
sahib—title of respect, signifying a chief or boss
santoor—large zither
Saraswati—Hindu goddess of music and literature
sarauta—nutcracker
sardarji—a Sikh man
sargam—the Indian solfège, sa re ga ma pa dha ni sa
shabaash—well done
shadja—first note of the Indian scale, equivalent of “do”
shalwar—a pair of light loose trousers fitting closely round the ankles
shalwar kameez—long loose shirt worn over a pyjama, with a scarf
shamiana—a marquee tent, usually bright and heavily decorated
Shammi Kapoor—film actor
Shatrugan—Shatrugan Sinha, well known film villain
sherwani—a fancy embroidered tunic
Siva—Hindu god of dance, music, etc.; he is also the great destroyer
supari—small pieces of betel nut, sweetened, used to freshen the breath
taal—lake
talaiyya—pond
tamaasha—hoohah, spectacle
tapori—a loafer, a spiv
tauba tauba tauba—prayer to Allah meaning “forgive”
thook—a spit
topi pehnana—to make a dickhead of someone
utar dena—to make someone else pay
Vilayat—Europe
vintage car—an older person who likes hanging around with the young
wah wah—wow, bravo, bravissimo
wali saheb—used of one who is simple-minded
Waqar and Wasim—Waqar Younis & Wasim Akram, Pakistani swing bowlers
X-ray—skeletal, how Zafar and Farouq looked during the hunger strike
yaar—friend, chum, used like the English “mate”
Yavanapuri—morning raga
yoga sutras—classical treatises on yoga, the most famous is Patanjali’s
zabri—prick, Lebanese slang Animal picked up who knows where
zapaat—long and thin, like Zafar’s nose, a kingsize conk
zari-work—intricate embroidery with gold and silver thread
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
INDRA SINHA was born in Bombay in 1950, the son of an Indian naval officer and an English writer. After attending schools in India and England, and reading English Literature at Cambridge, Sinha worked as an advertising copywriter in London before eventually leaving to write full time. His work of nonfiction, The Cybergypsies, and his first novel, The Death of Mr. Love, met with widespread critical acclaim. Sinha has for fifteen years raised funds for the medical relief of victims of the 1984 Union Carbide gas disaster in Bhopal, the events of which inspired Animal’s People. To learn more about Indra Sinha visit his Web site at http://www.indrasinha.com/.
Table of Contents
Cover
Colophon
Title Page
Dedication
Copyright
EDITOR’S NOTE
TAPE ONE
TAPE TWO
TAPE THREE
TAPE FOUR
TAPE FIVE
TAPE SIX
TAPE SEVEN
TAPE EIGHT
TAPE NINE
TAPE TEN
TAPE ELEVEN
TAPE TWELVE
TAPE THIRTEEN
TAPE FOURTEEN
TAPE FIFTEEN
TAPE SIXTEEN
TAPE SEVENTEEN
TAPE EIGHTEEN
TAPE NINETEEN
TAPE TWENTY
TAPE TWENTY-ONE
TAPE TWENTY-TWO
TAPE TWENTY-THREE