Sacred Games

  Kumbhkaran One of the brothers of Ravana, the antagonist in the Ramayana. Kumbhkaran—through a boon granted by Brahma—slept for six months at a time, waking only to eat vast quantities of food.

  Kya se kya ho gaya… The lyrics of a song from a fictional Hindi film: ‘Look what has happened as we watch. My heart has fallen in love with you as we watch’.

  Laddoo A sweet dish; laddoos can be made from various substances, but they are always round.

  Ladhi This refers to firecrackers—a ‘ladhi’ is a string of crackers, and can be very long.

  lakh A unit in the traditional Indian numbering system, equivalent to a hundred thousand.

  Lallu Weakling, a soft or ineffective person.

  Lalten Lantern.

  Lambi ‘Lambi’ is literally ‘long’. But in jail, a ‘lambi’ is a knife or dagger, which is long in comparison to razor blades, the other weapon of choice. A lambi can be engineered from a door hinge or other such piece of metal. The word is also used to refer to a sword.

  Langda-lulla Crippled.

  Lassi A refreshing drink made from blended yogurt, water and spices. Lassis can be either sweet or salty.

  Lat pat lat pat tujha chalana mothia nakhriyacha This is a line from an old Marath Laavani or folk song, which has also been sung in a film. The sense is a bit hard to translate; it probably loses something in the change to English. The line is addressed to a woman. ‘Lat pat lat pat’ is an onomatopoeia referring to how she walks, the swing of her hips. So the line is something like, ‘You walk with such airs, such style’. The last word in the fragment, ‘nakhriyacha’, is a form of ‘nakhra’, usually translated as ‘feminine airs or blandishments; affectation; coquetry; flirting’.

  Lathi Wooden baton carried and used by policemen, especially for crowd control.

  Lauda Penis, cock.

  Leela Play, the universe as the divine play of the Lord.

  Lodu A prick.

  Loksatta A Marathi newspaper.

  London mein fielding lagao. Do team bhedzjo, Sachin aur Saurav dono. Ready rehna, instructions baad mein Gaitonde is speaking in code here: ‘Set up fielding in London. Send two teams, Sachin and Saurav both. Stay ready, instructions will be sent later’. So he wants his subordinates to get ready for action in London; fielding—as in cricket—refers to getting people in place. ‘Sachin’ and ‘Saurav’ are code names for two of his own men; he’s using the names of two very famous cricketers, Sachin Tendulkar and Saurav Ganguly.

  lurkao Literally, ‘to tumble’, or to ‘throw over’. Therefore, to kill.

  maderchod Motherfucker, motherfucking.

  maghai A variety of leaf used in the making of sweet paan.

  Mai re An exclamation, ‘O mother!’

  maidan An open field, park, or square.

  Main zindagi ka saath nibhaata chala gaya This is a line from a song from the Hindi film Hum Dono (‘The Two of Us’, 1961): ‘I went along, keeping my faith with life…’

  Majnoo This is a reference to an old folktale that is popular all over South Asia and the Mideast, the story of Laila and Majnoo. ‘Majnoo’ means ‘mad’ in Arabic. This is the name given to a well-born young man named Qais, who is separated from his beloved Laila by her father, who wants to marry her to someone else. Qais, in despair, leaves home and wanders in the desert, hungry and ragged, and for his frenzy and ecstatic love is called ‘Majnoo’ by the people. He eventually dies of starvation, still bereft. Laila kills herself on the day of her wedding.

  makhmali andhera Part of a line from a song from the Hindi film Sharmilee (‘The Shy One’, 1971): ‘The darkness is velvet…’

  malai Cream.

  Mamta Literally, ‘mother’s love’. Often used as a proper name.

  Mamu An affectionate way of saying ‘Mama’, uncle—mother’s brother.

  Man ja ay khuda, itni si hai dua These are lines from a song from the Hindi film Yes, Boss (1997): ‘Listen to me, God, grant me only this little wish…’

  mandvali A negotiation, settlement or compromise.

  mangalsutra A necklace of black beads, worn by married women.

