Let me relieve you of your burden—what do you say?’

Behari cast a solemn glance at Mahendra and said, ‘Mahin da, are you serious? There’s still time. If you marry her, Aunty will be the happiest. She would then have the girl close to her all the time.’

Mahendra said, ‘Are you mad? If that were possible, it would have happened long ago.’

Behari didn’t raise any further objections and went his way. Mahendra took a long-winded route home and walked back slowly. Rajlakshmi was busy frying puris and Annapurna had not yet returned from her niece’s.

Mahendra went up to the terrace all by himself and lay down on a mat. The half moon was casting its own silent, unique spells upon the concrete skyscape of Kolkata. When Rajlakshmi came to call him for dinner, Mahendra replied lazily, ‘I don’t feel like getting up.’

Rajlakshmi said, ‘Let me send it up here then?’

Mahendra said, ‘I don’t want dinner tonight. I have already eaten.’

Rajlakshmi asked, ‘Where did you eat?’

Mahendra said, ‘That’s a long story. I’ll tell you later.’

Rajlakshmi was miffed at her son’s inexplicable behaviour and made as if to leave. But Mahendra composed himself in a minute and spoke out repentantly, ‘Mother, please send my meal up here.’

Mother answered, ‘What’s the point if you are not hungry?’

A small emotional scene ensued between mother and son following which Mahendra had to sit down to eat again.

3

THAT NIGHT MAHENDRA DIDN’T SLEEP WELL. EARLY THE NEXT MORNING he landed up at Behari’s house and said, ‘Behari, I gave it a lot of thought and finally came to the conclusion that Aunty wishes me to marry her niece.’

Behari said, ‘She has made that wish known to you many times in many ways—there was no need to give it fresh thought.’

Mahendra said, ‘Yes , well, that’s why I feel that if I don’t marry Asha she will be a little hurt.’

Behari said, ‘It’s possible.’

Mahendra said, ‘I feel that would be very wrong of me.’

Behari spoke up with a trace of unnatural enthusiasm, ‘Great news, that is wonderful—if you say yes, there’s nothing more to be said. It would have been even better if you had woken up to your duty yesterday.’

Mahendra said, ‘Well, better late than never.’

The moment Mahendra let the thought of marriage take hold of his mind it was difficult for him to show even the slightest patience. He felt that the deed should be done without any further ado.

He went to Rajlakshmi and said, ‘Mother, I am agreeable to your wish—I’m ready for marriage.’

Rajlakshmi said to herself, ‘Now I know why Mejo-bou rushed off to see her niece the other day and why Mahendra dressed up and left too.’

She felt angry at the entire universe; in spite of her repeated requests, it was Annapurna’s plan that had succeeded! She said, ‘Let me look for a good match for you.’

Mahendra said, ‘Oh, that has been arranged.’ He told Rajlakshmi about Asha.

Rajlakshmi said, ‘Let me tell you, child, that girl will not do.’

Mahendra controlled his feelings and spoke mildly, ‘Why Mother, isn’t she a nice girl?’

Rajlakshmi said, ‘She has no one to call her own. If I bring her in, I will have no relatives and family to look to from her side.’

Mahendra said, ‘I wouldn’t mind that, but Mother, I rather liked the girl.’

Rajlakshmi’s heart grew harder at the sight of her son’s persistence. She went to Annapurna and said, ‘You want to get that orphaned, unlucky girl married to my only son so that you can control him, don’t you? What audacity, what treachery!’

Annapurna wailed, ‘There’s no talk of Mahin marrying her; I do not know what he has felt prompted to tell you.’

Rajlakshmi didn’t believe her one bit. Annapurna sent for Behari and implored him with tears in her eyes, ‘Wasn’t everything arranged with you? Why did you turn it all around? You will have to give your consent once again. If you don’t help me, I will be greatly embarrassed. The girl is very nice, she won’t be unworthy of you.’

Behari said, ‘Aunty, you don’t have to tell me that. Since she is your niece, there is no question of my disapproval. But Mahin da . . .’

Annapurna said, ‘No, my child, there is no way she can marry Mahin. Let me be very honest with you—I’ll be happiest if she marries you. I wouldn’t consent to a match between her and Mahin.’

Behari said, ‘Aunty, if you don’t give your consent, the matter is settled.’ He went to Rajlakshmi and said, ‘Mother, Aunty’s niece’s wedding is fixed with me. There are no women in my family and so I had to be shameless enough to come and give you the news myself.’

Rajlakshmi said, ‘Really, Behari? This makes me very happy. She is a very good girl. Don’t let her go.’

Behari said, ‘Why would I? Mahin da himself went and fixed this match for me.’

All this got Mahendra well and truly worked up. He was so upset with his mother and aunt that he left home and took up a room in a students’ hostel. Rajlakshmi went to Annapurna in tears. ‘Mejo-bou, it looks like my son is about to leave the house in misery.