Krishna Kanta's Will (Chatterjee, Knight)/Part 1/Chapter 14

by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay

 

CHAPTER XIV.

Rohini had gone home to make arrangements to leave the village, according to Gobind Lâl's direction. Saying nothing to Brahmânanda, she sat weeping in the middle of his house.

"I cannot leave this village. I shall die if I do not see him. If I went to Calcutta should I ever see Gobind Lâl? I won't go. This village, Haridrâ, is my heaven, this place is Gobind Lâl’s temple. This village is my burial-place and here will I die. Am I fated not to die in my own burial-place? What can any one do to me if I won't leave Haridrâ? Krishna Kanta may drive me away disgraced, I will come back again. Gobind Lâl will be angry? let him be angry, at least I shall see him. They can't put my eyes out. I won't go. I won’t go to Calcutta, I won't go anywhere. If I go it shall be to Death’s palace—nowhere else."

Thus resolving, guilty Rohini, rising, opened the door, and, like a moth attracted by the flame of a candle, went to Gobind Lâl. As she walked her heart went up in prayer, "O Lord of the world, Protector of the destitute, sole Helper of the sorrowful, I am greatly afflicted, I have fallen into heavy trouble—save me! quench this unbearable fire of love in my heart, let it burn no longer. The more I see him whom I am now going to see, the more unbearable my pain—the more endless my joy. I am a widow. My religion is gone, my joy is gone, my life is gone, what remains to me, Lord? What is there for me to keep? O ye gods! O Durgâ! O Kâli! O Jagannâth! make me good, strengthen my heart; I can no longer endure this suffering."

Then that bursting, stricken heart, filled with boundless love, could not be stayed. Now she thought of taking poison, now of throwing herself at the feet of Gobind Lâl and opening to him all her heart, now of going away, now of drowning herself in the tank Bârunî, now of throwing virtue to the winds, snatching away Gobind Lâl and flying with him to another place. Thus weeping, thus distracted, she again came up to Gobind Lâl.

Gobind.   "How is this? I thought you had resolved to go to Calcutta!"

Rohini.   "No."

Gobind.   "How so? you only just now agreed to go."

Rohini.   "I can't go."

Gobind.   "I can’t say anything. I have no right to force you to go, but it were better you should."

Rohini.   "How can it be well to go?"

Gobind Lâl bent his head. How could he speak openly to her on such a matter?

Rohini, struggling with her tears and wiping them away, went slowly home. Greatly troubled, Gobind Lâl was turning the matter over when Bhomrâ came dancing up to him. "Of what are you thinking?"

Gobind.   "What do you think?"

Bhramar.   "Of my black form?"

Gobind.   "Oh!"

Bhramar (frowning).   "What does that mean? Are you not thinking of me? Except me have you anything in the world to think about?"

Gobind.   "Have I not? There is a whole world to think about. I was thinking of another person."

Bhramar, clinging to Gobind Lâl's neck, kissing him, hugging him affectionately, gently, smilingly, asked, "Another person! Tell me who."

Gobind.   "What use in telling you?"

Bhramar.   "Tell me!"

Gobind.   "You will be angry."

Bhramar.   "If I will—I will be. Tell me."

Gobind.   "Get along! go and see if every one has finished eating."

Bhramar.   "I will see presently—tell me, what person?"

Gobind.   "What a tease you are! I was thinking of Rohini."

Bhramar.   "Why were you thinking of Rohini?"

Gobind.   "How do I know?"

Bhramar.   "You do know. Tell me."

Gobind.   "Does not one person think of another?"

Bhramar.   "No. One thinks only of the person one loves. I think of you. You think of me."

Gobind.   "Well, then, I love Rohini."

Bhramar.   "That is not true. You love me. You should not be fond of any one else. Why were you thinking of Rohini? tell me."

Gobind.   "Is a widow allowed to eat fish?"

Bhramar.   "No."

Gobind.   "If a widow may not eat fish, why does Târini's mother eat it?"

Bhramar.   "Oh! she is disgraceful. She does what she ought not to do."

Gobind.   "Then I also am disgraceful, for I do what I should not. I love Rohini."

In an instant Bhomrâ gave Gobind Lâl a slap on the cheek, saying very angrily, "I am—Mistress Bhomrâ—Dâsi—in my presence will you speak falsely?"

Gobind Lâl confessed defeat. Placing his hand on Bhramar's shoulder, taking in his hand her sweet face like an open lotus-flower, in soft but yet in grave and troubled tones he said, "Yes, I did not speak truly, Bhomrâ; I do not love Rohini. Rohini loves me."

Sharply Bhomrâ wrenched her face from Gobind Lâl's hold, and stood some distance away. Her breast heaving, she said, "Wretched, vile woman! let her die, die, die!"

Laughing, Gobind Lâl said, "Why so much abuse already? She has not taken me from you, your sole jewel, the wealth of kings."

Bhomrâ (confounded).   "Get away! Why do you talk like that? Is it possible? Still, why did the woman speak so in your presence?"

Gobind.   "Just so, Bhomrâ; she ought not to have said it; that is what I was thinking about. I had arranged a home for her in Calcutta, I had bidden her go there, had even agreed to pay the cost―"

Bhomrâ   "And then?"

Gobind.   "And then she would not consent to it."

Bhomrâ   "Well, may I give her a piece of advice?"

Gobind.   "You may, but I must hear the advice."

Bhomrâ   "Hear it."

Thus saying Bhomrâ called repeatedly to a maidservant named Khiri.

Then Khirodâ, or Khiri, appeared, fat and plump-bodied, wearing anklets on her feet, and a silver girdle round her waist—her face full of smiles. Bhomrâ said, "Khiri! can you go at once to that wretched Rohini?"

Khiri.   "Certainly; what am I to say to her?"

Bhomrâ.   "Speak in my name and say I bid her put an end to herself."

Khiri.   "I am to say that? I go," and Khirodâ, or Khiri, jingling her anklets, set off. As she was starting Bhomrâ added, "Come and tell me what she says."

"Very well," replied Khirodâ. Soon after she returned and said, "I have told her."

Bhomrâ.   "What did she say?"

Khiri.   "She said, 'Tell her to tell me how to do it.'"

Bhomrâ.   "Then go again—go and say, At the Bârunî tank—this evening—with a kalsi tied to her neck.^[1] Do you understand?"

Khiri.   "Very good."

Again Khiri went and returned. Bhomrâ asked, "Did you tell her about the tank?"

Khiri.   "I told her."

Bhomrâ.   "What did she say?"

Khiri.   "She said, 'Very well.'"

Gobind.   "Fie, Bhomrâ!"

Bhomrâ.   "Don't be concerned. She won't kill herself. She is infatuated with you, is it likely that she will die?"

 

1. Hinting that she should drown herself. See Note 6 in the Appendix.