  Mantralaya The state administrative headquarters or state ministry in Bombay (‘mantri’ is ‘minister’).

  manuvadi Manu was the author of the text Manusmriti, from which orthodox Hinduism draws many of its laws and practises, including the persecution and exploitation of the lower castes. A ‘manuvadi’ is follower of Manu, which is to say someone from the upper castes.

  marad sala aisaich hota hai She’s saying, in typical Bombay Hindi, ‘Bastard men are like this’.

  Maratha A group of Marathi-speaking castes from Maharashtra. They have traditionally been warriors and cultivators.

  Marwari Someone from Marwar, a region in Rajasthan. Marwaris—stereotypically—are known as sharp traders.

  mathadi workers Loaders, as in dockyards.

  matka The illegal numbers game in Bombay, which is very big business.

  mausambi Sweet lime.

  mausi Aunt—mother’s sister.

  MEA Ministry of External Affairs (at the national level).

  mehbooba mehbooba Part of a song from the famous Hindi film Sholay (‘Embers’, 1975). ‘Beloved, o my beloved…’

  mehndi Henna.

  mere desh ki dharti sona ugle, ugle heere moti A line from a song from the Hindi film Upkar (‘Good Works’, 1967): ‘The earth of my country gives forth gold, it gives pearls and jewels’. The song is sung in the film by a farmer, so he’s talking about the richness of his land.

  Mere sahiba, kaun jaane gun tere? This is from a ‘shabad’. The literal meaning of ‘shabad’—in Punjabi—is ‘word’. Here, in this context, ‘shabad’ is the revealed word of Vaheguru, God; this is a line from a hymn or verse from the Guru Granth Sahib, the holy book of the Sikhs. It translates, roughly, into something like, ‘O Lord, who can know your qualities?’

  Mere sapnon ki rani kab aaye gi tu, aayi rut mastaani kab aaye gi tu… This is a line from a song from the Hindi film Aradhana (‘Worship’, 1969). ‘Oh queen of my dreams, when will you come? The intoxicating season has come, when will you come?’

  monai A low stool.

  muchchad ‘Much’ or ‘mooch’ is a moustache. A ‘muchchad’ is someone with an especially impressive moustache.

  musst Fine, flashy.

  nada Drawstring.

  nakhras This is Urdu for ‘coquetry, blandishments, charm, delicacy’. There’s not a word or concept in English that’s exactly appropriate for this very South Asian behaviour. The nearest one can come to it is to say that it consists of very delicate, very feminine flirtation that is understood by all sides to be partly artifice.

  Namaskar Synonymous with ‘namaste’—a respectful greeting; the palms are folded in front of the chest as the person says this.

  narangi Literally, the orange fruit. Here, it is used as the name of a flavoured liquor.

  natevaik Relatives, the community that one is a part of.

  nau-number Literally, ‘Number 9’. Bombay slang term for policemen.

  neem A native Indian tree (Azadirachta indica). The leaves and branches have numerous medicinal properties. Twigs from the neem are used as toothbrushes.

  Nikki Literally, ‘small’. In this book, used as a term to address Prabhjot Kaur.

  Nirodh A brand name for a condom introduced by the Government of India a few decades ago. These condoms are distributed free, and the advertisements for them were once ubiquitous.

  nullah A small open waterway. Often, sewers empty into nullahs.

  OBC An abbreviation for ‘Other Backward Caste’, which is one of the classifications listed in the Indian constitution.

