His heart ached as he remembered Anjii.
It was the Saturday that they were checking into the halls of residence. Cars of all descriptions were attempting to park in the college drive: as close as possible so that they did not have as far to carry their little darlings' belongings. It had seemed to Blunt at the time that the bigger the vehicle the closer to the hall they attempted to park.
Both he and his mother had felt a little out of things. Their battered Mini struck a discordant note amongst the Volvo's Jaguars, Mercedes, BMWs and the odd Bentley and Rolls Royce.
He had noticed her alighting from her father's anthracite Volvo estate. He was immediately struck by her. She seemed possessed of a luminous vivaciousness. He hoped that she would be on his landing, or even better, next door to him. She had long and lustrous black hair parted in the middle and falling gently off her shoulders. Her skin the colour of caramac chocolate had a healthy sheen. Her lips were full and her face symmetrical apart from the slightly upturned nose that enhanced the prettiness. Like all males Blunt was also drawn to her perfectly proportioned body, especially the breasts, in a five foot two high package.
Another that forced his attention on Blunt and drew the approbation of his mother, was a large blustering Asian in an ancient Bentley. He barged his way to the staircase oblivious of both anyone in his way and his son, a short skinny lad, whom he continuously chided to hurry up. The poor boy looked positively embarrassed by his father.
As luck would have it Anjii, the Asian girl's room was situated between those of Blunt and the Asian boy, Rafique. Anjii's father was dentist from Braintree. A Pashtun he had come to England in the early fifties. He had worked in factories and saved enough money to pay his way through a dental course at Leicester University in the early sixties. Anjii was his pride and joy in more ways than one. Not only was she pretty but she was also a bright and conscientious worker. This had won her a place on the History of Art course. Although her father would have preferred law or even dentistry he opined that he was more than grateful for what he and his wife had achieved.
Rafique's father by way of contrast had arrived in the UK in the late fifties and with money. Also from a Pashtun background he had arrived with ample funds donated by his tribal leader family. They had noticed that the first wave of immigrants was investing in small shops. The Khan's were going to establish a wholesale business to service these shops. They were devout Muslims and would use this and their position as tribal leaders to ensure that the Asian shops did business with the. The Khans were not used to being denied: and for whatever reason it transpired that they were not!
When all the parents had disappeared the 'freshers' emerged from their rooms and began to excitedly explore the facilities. Blunt, fortuitously bumped into Anjii who invited him to her room for a coffee: he jumped at the chance.
They soon found that they shared many interests, literature and music. Blunt preferred the progressive rock bands whilst Anjii had a penchant for the melancholy folk of Leonard Cohen and others. However, they both took delight in discovering and appreciating each other's choices. As time went by they also took delight in discovering and appreciating each other's bodies.
On that first day Rafique had also been smitten by Anjii. However, she did not really have much time for the short and ugly boy, even though he was Asian. Her nature dictated that she was polite to him and even accepted his company. In some ways he reminded her of one of Charles Dickens's characters, Uriah Heep, more in manner than looks: although he did possess the same scant eyebrows as that fictional character.
He constantly asked what he could do for her, whether she wanted a coffee, whether he could carry her books, whether she would go out with him. She gently refused to go out with him but she did but she did allow him to make her coffee and to occasionally carry her heavy art books.
He had never met an Asian girl like her and expressed even more surprise when she informed him of her Muslim faith. He chided her for not saying prayers on Friday evening instead of indulging in alcohol with Blunt. Although relatively quiet he was exceptionally persistent: he stuck to her and Blunt like a leech. That persistence had enabled him to sail through the college interview and to achieve four good A level results and win a place on the law course.
Blunt often asked her why she tolerated him and why she allowed him to often play the gooseberry. The simple answer: she felt sorry for him. For her sake Blunt also tolerated Rafique. So much so that the Asian boy often referred to Blunt as his friend. Although what friend would attempt to steal the other's girlfriend? It did not bother Patel as he believed that Anjii should not be associating with a non believer.
Over the first two years of their studies Blunt and Anjii had grown closer and frequently discussed getting married. Still they were dogged by Rafique. Over the two years he had outgrown his quiet shyness. He had founded the Muslim society and joined the Labour Party society. He had persuaded Anjii to attend a couple of meetings of the former without Blunt: she found the members a little too earnest and sexist for her taste.
