Santa Chattopadhyay

“ Surama, however, did not quite like his words. She herself wanted him not to cry; otherwise it would be difficult to leave him behind. But still, strange to say, her heart yearned for a little sob, and for some troubled look in his eyes. She was going away, and Gopal kept playing the part of wounded affection with only a word or two of protest, and forthwith started a merry tune. Her heart wanted him to be a good boy, who gave no trouble when she went away; but the heart of her heart wanted him to be a bad, naughty, obstinate boy, who gave her no end of trouble when she went away. ”

“ The mock Subarnalata fixed the dull eyes of Kalo upon her mother-in-law. The able negotiator, Kalo's husband's uncle, cursed her people to the best of his ability and said, "By my good name, if I don't avenge this trifling with me, I am a dog."
And Tara-sundari addressing her daughter-in-law, cried: "Do you hear, O daughter of a saint! Tell your sweet mamma when you go back home, that a black skin does not sell so easily. When she can send with you gold enough to balance your glory, she can send you back to this house again, but not before. I can get a better bride for my son." ”

“ That sweet face still illumined a corner of her heart. But the happy memory of a single festal day cannot fill a woman's heart. She wants a living touch, and if memory alone is to be her stay, it must be the memory of a whole man, a full man, round whom a thousand pleasures, pains, tears and smiles, whims, fancies, caprices and moods, have clustered. ”

“ Kalo shuffled away in quest of the sweets, but she had to stand up to do this, and Tara-sundari made a face as if she was in front of some prehistoric saurian monster as she gasped forth, "Holy gods! Is she a girl or a moving palm tree! These village people are absolutely devoid of sense. Can't they starve their daughters a bit? They will treat the unmarried daughters to cream and sugar to show their maternal affection. Why do you walk so erect like a sepoy, my girl? ”

“ This movement on the part of Kalo, at once brought into prominence her wide forehead, from whose surface every single hair had been carefully drawn away upwards, and Tara-sundari lost no time to notice this particular point and to express her opinion on it. "My goodness, what a shameful way to treat one's hair! As she is, she is none too charming, and if you do her hair like that and display that race-course of a forehead, I should not be astonished if nobody even looked at her." ”

“ She lifted the bride's veil instead. This brought the emaciated face of Kalidasi to view.
"Holy mother!" she cried out, "It is that broomstick of a girl, that black owl, we met in the train! Ah, my fate! I try to do other people good and see the result! It is like being stabbed with one's own knife! What a shame, what a shame! In this age there is nothing called dharma! ”

“ An expression of sublime sentiments which at once melted the heart of Kalo's mother, who said: "I am going to Calcutta to settle about her marriage, or why else should I, a country-woman, take the risks of a railway journey? The unfortunate girl has lost her father, and so her mother must go about entreating others. I have come to know of a probable bridegroom, but his people would not see the bride unless in Calcutta. Indeed it is only to the greatest of sinners that daughters are born!" ”

“ The tremendous logic and force of this argument were not lost upon the widow, who swayed her head up and down as if intoxicated with the wine of the old lady's wisdom. Binu laughed derisively and said, "Didi, you have gone clean off your head."
But Didi could not stand this new affront and burst out, "Why, what have I said wrong? It seems that one will soon be prosecuted for doing good to others!" She was apparently very pleased with herself and looked at Sobha for a supporting glance as she said: "What do you say, my dear?" ”

“ The angry look of the red sun was gone. Like a spot of vermilion at the edge of the sky, it spread a soft radiance over the world. Seated on the floor of the husking shed, Surama, the widowed daughter-in-law of the Dutt family, was winnowing the paddy. ”

“ Kanak, my youngest daughter, was too dark in complexion and so Panchi Ghatki undertook to paint her up. She said that the paint would stick till all the ceremonies were over. I, like a fool, believed her, but within three days the trick was found out. And didn't they make life miserable for my poor girl! I had to sell my own ornaments and give them two thousand rupees in cash before the uproar could be stopped."
"What if the girl is made to suffer?" observed Kalo's mother in a very normal tone. "Aren't women born to suffer? And you know, time heals all wounds. ”

“ A smiling field of maize lay before her stretching out its golden limbs amid the dust. As the cart lumbered by, she thought of another day in the month of December long gone by. That was before her marriage, when she, a little girl of ten, came to this very village with her cousin, across a field of golden corn, to see the home of her cousin's husband. One day, they went to visit the Dutt family and to see the new baby. That was the first time she saw Gopal in his mother's arms. ”