  Om evam saraswatye namah An invocation from a classical Sanskrit text: ‘Om! I honour the goddess Saraswati…’

  One, two, chal shuru hoja This is a line from a song from the Hindi film Humjoli (‘Friend’, 1970): ‘One, two, let’s start…’

  paan A sweet or savoury palate-cleanser made from various fillings fo
lded within betel leaves.

  paes A rice dish (sometimes transliterated as ‘pej’).

  pag ghungru baandh Mira naachi thi A line from a song from the Hindi film Namak Halal (‘Faithful’, 1982): ‘With anklets on, Mira danced…’

  paisa phek, tamasha dekh ‘Throw money, watch the spectacle’.

  pallu The loose end of a woman’s sari, usually worn over the shoulder.

  paltu Tame.

  PAN Card ‘PAN’ stands for ‘Permanent Account Number’, which all taxpayers are required to have by the Income Tax department.

  panchnama A first listing of the evidence and findings that a police officer makes at the scene of a crime. The document has to be signed by the investigating officer and two supposedly impartial witnesses.

  pani Water.

  Pankhida tu uddi jaaje This is from a popular song sung during garba dances: ‘O bird, fly away…’ The lines which follow are:

  Pawagarh re

  Kehje Ma Kali ne re

  Garbo ramwa re

  Which mean:

  O bird, fly away to Pawagarh

  Tell Mother Kali

  To dance the garba

  paplu The card game of rummy.

  patta Literally ‘strap’, but in Bombay police stations it refers to a long piece of thick canvas taken from the kind of belt that drives machinery. The strap is then fixed to a wooden handle, and is used to hit prisoners during interrogation. The advantage for the policeman is that the patta doesn’t leave as many marks as other implements.

  paya Goat’s Trotters curry.

  peda A sweet dish.

  peetal Brass.

  peri pauna ‘I touch your feet’. This is something one says as one touches the feet of an elder, or someone who is immensely respected.

  peti Bombay slang for Rs. 100,000 (one lakh).

  PG Paying Guest. This abbreviation can be used to describe a person who lives in someone else’s house (usually taking one room) and pays rent, or it can be used for the accommodations themselves. As in, ‘She just found a really good PG in Bandra’.

  phat An onomatopoeia; something like the sound a balloon makes when it’s punctured. Sometimes used to describe something vanishing, imploding.

  phataak Explosive, hot. The sound of an explosion.

  phatakdi Sexy as a firecracker. A ‘pataka’ is a firecracker, so ‘phatakdi’ refers to the explosion a firecracker can make.

  Phoolon ki Raani This is the title of a fictional film, ‘Queen of Flowers’.

  phuljadi Sparkler.

  pir A Sufi saint and teacher.

  pohe Spicy snack made from rice flakes.

  prasad Food that is offered to a deity, and then is consumed with the belief that the god or goddess has blessed the offering.

  PSI Police Sub-Inspector.

  pucca, kuchcha A pucca dwelling is made of bricks and cement. ‘Pucca’ is literally ‘solid’ or ‘permanent’, as opposed to ‘kuchcha’ or ‘soft’ or ‘impermanent’. A ‘kuchcha’ construction is made of mud or clay and other found materials, and therefore starts leaking or washes away at the first hard rain. Therefore you want a ‘pucca’ house, which is hard to afford.

  pugree A turban. Also ‘pug’.

  puja Prayer.

  pujari Priest.

  Pyaar ka Diya This is the title of a made-up Hindi film, ‘The Lamp of Love’.

  ragdo To rub, to scrape, to wear down. The word can also be used as a noun: ‘ragda’ is ‘the rub’, or ‘rubbing’.

  Rakshak The word literally means ‘Protector’.

  rakshasa In Hindu mythology, the rakshasas are a race of demons or goblins.

  randi Whore.

  rangroot Recruit.

  Ravana The great king of Lanka who is the antagonist of the Ramayana. He is actually a deeply knowledgeable scholar and a great yogi.

  RAW Research and Analysis Wing. India’s foreign intelligence agency.

  Rehne do, yaaron, main door ja raha hoon This is from a song from International Dhamaka, the film that Gaitonde produces: ‘Leave me be, friends, I am going far away’.

  reshmi ujala hai Part of a line from a song from the Hindi film Sharmilee (‘The Shy One’, 1971): ‘The light is silken…’

  rishi A sage, a seer.

  saadi Literally, ‘ordinary’. Here, a category of cheap distilled liquor or tharra, often made and sold illegally.