On being informed of their intentions he profusely congratulated the couple. However, inwardly he vowed that he would put a stop to it: the girl would be his. He informed his father of the state of affairs. The man was horrified. He couldn't abide the thought of his son losing a Muslim girl to a non-believer. How had her parents allowed her to act in such a way?
In the Pakistani community Mr Patel generally got his way: and he cared little for how he did it. He always rationalised that he was acting in the best interests of his faith. He discovered that most of Ashraf's dental patients were Muslims. That determined his next step, it gave him leverage. Initially, Ashraf was not receptive to Patel senior's overtures. Yes, he would like his daughter to marry a Muslim but he wanted his wife, daughter and himself to pick the bridegroom. And anyway he found Patel obnoxious.
Unfortunately, the young Patel had acquired his persistence from his father. He informed Ashraf that unless Anjii and Rafique were betrothed he would lose all his Muslim customers. Thus at one fell stroke the dentist would lose seventy five percent of his business. No surprise then that the two Muslims became betrothed!
Blunt, oblivious to the new state of affairs, meanwhile carried on planning for the European rail trip the lovers were to shortly embark on. However, a phone call from Anjii's aunt appraised him of the situation. The aunt had been ostensibly ostracized by the family not only because she had married an Englishman but also because she had turned her back on Islam and converted to Anglicanism. The two lovers had regularly used her as a go between. And it is where he rang Anjii when they were apart and vice versa.
The aunt explained things to the distraught young man and advised him of the perils and futility of attempting to intervene. She outlined to him some of the customs of Islam and the Pashtun region. Her situation had been different as she had not been involved with people such as Rafique Patel's family.
The young man's mother continually upbraided him for moping round, telling him to pull himself together and asking why he didn't find himself a Jewish girl for example. That shocked him as his mother had never said anything like that before; he never picked up on it. He could not wait for the final year to start. He would be able to see Anjii and have it out with her.
On the weekend before term Blunt was at college early on the Saturday morning. He discovered Anjii's room and resolved to catch her shortly after her arrival. His impatience mounting with each passing minute he kept look out until dark on the Saturday, all day Sunday and was about to give up at dusk.
Then as the gloom deepened a newish Bentley, headlights ablaze, swept into the car park, scrunching to a halt on the gravel. He watched in horror as his ex-girlfriend stepped out of the car wearing a veil and sari and ushered by Rafique and his father. Her body language indicated that she had lost that vivaciousness that spark that made her such a joy to be with. He vowed to confront her in the morning.
He attempted to confront her several times over the next few weeks, all to no avail. She refused to answer his questions and with teary eyes and a resigned air pleaded with him to leave her alone for both their sakes. Eventually Rafique confronted Blunt and advised him that if he did not cease stalking and pestering his fiancé then he would report him to the college and university authorities. Blunt exploded and punched Patel in the face with as much power as he could muster. Blood splattered over both young men from Khan's broken nose. The latter wailingly collapsed to the floor in a crumpled heap.
The upshot Blunt was sent down and told to think himself lucky as Patel did not wish to press charges. After much pleading the college and university authorities allowed him to return the following summer to sit his finals. He scraped a 2.2 and heard that Anjii, his bright Anjii, had got a third. Rafique on the other hand won a first. That led to traineeship with a leading chamber in Lincoln's Inn. Thus began his rise in law progressing to his inexorable drive towards the political summit. Each time his face appeared on the television or his name mentioned on the radio or in the press, Blunt's stomach churned and he thought of Anjii.
He had never formed a close relationship with another woman but had experienced a numerous unsatisfactory relationships over the years. All of them asked if he had another woman: if only they knew the half of it. Indeed over the last five years he had been celibate.
Then a year ago out of the blue he had received a letter from Anjii a week or so after the news reported the death of Khan's wife. The sod had milked it for every single political advantage available; and then more.
The letter rekindled his hatred whilst simultaneously breaking his heart once more. She had said how when he received the letter she would be dead. She told him that she had always loved and always would love him. She asked for forgiveness for hurting him but explained that the Patel's had put pressure on her family that left her with no choice.
She often dreamed of the life they could have had, the children they could have had and then growing old together. She had vowed that she would never give Rafique or his vile family the satisfaction of bearing children with him.
She explained that his public persona as dutiful husband was as much a sham as his unctuous political persona. He indulged himself with his Muslim maidens and more besides. She ended by saying sorry once more and how she could no longer bear to live. Her beloved father had died recently. Therefore the Khans no longer had a hold over the family.