Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay

“ Nimi understood Shanti's mood.
'Isn't it nice, Shanti, that you met my brother?' Nimi asked. Shanti said nothing. Nimi felt that her sister was not in a mood to give expression to her thoughts. She knew too that Shanti was never fond of speaking out her inner thoughts. So she changed the topic of conversation by asking: 'Look here, sister, how do you like my child?'
'Where did you get the child, sister?' Shanti asked. 'When did you give birth to a baby?'
'Good gracious! You should be ashamed of your ignorance. The child is not mine. ”

“ Shanti, however, did not take it so generously. She thought that perhaps Nimi meant to hurt her feelings by taunting.
'I did not ask you about the father of the child, but of her mother, sister!'
Nimi was rightly served. She felt embarrassed.
'Dear sister,' Nimi said gravely, 'how can I tell you whose daughter she is? I forgot to ask brother about her in the hurry. Perhaps brother picked her up somewhere. In these days of famine even mothers are deserting their children. You know how so many parents come to us to sell their children. ”

“ But who cares to adopt other people's children?'
Again her eyes became moistened with tears. She wiped them away and said: 'Oh, such a beautiful girl! She is as beautiful as the moon; and so plump — I begged brother to give me the child, and he did.'
For a long time they talked on various subjects. In the meantime Nimi s husband returned and Shanti walked back to her own cottage and locked herself in. Then she picked up a handful of ashes from the oven. As she stood on the floor, she thought for a long time. ”