AGRA: The riots, serious and scary, were a veritable cocktail. Of accident and anger, rumours and retaliation, Hindus and Muslims. But the most potent of these, as a bemused local said, was "rum-cola".

It so happened that one faction, awakened by the stench and smoke, ran down the stairs to take on heavy stone-hurling mobs. They wrenched open the shutter of a cola godown — those in the business know that beverage bottles are virtual bombs. But they could not get any advantage. For, the rival group had an equally potent arsenal. While being beaten back by cops manning Nai Ki Mandi police station, they found an impounded truck laden with booze bottles.

As in all wars, it was bottle for a bottle. Or, as an eyewitness said, "It was rum-cola fight." Roads littered with shards of glass told a rancorous tale. The undertones of dark humour, however, could not take away from the ferocity of a Hindu-Muslim clash.

"Nalbund-Mantola stretch is sensitive. The MG road at places is virtually a religious divide. Stray fights between two persons do take a communal hue. But it's never a riot. Never," said a local scribe.

Himangshu, an Agra resident, recalled the last fight — it was September 2003 when BSP MLA Bashir Chaudhary crossed over with his legislator-wife to Mulayam Singh Yadav after Mayawati Government's fall — "Bashir had gone to meet his guru when angry Dalit activists cornered him for his betrayal of behenji. It turned ugly, resulting in two deaths." Wednesday was as bad. With Shabb-e-Barat and Raksha Bandhan on same day, cops were on their toes. For Muslims, the remembrance day for the departed sees crowds heading for graveyards in groups and bursting firecrackers. With a narrow highway, administration bars heavy traffic till 7 am.

Just how did loaded trucks enter the city before sunrise? The government set up an inquiry and officials insist the restriction was in place until the next day. So, how was 'next day' turned into 3 am by traffic police? Residents, however, allege corrupt cops took money to let trucks in before time.

"This riot is a gift of dishonest policemen," said a man at the circuit house. What followed was pitched battles. "I wanted to run down and slap those rioters. A group of kids around 12 year were flinging petrol-drenched towels at cars," said Rekha Devi, a resident at Dhakran on MG Road.

Debilitating strikes came not from crude bombs and bottles but rumours. As Dharkan, Nai ki Mandi and Mantola communal junctions on MG Road were gripped by fury, a rumour spread that crowds were targeting religious places. Retaliation was swift.

Late in the evening, as Agra trudged to tranquillity, Amit Bajaj, a college student, lamented that religious places had been touched for the first time — he feared the fire wasn't doused. Shoaib Iqbal stood with his Hindu friend, to say, " Mandir-masjid ko kuch nahin hua ." Shoaib lives right behind a temple in a mixed locality, and watched the violence from his window.

By evening, however, the narrative of an otherwise hair-raising day only evoked mirth. A cop recounted his encounter with a rioter busy mopping up grains, fruit and shoes from a burning truck. Asked what he was doing, he said, "Sadak saaf karne ka isse badhiya tarika kya hai!"