Krishna Kanta's Will (Chatterjee, Knight)/Part 1/Chapter 9
CHAPTER IX.
Thenceforth Rohini daily took her kalsi to the Bârunî tank for water. Daily the cuckoo sang; daily the vision of Gobind Lâl appeared among the flowering trees; daily both peace and war reigned between Sumati and Kumati. Contentions between these two powers man can endure, but from their concord many calamities arise. Then Sumati would assume the form of Kumati, and Kumati would do the work of Sumati, so that it became impossible to distinguish one from the other, and people would give way to Kumati, thinking it was Sumati. And so it was that either Kumati or Sumati contrived to depict the form of Gobind Lâl more deeply day by day in the heart of Rohini. A dark background, a shining picture. Daily the picture became brighter, the background darker. Then in her eyes the world—but let it be, what need have I to start afresh the same old story of Rohini's unhappiness? In the secret depths of her heart Rohini soon developed a strong passion for Gobind Lâl. Kumati was again victorious.
Why, after so long a period, this calamity should have come about I can neither understand nor explain. Rohini had seen Gobind Lâl from her infancy, yet her heart had never been drawn towards him. Then why now—so suddenly? I know not, but simply state things as they happened—that wicked cuckoo's calling, that weeping by the tank, the time, the place, the thoughts, and then Gobind Lâl's compassion at that particular time. Again Rohini's conduct to Gobind Lâl, who had never wronged her. By a combination of all these causes, extending over some little time, it came to pass that Gobind Lâl found a place in Rohini's mind. I know not what is to come of it, but relate facts just as they occurred.
Rohini was very intelligent. She at once perceived the matter might be one of life or death to her. If Gobind Lâl should have the slightst suspicion of her feeling, never again would he even allow her shadow to fall on him. He might get her sent away from the village. She must not breathe a word of it to any one; so, with much effort, Rohini kept the matter hidden in her heart.
But as hidden fire burns outwardly, so it was with Rohini. The burthen of life became painful to her. Day and night she longed for death.
Who can reckon the number of people who long to die? I believe there are many, whether among the happy or the wretched, who heartily wish for death. The joy of this earth is not joy, it is full of pain. No happiness can be called happiness. No joy is complete; therefore many people desire death, and the sorrowful, saying they can no longer bear their burthen, call upon Death.
They call upon Death, but to whom does death come? Calling does not bring it. The happy, they who do not wish to die, the beautiful, the young, the hopeful, they in whose sight the earth is a garden of delight, to them Death comes. Of such as Rohini it comes to no one. For one thing man's power to summon Death is weak. The prick of a needle or half a drop of poison can destroy man’s perishable life and cause this restless drop of water to mingle in the ocean of destiny; but though inwardly desiring death, scarcely any one will use this needle or drink the half drop of poison. One here and there may do so, but Rohini was not of the number, she could not do it.
But on one point Rohini was quite determined—the forged will should not pass. There was a simple plan for this: to tell Krishna Kanta, or cause him to be told, that his will had been stolen and bid him read the one lying in the drawer. There was no need to say that Rohini had stolen it; it does not matter who stole it; if the least suspicion were roused in Krishna Kanta's mind, and he were to open the drawer and look, he would discover the forged will, and cause a new one to be made. Gobind Lâl's property would be saved, and no one would know who had stolen the will. But in this there was one danger. On reading the false will Krishna Kanta would see that it had been written by Brahmânanda, and her uncle would get into trouble. Therefore the forged will that lay in the drawer must never be seen by any one.
So Rohini, though now anxious to undo the terrible injury she had inflicted upon Gobind Lâl to gratify Hara Lâl’s greed, was prevented from doing so by the necessity of protecting her uncle. At length she resolved that in the same way that she had stolen the genuine will and substituted the false one, she would abstract the false will and put the true one in its place.
