CHAPTER VIII
In Shelter.
Under the wing of the inky darkness of the moonless night, both ran into cover of the wood at their top-most speed. The wood path was unknown to Nabokumar and he had no other choice left him than to follow the lead of that fair guide of sixteen summers. This, too, was writ on my brow by that unknown scribe thought he within himself. The reflection betrayed Nabokumar's ignorance that the Bengalee is always the slave and never the master of circumstances. If he even knew this, he would never have felt either sick or sorry for it. On they travelled, they gradually slackened their paces. The gloom enveloped everything under its deep fold. Only at places the chalky crests of sand-dunes seldom loomed sentinel-like under the star-lit night. At odd intervals, in the tiny glow of the fire-flies, the tall trees of the forest stood out in their ghostly outlines against the dark blue sky.
Nabokumar in company of Kapalkundala arrived at a lonely recess in the wood. The turret of a temple was descried in the foreground through the forest gloom. Near the temple was, also, visible a house with a brick wall around it. Advancing, Kapalkundala knocked at the door in the wall and after short sharp raps came out a man's voice from inside "I presume you are Kapalkundala". "Open the door please" chimed in, Kapalkundala.
The speaker came down and unfastened the door. The man who threw open the door looked either the care-taker or the owner of the edifice raised to the Goddess inside, and appeared to have been on the wrong side of fifty. Kapalkundla with both hands drew the thin-haired head of the man near her lips and explained in a whispering word or two the plight of the stranger. The proprietor or the Adhicary of the shrine placing the head on his hand revolved the question in his mind for a long time.
"It is a serious affair" observed the man at length. "The saintly man can work miracles. However, through the grace of the Mother Goddess no misfortunes can befall you. Where is the man?"
"Come in" trilled out Kapalkundala to Nabokumar. Thus invited, Nabokumar who kept himself well under cover slipped into the house.
"Hide your head for the night here" said the Adhicary to him. "Before the day breaks to-morrow I shall put you on the Midnapore highway."
The Adhicary in course of conversation gathered that Nabokumar till then had not had a morsel of food. So he bustled himself arranging for Nabokumar's repast. But Nabokumar showed his disinclination to have had any food at all and simply prayed for the resting place. The Adhicary made Nabokumar's bed in his own kitchen-room. After Nabokumar had laid himself down to rest, Kapalkundala was making herself ready to get back to the sea-shore.
The Adhicary eyeing her affectionately said "Don't go. Rest a while. I have a request."
"What you mean?"
"Since these eyes saw you, I have begun to call you mother and I can swear by the feet of the Goddess that I love you more than my own mother. Won't you keep my request?"
"Certainly, I will."
"My only request is that you must not get back there any more."
"Why?"
"If you go, you are undone."
"That I know too."
"Then what makes you question again."
"Where am I to go, if not there?"
"Go forth into otherland in company of this stranger."
Kapalkundala remained silent.
"What gives you furiously to think over it, mother?" asked the Adhicary.
"When your disciple came, you urged the immorality of my accompanying, as a young maid, another young man. Bnt why do you tell me to do so again?"
"Then your life was not in jeopardy. Besides, the opportunity, which was lacking men, might prove golden now. Come, let us have the sanction of our Mother.
Saying this, the Adhicary holding a lighted lamp in his hand issued forth and went over to the temple porch and opened the door. Kapalkundala, also, went behind him. Inside the temple was established the frightful Goddess Kali of the height and measure of a human figure. Both bent low before her in deep reverence. The Adhicary, after going through the holy preliminaries and reciting incantations in invocation of the deity, took a trident leaf from the flower stand and placing it at the feet of the Goddess looked intently on it. Shortly after, the Adhicary remarked to Kapalkundala "Look, mother, the Goddess has accepted the offering as the trident leaf has not dropped down. The idea with which the offering has been made is sure to materialise favourably. Go forth with this foreigner with a light heart. But I know the manners and conduct of the worldly people. If you literally prove a dead weight round his neck, then a blush might rise to the cheeck of this stranger to have a young girl by him in society. Besides, the world might treat you contemptuously. You say this man is a Brahmin and I see, too, he has a sacred thread around his neck. If this man takes you home after marriage then it is happy and good. Otherwrise I can never advise you to bear him company."
Kapalkundala slowly drawled out the word "M-a-r-r-i-a-g-e."
"I heard the word 'Marriage' from your lips" went on she, "but have never understood the honest meaning of the expression. What's to be done?"
The Adhicary gave a silent and slight laugh and said "To woman wedlock is but a stepping stone to the soul's flight to holihead and for this she is called the better-half of man. Even, the Mother of the Universe is Shiva's married wife."
The temple-keeper thought he explained everything and Kapalkundala thought he understood everything.
"Let it be as you say" added Kapalkundala. "But my heart is loth to let him severely alone as he brought me up by hand for so long a time."
"You don't know why he reared you."
After this, the Adhicary or temple-keeper made a feeble attempt at making a half-hearted exposition to Kapalkundala as to the relation of woman to the Tantrick rites of worship. Though Kapalkundala could not take in all this, still a chill gripped her heart.
"Let me be led to the marriage altar then" stammered out she.
Afterwards, both went out of the temple. The temple-keeper, making Kapalkundala wait in a room, approached Nabokumar's bed and sat at the head of the bed-stead.
"Sir" enquired he "are you asleep?"
