First Grain of Sand — Page 135
A PERIOD OF IMPROVEMENT 119 This is why he had sent me to this country, but I said that the way his government had treated me is apparent to him. To this, the new Colonel said that all is fine, but since this is the first time I have come to their country, they have imprisoned me out of precaution until they are completely convinced that I am a missionary. He said as soon as they have complete assurance, they will release me from prison. But he said when it comes to religious preaching, they cannot go against their law. After some time, when the discussion came to an end and everyone got up from their chairs to leave the room, the Colonel offered me to go first. I hesitated and suggested that the Colonel had the right of way. At this he replied through the translating, telling me that I am the brave one and a scholar and, therefore, should have the first right of way. I swear by God Almighty that knowing full well my own helplessness, when I heard this and saw the honour and kindness of these words, I knew this was due to the blessings of receiving the prayers of the Imam of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community. So I thanked God Almighty and said in my heart, 'Oh God, how amazing that the prison soldiers persist in treating me harshly, but You have softened the highest officer's heart towards me. ' I exited the room, and the Colonel ordered the translator to escort me back to my cell, and so he did. With the arrival of this new Colonel, the hardships that had been meted out to me stopped, and for a few days I was able to stay comfortably at Tashkent. Before this, the previous prison officers had been adamantly opposed to me and had provoked several Russian inmates into harassing me and would constantly seek an opportunity to plant a fake confession letter on me. Under the assumption that I could not understand any Russian, they often