‘No.’

Asha had to resort to another ruse and once again, it was obvious to Binodini from the very start. The plan was that Asha would somehow get Binodini to come up to her room in the afternoon and put her to sleep. Mahendra would take her picture as she slept and that would serve her adamant friend right indeed! The strange thing was that Binodini never took a nap in the afternoon. But that day when she came into Asha’s room, for some reason her eyes drooped at once. Draped in a red shawl and facing the window, she rested her head on her arm and fell asleep in such a lovely posture that Mahendra said, ‘She seems to have posed for a picture even in her sleep.’

Mahendra tiptoed around and fetched his camera. In order to decide on the best angle, he had to look at her from all sides. For art’s sake he even had to brush away a few strands of hair from her forehead—and when he didn’t like the effect, he had to correct it again. He whispered to Asha, ‘Just move the shawl a little to the left near her feet.’

The inept Asha whispered back, ‘I can’t do it, she’ll surely wake up. You do it.’

Mahendra did the needful.

Eventually, just when he had loaded the plate into the camera, Binodini seemed to sense the sound, sighed, turned her head and woke up with a start. Asha chortled in delight.

Binodini was extremely angry. Her sparkling eyes showered wrath upon Mahendra as she exclaimed, ‘This isn’t right!’

Mahendra said, ‘I agree with you. But how can I bear it if after all my stealth I’m not even able to bring home the loot? Pray let me finish my crime and then punish me as you please.’

Asha begged and pleaded with Binodini. The picture was taken. But this first picture was spoilt. So the photographer insisted on taking another one the following day. Finally, Binodini couldn’t say no to the proposal of taking one picture with both girls in it as a symbol of their everlasting friendship. But she said, ‘This will be the last one.’

So Mahendra deliberately spoilt that one. And then, over pictures and more pictures the acquaintance and camaraderie between them progressed in leaps and bounds.

15

DYING EMBERS GET A FRESH LEASE OF LIFE IF THE FIRE IS STOKED FROM without. The slight breach that had come about in the newly-weds’ romance soon healed itself and their passion burned afresh after the introduction of a third party in their midst. Asha lacked the capacity to laugh and make witty conversation. But Binodini could provide that in abundance; and so Asha found a safe haven behind Binodini’s strong persona. She no longer had to try so hard at keeping Mahendra entertained and amused all the time.

Within the short span of a few months, Asha and Mahendra had almost poured themselves out to each other—their song of love had started on the highest possible note—it was as if they were intent on eating up the principal instead of living off the interest. How were they to translate this deluge of recklessness into the mundane simplicity of daily life? How could Asha provide the fresh stimulation that Mahendra looked for every time tedium gripped him after traversing the heights of intoxication? It was then that Binodini brought in a colourful goblet filled with the fresh and the new—and Asha was relieved to see her husband in good humour again.

Now she no longer tried so hard herself. When Mahendra and Binodini laughed and joked, she simply laughed along joyfully. When Mahendra tried to cheat her at card games, she appealed to Binodini for justice. If Mahendra teased her or spoke out of turn, she expected Binodini to take her side and protest. In this fashion the threesome got accustomed to one another.

But this didn’t stop Binodini from tending to her household chores. She only joined in the fun after she had finished cooking, cleaning, supervising the servants and taken proper care of Rajlakshmi. Mahendra would get impatient. ‘You’ re going to spoil the servants by doing everything yourself.’ Binodini would answer, ‘That’s better than spoiling yourself by not doing a thing.