Nabokumar was not in a mood to fall into a sleep. He lay brooding over his own condition.
"No, Sir" answered he.
"Sir, I have turned in here" resumed the Adhicary "to gather your particulars. May I ask if you are a Brahmin?"
"Oh! yes, I am."
"Of what sect?"
"Of Rahri sect."
"I, too, belong to the Rahri order of Brahmins. So, please, never take me for a Brahmin that came of the Uriya stock. By family pedigree, I am a first-rate Kulin though, for the present, I have taken refuge under the foot-stool of the Mother Goddess. Your name please"
"Nabokumar Sharma."
"Native village?"
"Saptagram."
"Of what branch of Kulins?"
"Bandoghati."
"How many times did you marry?"
"For the first time."
Nabokumar did not lay bare his whole heart. In fact, he had no wife at all. He married Padmabati, the daughter, of Ram Govinda Ghosal. After marriage Padmabati stayed at her father's place for a short time and at times visited her father-in-law's house. Her father had been on a holy pilgrimage to Puri with the whole family when she was barely thirteen. At this time, the Pathans who were expelled from Bengal by Akbar found an asylum in Orissa. Akbar had quite a tough job to quell them. The Moghuls and Pathans had been on their war-path when Ram Govinda Ghosal was getting back from Orissa. On the way he fell into the hands of the Pathans, who, at that time, were in the habit of trampling down the codes of war etiquette and so used violence to innocent passers to squeeze out money. Ram Govinda was of choleric temper so he abused the Pathans. The up-shot was that he with the whole family was thrown into prison. At last he and the family changed faith and were released on their apostacy. Though Ram Govinda and the family returned home unhurt, they were treated as outcasts by the relation and society. Nabokumar's father was living and he discarded his daughter-in-law as well as her father who had cast away the faith. Nabokumar did not any more set his eyes on his wife. Renounced by the relation and society, Ram Govinda could not hold his head high in his native village for long. What with these grounds and what with his high ambition to secure some fat billet through royal favour did Ram Govinda move to Rajmahal with his family and settled there. Having turned renegades, he and the family adopted Mussulmun names. Since they repaired to Rajmahal, Nabokumar had no means of knowing the whereabouts of either the wife or the father and so far he received no news about them. Nabokumar was reluctant any more to take to second wife. For this, we are entitled to say that Nabokumar had no wife at all. Adhicary was not aware of all this. He concluded that there might be no harm for a Kulin's son to be a polygamist.
"I came to tell you one thing." he spoke aloud. "This girl who saved your life has sacrificed her own life for other's good. The saintly man under whose protection she lives is a horrid being. If she goes back she needs must share the same fate as you were almost doing. May I ask whether you can suggest any way out of this?"
Nabokumar sat up on the bed-stead.
"I, too, feared that." said he "You know everything so you can suggest the means. If my self-immolation can repay any thing, I am ready to sacrifice myself. I have so made up my mind as to return to the man-slayer and surrender myself to htm. In that case her life may be spared."
The Adhicary laughed silently.
"You are insane." said he "What would this result in? The flame of your life would be put out though it would not extinguish the wrath of the personage. It admits but of one solution."
"What is it?"
"It means her flight with you. But that, too, is a risky adventure. If you tarry in my place any longer, you are sure to be apprehended in a day or two. That saintly man frequents this holy shrine. So it portends misfortunes to Kapalkundala."
"What risk is there" returned Nabokumar quick with eagerness "in her escape with me?"
"You don't know this girl's parents and lineage—whose wife she is and of what character? Would you take her as your companion? Granting you take her as your companion in life, would you shelter her under your patemal roof? Besides, if you refuse her any asylum where would this orphan go?"
Nabokumar reflected for sometime and joined "I shall not let the grass grow under my feet to be of any service to my saviour. She shall find a place in the inner ring of my family."
"Well and good. But when the people would come and ask whose wife she is what answer would you give?"
Nabokumar mused again and added "You must tell me that and I will say to each and every one accordingly."
"Good. But how is it possible for a young man and a young maid to go together alone on a fortnight's journey? what will men say to all this? How would you explain it to your friends and relatives? Besides, when I have called this girl my mother, does it behove me to pack her off to a far-off country in company of stranger?"
The prince of match-makers was not ill-adept in match-making.
"Be pleased then to come with us" urged Nabokumar.
"Indeed! Then who would offer Pujah to the Goddess Bhowani?"
Nabokumar was at a quandary and replied "Can't you point then to any solution to this riddle?"
"There may be one and only one solution that waits upon your generosity."
"What might it be? In what do I not acquiesce in? Please tell me the way out."
"Listen. She is the daughter of a Brahmin father. In her infancy, she was carried away by the wicked pirates but was abandoned on the sea-coast due to ship-wreck. You will have the details from her later on. Chance had given her over to the Kapalik who nursed and tended her so that his ritualism might attain its fruition. He could, by this time, have encompassed his own end but affection forged a fetter that held him with a hand of iron. Marry her and take her home so that none will have their say. I shall conduct the marriage according to scriptural rites."
Nabokumar rose on his legs and paced up and down with quick steps silently.
"Take your bed now" resumed the Adhicary after a brief interval. "I shall wake you up early to-morrow morning. If you like, you may go alone. I shall place you on the Midnapore high-way."
With these words, the Adhicary took leave. While retiring, he thought within "Is it that I have forgotten the ways of marriage negotiations in Western Bangal?"