“ The eldest daughter of the other branch of the Dutt family came up, rubbing her eyes, and as she saw Surama exclaimed:
"What! Are you up so soon? I hope there is nothing wrong with Gopal."
"Oh no, he is all right," Surama replied. "But my father is very ill. No ordinary illness this time, but smallpox. I am very anxious about it. I must start to-day at noon, and catch the night train."
"Your father, Ah! Ah! he is a good old man. May Sitala (goddess of small-pox) spare him," said the daughter of the Dutts.
"I was going to see you, sister," Surama said with some hesitation. ”

“ A young school-girl, hailing from some progressive family, sat deformed and huddled up in a space absurdly too small to hold a human being. Her pleasure in the train journey became intensified as the bony knees of the old lady continuously probed and felt for her ribs, keeping time with the motion of the train. ”

“ Who else will make me cakes?"
That one word of affection touched a heart hungry for love. It was not an appeal for cakes. It was a piteous cry for herself. She answered at once. "Oh yes, dear! I'll surely come then, and make you ever so many cakes! My parents are old, and can't eat half as many as you do."
The boy was very glad. Surama understood.
That night, as they lay on a pair of bedsteads placed side by side how much they had to talk about to each other! Surama was practically a listener through-out, while Gopal was the speaker. ”

“ That a woman is born to suffer was taught her from her birth. So she did not find anything strange in this new misfortune. She heard the...the match-making uncle say, "Tara, what are you waiting for? Stop chattering and take in your son and daughter. This has happened for your benefit. You have only to turn the tap to get supply of ready cash whenever you want."
Thus began Kalo's new life of happiness. Who knows whether Tara-sundari ever boasted her part in this new drama of blissful existence, but of this we are quite sure that Kalo's mother blessed her with uplifted arms. ”

“ Two peasant girls of the neighborhood were treading the rice-husking pedal. Thump, thump, the pedal danced on, pleased with the touch of their feet. Now and then, Surama would lay aside her winnowing fan and cast a look at the dusty grey road on the other side of the field to the west. As she did so, the peasant girl Pheli kept asking her in tender tones,—"Why are you so impatient, Bou-than? (Elder sister-in-law) [1] ? Why do your thoughts wander? Gopal Dada (elder brother) [1] will come directly." ”

“ You don't know how impossible it is for an old person to sit up like a pillar. At your age, I could sit up for ten nights and never feel it. I was not like this always." The girl, who found herself a stranger in the company of her fellow-passengers, felt so very shy that a little occasional smile was all the response she made to the familiarities of the old lady. ”

“ So, before the girl could properly squat on the wet floor, she found the mouth of Tara-didi, which was, by the way, almost full of a semi-liquid mixture of saliva and juice of betel leaves, in front of her nose making a gurgling noise, which conveyed to her dull sense the information that the owner of the mouth was very much interested in their affairs and wanted to know who they were. ”

“ Suddenly in the middle of a story, Gopal said—"By the way, do you know why I was so late coming home to-day? Jadu Moyra (confectioner) was telling our teacher that an Arkati (a coolie-recruiter) had come to our village. I wondered what sort of a Kati (stick) it was! I had never seen one. So off we ran to the milkmen's quarter where we heard he could be found near the indigo factory. None of the fellows could beat me in running, you know. ”

“ Not a kati at all, but a big fat man, wrapped in a pair of sheets, who sat comfortably by a huge fire of chaff and straw, stretching his limbs. And they all said that this man was the Arkati, They thought me a fool, and tried to make me believe whatever they liked. ”

“ I am anxious, because I have not heard from you for so long. Relieve my anxiety by sending some good news about yourself. On the Pous Parban Day, I made cakes all day long, remembering you were not here, and gave Gopal a good feed. ”

“ She had a man's shawl to cloak her corpulence, but she took good care to display her profusion of ornaments, which, in the eyes of the envious, were ill suited to her toothless appearance. In spite of the overcrowding of the benches, she lay with the upper part of her body inclined against a bundle containing a few towels, a gigantic aluminium jug and some vegetables. ”

“ Tara-sundari resented such interference with her philanthropy and replied, "Why? Have I said anything wrong? Now look here (this to the widow) , as soon as you reach Calcutta, find a suitable name for your daughter; for, be sure, the modern young man will never marry a Kalidasi or a Jagadamba, or a Katyayani, or any one with a name smelling of the days of your great-grandma."
To change the topic, Binu asked the young girl who wore leather shoes like men, the school-girl to wit, "What is your name, please ”