THE “Puja” holidays in Bengal correspond to the English Christmas. For ten days or so all work is suspended and families are reunited.
Almost every autumn Annada Babu and Hemnalini took advantage of the cheap tickets issued at the holiday season and went for a change to Jubbulpore. They stayed with Annada Babu’s sister’s husband, who was in Government service there, and Annada Babu regarded this annual outing as a tonic to his digestion.
It was now the beginning of September, the holidays were not far off, and preparations for the journey kept Annada Babu busy. Hemnalini’s absence would interrupt the harmonium lessons so Ramesh tried to make the most of the time left to him. One day in the course of conversation Hemnalini remarked: “Ramesh Babu, I think you would be better for a change of air. It would do you good to get away from Calcutta even for a short time. What do you say, dad?”
Annada Babu considered the suggestion appropriate. Ramesh had suffered a bereavement and a change of air would cure his depression.
“Certainly,” he said, “a few days’ change of air is an excellent thing. Do you know, Ramesh, I’ve noticed that — whether one goes up-country or anywhere else — it’s only for a few days that one gets any benefit. For the first week or so one’s appetite improves and one eats heartily, but after that there’s no difference, the old feeling of oppression in the stomach returns, heartburn comes on, and whatever one eats—”
Hemnalini. “Ramesh Baba, have you seen the Nerbudda?”
Ramesh. “No, I’ve never been there.”
Hemnalini. “You ought to see it, shouldn’t he, dad?”
Armada Bairn. “Well, look here, why shouldn’t Ramesh come with us? He’ll have a change of air and see the Marble Rocks too.”
This twofold tonic being considered an essential item in Ramesh’s cure he did not quarrel with the prescription.
His whole being seemed to float on air that day. To calm the tumult of his heart he shut his door and turned to his harmonium, but his soul soared above pedantic accuracy and his fingers danced insanely over the keys in a riot of harmony and discord. The prospect of an early separation from Hemnalini had plunged him into the depths of depression. Now in the exuberance of his joy he flung to the winds all his painfully-acquired knowledge.
He was interrupted by a knock at the door and a voice crying, “In Heaven’s name, stop, Ramesh Babul what are you doing?”
Ramesh turned red with confusion and opened the door. Akshay stepped in remarking: “Ramesh Babu, aren’t you making yourself liable to be hauled up in your own Court by indulging in this secret vice of yours?”
Ramesh laughed: “I plead guilty.”
“There’s something I want to talk to you about, Ramesh Babu, if you won’t mind,” went on Akshay.
Wondering what was coming Ramesh waited in silence for Akshay to begin.
Akshay. “You must know by this time that Hemnalini’s welfare is not a matter of indifference to me?”
Ramesh said neither “yes” nor “no” but waited for the next remark.
Akshay. “As a friend of Annada Baba I have the right to ask what your intentions are with regard to Hemnalini.”
Ramesh resented both the words and the tone, but he had neither the inclination nor the ability to make a sharp retort. He answered quietly, “Is there anything that leads you to suppose that I have any evil intentions?”
Akshay. “Look here, you belong to a Hindu family and your father was a Hindu. It was because he was afraid of your marrying into a Brahmo family that he took you home to have you married there — that I know.” — Akshay had good reason to know for it was he who had dropped a hint to the old gentleman. For a few moments Ramesh was unable to look Akshay in the face.
“Do you think,” resumed Akshay, “your father’s sudden death has left you free to do what you like? When his wish—”
“Look here, Akshay Babu,” interrupted Ramesh, whose patience was at an end, “if there’s any other subject on which you’re entitled to give me advice, you can give it and I’ll listen to you, but my relations with my father are no concern of yours.”
“Very well,” said Akshay, “we’ll leave that part out; but what I want to know is this — Do you intend to marry Hemnalini and are you in a position to do so?”
These successive thrusts were too much even for Ramesh’s placid temper. —
“Look here, Akshay Babu,” he said, “you may be a friend of Annada Babu, but you and I have never been so intimate as to entitle you to talk like this. Be so good as to drop the subject.”
Akshay. “If my dropping the subject meant that the whole question dropped and that you could go on indefinitely enjoying life thoroughly without regard to consequences then there would be nothing to say; but society isn’t merely a happy hunting-ground for people like you who never worry about consequences. You may have the highest motives and may be quite indifferent to what the world says about you; but you might try to understand that you’re liable to be called to account for playing fast and loose with a girl in Hemnalini’s position. There are those who will demand an explanation from you, and if it’s your intention to bring into public disrepute people whom you respect, you’re going the right away about it.”
Ramesh. “I’m much obliged to you for your advice. I shall decide in good time how I ought to proceed and shall abide by my decision. Have no anxiety on that score. We needn’t discuss this further.”
Akshay. “I’m delighted to hear that, Ramesh Babu. It’s a great relief to me to know that after all you’re going to make up your mind, and that you intend to stick to your resolution. You might have decided this a little sooner. However, I have no desire to discuss it further with you. Forgive me for interrupting your musical studies. Please resume them; I shan’t intrude on you any longer,” and Akshay hurried away.
Ramesh, however, had no inclination for more music, discordant or otherwise.
He lay on his mattress with his hands clasped behind his head while the hours slipped by. Suddenly the clock struck five and he rose hastily. Heaven only knows what decision he had reached, but that it was his immediate duty to proceed to his neighbour’s house and drink two cups of tea admitted of no doubt.
“Are you ill, Ramesh Babu?” exclaimed Hemnalini when she saw him.
“There’s nothing much the matter with me,” replied Ramesh.
“It’s only your digestion that’s out of order,” put in Annada Babu, “just biliousness. You try one of the pills that I take—”
Hemnalini smiled and interposed: “Now, dad, you want all your friends to take those pills, but I’ve never seen any one the better for them.”
Annada. “No one has been the worse for them, anyway. I’ve found by experiment that no other pill that I’ve ever taken has done me so much good.”
Hemnalini. “Whenever you start taking a new kind of pill you find it the most marvellous panacea for the first few days.”
Annada. “You people won’t believe what I say. All right, just ask Akshay if he has benefited by my treatment or not.”
Hemnalini dropped the subject, fearing that Akshay might be called in to corroborate. The witness, however, appeared at that moment to give his testimony unsolicited and the first remark that he addressed to Annada Babu was:
“You’ll have to give me another of those pills; they have done me a power of good. I feel extraordinarily fit to-day.”
Annada Babu brought a glance of triumph to bear on his daughter.