Binod-bouthan, we’ll have to leave at the crack of dawn. I’ll be here on time.’

At the appointed time two carriages pulled up in front of the house: an ordinary one for luggage and bearers and a deluxe carriage for the gentlemen and ladies. Behari arrived early with a huge box. Mahendra said, ‘What is that? There’s no room in the servants’ carriage.’

Behari said, ‘Don’t worry, Mahin da, I’ll take care of everything.’

Binodini and Asha got into the carriage. Mahendra hesitated, wondering what he should do about Behari. But Behari hauled the box on top of the carriage and jumped into the coachbox beside the coachman.

Mahendra heaved a sigh of relief. He was afraid Behari would want to sit inside the carriage and then there was no telling what he would do. Binodini was concerned. ‘Beharibabu, isn’t that rather unsafe?’

Behari answered her, ‘Don’t worry, my role in the performance doesn’t include “falls to the ground and bites the dust”.’

As soon as the carriage rolled away, Mahendra said, ‘Why don’t I go and sit out there and send Behari inside?’

Asha didn’t like this. ‘No , you won’t sit there.’

Binodini said, ‘Please don’t. You are not used to it; you may fall.’

Mahendra got worked up. ‘Fall indeed! Not on your life!’ He made to open the door and get off.

Binodini said, ‘You may well blame Beharibabu, but you take the cake in kicking up a fuss.’

Mahendra was in a huff. ‘Fine then,’ he said, ‘let me hire a second carriage and go in that and let Behari come in and sit here.’

Asha said, ‘if you do that, I’ll come with you.’

Binodini said, ‘And I suppose I should jump off the carriage?’ The conversation ended amidst this hullabaloo. But all the way to Dumdum, Mahendra sulked and frowned.

The carriage finally reached the farmhouse. The servants’ carriage had left long before theirs, but there was still no sign of it.

Autumn mornings could be very pleasant. The sun had risen high by now and dried up the dew; the trees glistened in the fresh morning light. The compound walls were lined with shefali trees, the earth below them was strewn with fallen flowers and the air redolent with fragrance.

Freed from the concrete jungle of Kolkata and let loose in a garden, Asha ran about excitedly like a wild fawn. She dragged Binodini along, picked up heaps of flowers, plucked ripe custard apples off the trees and ate them raw, and then the two friends had a long and leisurely bath in the pond. Between the two of them, they filled the shade of the trees, the light off the branches, the water in the pond and the flowers in the garden with a sense of sheer delight.

After their bath, the two friends came back to find that the servants’ carriage had still not turned up. Mahendra was sitting on a stool on the veranda, looking quite forlorn and reading an advertisement of a foreign store.

Binodini asked, ‘Where is Beharibabu?’

Mahendra answered curtly, ‘I don’t know.’

Binodini said, Come on, let’s look for him.’

Mahendra said, ‘I don’t think anyone will steal him away. He’ ll turn up even without our looking.’

Binodini said, ‘But he may be worried sick about you, for fear that he might lose his precious jewel. Let’s go and comfort him.’

Near the pond there was a mammoth banyan tree with a cemented bench around its girth. At that spot Behari had opened up his box, taken out a kerosene stove, lit it and started heating some water. The minute everyone arrived, he welcomed them, made them sit on the bench and served them cups of steaming tea and little plates laden with sweets and snacks. Binodini repeated again and again, ‘Thank goodness Beharibabu came so well prepared; or else I shudder to think what would have happened to Mahendrababu without his cup of tea.’

Mahendra was greatly relieved to have his tea, but he still protested, ‘Behari takes things too far. It’s a picnic and it takes the fun out of it if one comes so well prepared.’

Behari said, ‘Very well my friend, please hand back that cup of tea. You are most welcome to stay unfed and enjoy the true spirit of the picnic.’

The day wore on and there was still no sign of the servants. Behari’s box now began to yield all the necessary food items: rice, dal, vegetables and even tiny jars of ground spices. Binodini was stunned and said, ‘Beharibabu, you amaze me. Considering you do not have a wife at home, how did you learn to be so methodical?’

Behari said, ‘Necessity has forced me to this—I have to look after myself, you see.’

Behari spoke in jest but Binodini was solemn as she looked at him with eyes full of sympathy.

Behari and Binodini went about setting things up for cooking lunch.