IV
Mahendra did not sleep well that night. Early in the morning he turned up at Vihari's lodgings.
He said, "Look here, old fellow, I feel on reflection that Kakie's real desire must be that I should marry her niece."
"There was no need for all this reflection. In many a way has she shown this desire."
"That is why I was saying," Mahendra went on, "that if I don't marry Asha, Kakie will be left with a life-long regret."
Vihari with a somewhat exaggerated enthusiasm exclaimed, "Just the thing, the very thing. If you are willing there's nothing more to be said. Only it would have been well if this desire to do the right thing had come to you yesterday."
"What matters the delay of just one day?" remarked Mahendra.
Once he had given rein to the thought of marriage, Mahendra found it difficult to contain himself any longer. "No more words, but action," thought he.
He went home and said to his mother, "All right, mother, I yield to your persuasion. I am now ready to marry."
"Now I understand," thought his mother, "why my sister-in-law went to her niece's and why Mahendra dressed himself up to go out."
That Annapurna's scheming should have prevailed over her repeated entreaties made her feel that something had gone wrong with the whole scheme of the universe. She simply said, "Very well, I'll have to find out a good girl for you."
"But there is a girl," said Mahendra, alluding to Asha.
"That girl won't do, my child, I tell you plainly."
Restraining himself with a great effort Mahendra asked, "Why what's wrong with her, mother?"
"She has no blood relations to call her own. Your marriage with her would not give us the pleasure of extending our connections."
"I would not mind foregoing the pleasure of connections, but I feel I could be happy with her."
Her son's pertinacity only hardened Rajlakshmi's resolve. She went to Annapurna and said, "Is it your idea to filch away my son from me by marrying him to this ill-omened daughter of departed parents?"
Annapurna wept as she replied, "There has been no talk of marriage with Mahin. I know nothing of what he has been telling you of his wishes in the matter."
Mahendra's mother did not believe a word of this, of course.
Then Annapurna sent for Vihari and said, with tears in her eyes, "I thought the marriage had been settled with you, why again is everything upset? I must ask you once more to give me your word. If you do not come to the rescue I shall be put to great shame. I can assure you she is a good girl and will not he unworthy of you."
"Your assurances are entirely superfluous, Kakie," said Vihari. "Since she is your sister's child I can desire no better. But Mahendra—"
"Never, child, that is impossible," said Annapurna. "I should be perfectly content if she is married to you. I do not approve of her marriage with Mahin."
"If it has not your approval, Kakie, there is nothing more to be said." With which Vihari went off to Rajlakshmi and said to her, "Mother, my marriage with Kakie's niece has been settled, my relations are not here with me, so I have shamelessly to announce it to you myself."
Rajlakshmi.—"What is that you say, Vihari? I am so glad! She is a very good girl and quite worthy of you. Take care you do not lose her."
Vihari.—"Why should I lose her, mother? Dada has himself chosen her for me and arranged the match."
All these obstacles excited Mahendra still more. He sulked at both his mother and aunt and took himself off to some dingy rooms in the students' quarter.
Rajlakshmi went to Annapurna in tears and said, "Sister, save my child. He may turn ascetic and leave home for good."
"Have patience, my sister," said Annapurna, "his anger will cool down after a few days."
"You don't know him," rejoined Rajlakshmi. "He is capable of doing anything if he doesn't get what he wants. You must somehow or other give your niece to—"
Annapurna.—"How can that be, sister? Has not everything been finally settled with Vihari?"
"That won't take long to unsettle," interposed Rajlakshmi, as she sent for Vihari. "My son," said she to him, "I am looking out for a really good bride for you, you must give up this girl, who is not at all worthy of you."
"No, mother, that cannot be," said Vihari. "Everything has been finally settled."
Then Rajlakshmi went again to Annapurna saying, "I humbly entreat you sister—I beg of you at your feet—if you will only say a word to Vihari, everything will be righted."
So Annapurna had to say—"I really don't know how to say this to you, Vihari, but what am I to do? With Asha yours? I would have felt so relieved, but you know everything—"
"I quite understand, Kakie. Your commands shall be obeyed. But never ask me to marry anyone again." So saying Vihari left.
Annapurna's eyes filled with tears, but she wiped them away lest they should prove inauspicious to Mahendra, and repeatedly tried to console herself with the hope that everything had happened for the best.
Asha, with her shapely, well-draped figure, and a bashful far-away look in her eyes, took her first step into social life. Her tender palpitating heart did not realise that there could be any thorns in the path that stretched before her; rather all fear and doubt had departed from her mind with the hope and joy of coming to Annapurna, the only one in the world who could take her mother's place.
After the wedding Rajlakshmi called Mahendra and said, "I would suggest that my little bride-mother had better continue staying with her uncle for a time."
"Why, mother?" asked Mahendra.
"Well, you see, your examination is coming on and you might be disturbed in your studies."
"Do you take me for a child, mother? Can't I be trusted to take care of myself?"
"What does it matter? It's only a year more now."
"If she had her own parents, there could have been no objection to sending her to them, but I can't keep her with her uncle."
"Oh heavens!" thought Rajlakshmi to herself, "so he is the master, and her mother-in-law a nobody! How tenderly thoughtful, all in a day! Once upon a time our husbands had also married us, but such shameless henpecked behaviour was not to be seen in those days."
"Have no fear, mother," said Mahendra with decision, "my examination shall not suffer."
(To be continued.)
Translated by
Surendranath Tagore.