  Sabse Bada Paisa Literally, ‘The Largest Money’. This is the name of a made-up TV show.

  Sadrakshanaaya Khalanighranaaya This is Sanskrit, and is the motto of the Bombay police: ‘Protect the virtuous, punish the wicked’.

  Sai Baba Sai Baba is a famous guru famed for the miracles he performs in front of crowds of thousands.

  sala Wife’s brother. Also used as a form of mild abuse.

  salwar-kameez A traditional outfit worn by women in the Indian subcontinent—the kameez is a long shirt, and the salwar is a pair of loose trousers.

  samaan Your stuff, your luggage. But used in the Bombay underworld for a handgun.

  Sardar A Sikh.

  sarkari Governmental.

  sarvajanik Public, for everyone, for all people.

  sasural The house of your in-laws. So, a house that is not yours but you are very familiar with, that you visit often. Career criminals therefore refer to jail as their ‘sasural’.

  satrangi Literally, ‘seven-coloured’. Here, a category of cheap distilled liquor or tharra, often made and sold illegally.

  saunf Fennel seed.

  shabash ‘Well done’, or ‘Good job’.

  shagun Portent, augury.

  shakha A shakha is the smallest unit or cell of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), a nationalist Hindu organization. ‘Shakha’ is literally ‘branch’ in Sanskrit. Each shakha meets in the morning or evening to play games, learn tactics and the use of weapons, and to engage in rituals and debates. These meetings are usually held in playgrounds or open spaces, which allows numbers of people to gather for sports and exercise.

  shamiana A large tent. Such tents are often used at weddings and other functions attended by sizable numbers of people.

  shamshan ghat The place where dead bodies are burnt.

  shandaar Magnificient, glorious. ‘Shandaar party’ is a phrase often used in Hindi movies.

  shanne ‘Shanne’ is what you call someone who is cunning, sneaky, or at least is trying to be. Depending on the intonation, a shanna can be someone who is trying to be overly smart.

  shosha Gimmickry with no real substance. Perhaps from ‘show’—Indians like to repeat words or sounds for emphasis. So, ‘What is this show-sha?’

  Shri An honorific, similar to ‘Mr’ and used for men. The equivalent term for women is ‘Shrimati’.

  sindoor The red powder traditionally worn in the parting of the hair by married Hindu women.

  SP Superintendent of Police.

  supari A murder contract. The word actually refers to betel nuts, which are eaten to freshen the mouth. In the underworld, supari now refers to the proposal and acceptance of a hit.

  takli Bald head.

  tapasya Meditative practise, often involving very rigorous physical and spiritual austerity.

  tapori Small time street hood, a punk.

  Tarai gun maya mohi aayi This is a line from the Guru Granth Sahib, the holy book of the Sikhs. Here, it is sung as a ‘kirtan’ or hymn: ‘Maya (illusion) with her three gunas—the three dispositions—has come to entice me; who can I tell of my pain?’

  taveez A talisman, often blessed by a holy man.

  thela A thela is a small cart. Street vendors typically sell their wares from thelas, which they push about.

  thoko ‘Thoko’ is literally ‘to hit’, or ‘to thump’. It’s also underworld slang for killing, in the same way that American mafiosi use ‘hit’. Less often, it is used in the context of sex, to mean ‘to fuck’.

  thoku A ‘thoku’ is someone who is thumped, hit; a lover who is a thoku is someone who is just banged, used for sex. It’s a
very belittling and vulgar thing to call someone.

  tikkar-billa Hopskotch.

  tope Literally, ‘cannon’. Used sometimes as vulgar slang for the penis.

  TRP An abbreviation for ‘Television Rating Points’. An industry system of evaluating the popularity of television programs.