So, in the dead of night, the beautiful Rohini, taking the true will and summoning all her courage, went alone to the house of Krishna Kanta Râi. The private door was closed, so Rohini went on to the main entrance, where doorkeepers, sitting on their charpoys, with half-closed eyes and throats, were humming a favourite chant all out of tune. The doorkeepers asked her who she was. She answered, "Sakhi," giving the name of a young maidservant of the house, which satisfied them. So without difficulty Rohini passed into the house and took the already known path to Krishna Kanta’s room. The mansion being supposed to be well protected, Krishna Kanta's door was not closed. Listening intently as she entered, Rohini observed that Krishna Kanta's snore was steady, uninterrupted, so noiselessly the will-stealer stepped into the room. The first thing she did was to extinguish the light, the next to get possession of the key, and again, as before, feeling in the darkness, she opened the drawer.
Rohini was extremely cautious, her finger touches delicate. Nevertheless the key in turning made a click. That click awoke Krishna Kanta. Not quite identifying the sound, he made no movement, but listened.
Rohini noticed that the snoring had stopped and knew that Krishna Kanta must be awake. She stood still and silent. Krishna Kanta called out, "Who is there?" but no one answered. It was no longer the same Rohini. This Rohini had become thin, distressed, dispirited, even frightened; she uttered a sigh, and that sigh reached the ear of Krishna Kanta, who called repeatedly, "Hari! Hari!"
If Rohini had liked she could have seized this opportunity to escape, but if she did Gobind Lâl's rights would not be secured. She thought to herself, "How is it I am not as bold to-day to do a good action, as I was the other day to do an evil one? Well, if I am caught, what does it matter?" So Rohini did not try to escape.
Krishna Kanta’s repeated calls to Hari obtained no reply. Hari had gone to seek his pleasure elsewhere, he would soon return. Then Krishna Kanta, drawing a matchbox from beneath his pillow, suddenly struck a light and saw a woman standing near the chest of drawers. He lit the lamp from the match and said, "Who are you?"
The woman approached, saying, "I am Rohini."
Krishna. "At this hour of the night! and in darkness! What can you be doing here?"
Rohini. "Stealing."
Krishna. "Cease joking. Say why I see you here in this condition. I shall not easily believe you come to steal, but you have the appearance of a thief."
Rohini. "Well, then, what I came to do, I will do before your eyes. Watch me, then do as you think fit. I am caught, I cannot escape, I will not try."
Thus saying, Rohini returned to the drawer, opened it, took thence the false will, putting the true one in its place. She then tore the forged will into pieces.
Krishna Kanta screamed out, "Ha! ha! what are you tearing?" but in vain. Rohini burnt the fragments of the will in the flame of the lamp.
Krishna (angrily). "What is that you have burnt?"
Rohini. "A counterfeit will."
Krishna (shuddering). "Will! will! Where is my will?"
Rohini. "Your will is in the drawer. See for yourself!"
Krishna Kanta was astonished at this young woman's steady self-possession; he thought, "Has some divinity come to play a trick upon me?" He then opened the drawer and saw that a will was lying in it. He took it out, put on his spectacles, and on reading it found it was indeed the will he had drawn out. He again asked, "What was that you burned?"
Rohini. "A counterfeit will."
Krishna "A forged will! Who has forged a will? Where did you find it?"
Rohini. "Who did it I cannot say. I found it in that drawer."
Krishna "How did you guess there was a false will in that drawer?"
Rohini. "That I cannot tell you."
Krishna Kanta reflected for some moments, then said, "Do you think that I, who have looked after this property so long, cannot see through the small cunning of a woman like you?" This forged will is Hara Lâl's doing. I suppose he has paid you to put it in the drawer in place of the true one. Then, being caught, you have torn up the false one. Isn't that the case?"
Rohini. "No, that wasn't so."
Krishna. "Then what was it?"
Rohini. "I will say nothing. I have entered your room like a thief. Do with me as you will."
Krishna. "I have not the slightest doubt you came to do something wrong, or else why should you come in this way, like a thief? I shall punish you suitably. I will not send you to the police, but will have you turned out of the village to-morrow with your head shaven and butter-milk poured over it. For to-night you shall be locked up."
Rohini was made secure for the night.