Indira and Other Stories/The Two Rings/Chapter 6
VI
Some time after, Amala came to Hiranmayi with a good-natured grin on her homely face and said, "Well, young woman, what am I to think of your manners and morals now?"
Hiranmayi asked, "What have I been doing now?"
"Why did you not tell me all this time?"
"What was there to tell?"
"That you were such a dear friend of Purandar Chetty, to be sure!"
Hiranmayi's face flushed with shame at this sudden imputation. She said, however, "Well, they were neighbours of ours when I was a child. There was nothing else to tell."
"Merely neighbours? Look here, what I have brought!"
So saying, Amala produced a casket. Opening it, she displayed a real marvel, a diamond necklace of extreme beauty and enormous value. The merchant's daughter was a judge of precious stones. She said in astonishment, "But this is worth a prince's ransom! Where did you get this?"
"Purandar has sent it to you. Hearing that you were lodging in my house, he sent for me and bade me give you this from him."
Hiranmayi reflected a moment. She knew that if she accepted so princely a gift, she would be relieved of all fear of want. The only daughter of a wealthy merchant, accustomed to luxury all her life, she was beginning to feel the pangs of poverty very cruelly. For a moment, she hesitated. But finally she sighed and said, "Amala, take this back to the merchant, and say I cannot accept it."
Amala was surprised. "What is this?" she cried. "Have you lost your senses, or don't you believe what I am telling you?"
"My dear," replied Hiranmayi gently, "I believe every word you say, and I am in full possession of my senses. But I cannot accept such a gift."
Amala argued with her in vain. Hiranmayi utterly refused to be persuaded. Finally Amala took the necklace to the raja of the place, known by the name of Raja Madan Deva. Making her prostration before this nobleman, she said to him, "Your honour will be pleased to accept this jewel. You alone are worthy to possess so costly a thing." The raja accepted the necklace, and gave a suitably magnificent reward to Amala. Of course Hiranmayi was not told of this transaction.
A few days after this, one of Purandar's maidservants came to Hiranmayi and said, "My master has sent me to tell you that he cannot bear the thought of your living in this thatched hut. You are the companion of his boyhood. Your father's house is as a second home to him. Of course he does not venture to suggest that you should take up your abode in his house. But he has bought your father's old home from his creditors, and wishes to make you a present of it. He begs as a favour to him to accept your old home from him as a gift."
Of all the consequences of poverty, the most painful to Hiranmayi's mind was her banishment from the home of her childhood. The thought was cruel that she might not end her days in the dear home where she had played as a child, where her father and mother had spent so many happy years, where she had seen them die. The mere mention of the old home brought tears to her eyes.
She thanked and blessed the servant girl and said, "I know I ought not to accept this gift. But I cannot restrain the desire that possesses me. May all happiness and good fortune attend your master!"
The girl made her obeisance and departed. Amala was present during this interview. Hiranmayi said to her, "It will be impossible for me to dwell there alone. You must come and live with me."
Amala agreed to this, and removed to Dhana Das's old home with her young mistress.
Nevertheless Hiranmayi forbad Amala to pay any more visits to Purandar's house, and, let us hope, was obeyed.
On one point Hiranmayi was much puzzled, after taking up her abode in her old home. One day Amala said to her, "There is no need for you to worry about money matters any more, or to perform any bodily labour. I have got work in the raja's palace, and shall not want for money any more. I will take charge of the house-keeping, but, of course, I shall always regard you as my mistress."
As a matter of fact, she noticed Amala seemed to have plenty of money to spend, and began to entertain the most uncomfortable suspicions.