Chandra Shekhar/Introduction/Chapter 3

1775336Chandra Shekhar — Introduction, Chapter IIIBankim Chandra Chattopadhyay

CHAPTER III

a bridegroom at last

A boat was passing close to the spot where Pratap sank to drown himself. Some one in the boat saw Pratap going down, and jumped into the water to his rescue. The man in the boat was Chandra Shekhar Sharma.

Chandra Shekhar taking hold of Pratap, swam back to the boat, and got him on it. He took his boat to the Ghat, landed with Pratap, and took him to his house. Chandra Shekhar was detained there by Pratap's mother. She fell at his feet and prevailed on him to be her guest that day. Chandra Shekhar, however, remained ignorant of the secrets of Pratap's attempt at suicide.

Shaibalini could not think of appearing before Pratap again. But Chandra Shekhar saw her and was charmed. Chandra Shekhar was not in easy circumstances at the time. He had passed his thirty-second year. He had domestic concerns but had no attraction for this world. He was still a bachelor, and knowing the changes that marriage brings in to be unfavourable to the acquisition of knowledge, he looked upon it with indifference. But lately, a little over a year, his mother had died, and he had already begun to feel that his bachelor life itself was a hinderance. In the first place, he had to cook his food himself, and that took away much of his time—hampered his studies, and his works as a teacher of youths. Secondly, he had a Shalgram* in his house, whom he worshipped every day. Everything in that connection he had to do himself, and that again, required time. The services of the deity could not be performed without hitches. His household affairs suffered in consequence, yea, it happened sometimes that he could not even get his meals ready. He often missed his books and could not find them out. He often forgot where he kept his money or whom he paid. His income could not cover his expenses, although his wants were very few and small. Chandra Shekhar thought his condition would improve, in some respects, if he would marry.

But he resolved that if he would marry at all, he would not marry a beautiful girl; for his mind might become captivated by the charms of a beautiful wife. He would not be entangled in the networks of the world.

When Chandra Shekhar was in this mood of mind, he saw Shaibalini. The ascetic's determination gave way before her beauty. After much reflection and some hesitation, he at last married Shaibalini, himself acting as a match-maker. Who is not captivated by the fascinating influence of beauty?

Our story begins some eight years after this marriage took place.