Pather Panchali by Bibhutibhushan Bandopadhyay

Author:Bibhutibhushan Bandopadhyay
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9789353056438
Publisher: Penguin Random House India Private Limited
Published: 2019-08-29T16:00:00+00:00

21

SHORBOJOYA HEARD THE news at the bathing steps.

Trouble had been brewing between Neeren and Awnnoda Roy for the last few days, and more particularly between Neeren and Awnnoda Roy’s eldest son, Gokul. Things had finally come to a head yesterday afternoon. There had apparently been a great deal of screaming and shouting. As a result, Neeren had packed his things and left the village late last evening.

Horimoti, the wife of Awnnoda Roy’s neighbour Joggeshwor Deeghri, was holding court by virtue of being the closest observer. ‘I don’t believe the story they’re putting out—their daughter-in-law is not the type. Then again they do say that Neeren gave her money in secret, and she sent it to who-knows-whom. The receipt came back and Gokul found it—that’s what led to all this trouble. Who can really tell what’s going on in people’s minds? Best not to speculate—that’s what I always say. I did hear Neeren, though. He was saying, “But it’s all right for all of you to gang up on and torture someone? I don’t care what anybody else thinks—if my sister-in-law commands, I will bear her away from this place with all the honour and respect I would have accorded to my late mother. You can raise whatever hell you please after that!” Then there was some more shouting. Finally, Neeren called for a bullock cart from the milkman’s neighbourhood. He was gone before the lamp-lighting hour was over.’

Shorbojoya felt cut off at the knees. She had been asking her husband to write to Neeren’s father, proposing a match between Durga and his son. In the meantime, she had invited Neeren for lunch again twice—and Neeren had come. Her husband had tried, several times, to discourage her. ‘They’re too rich for the likes of us,’ he had said. ‘Neeren’s father wouldn’t waste his son on a family like ours.’ But Shorbojoya had persisted. She had really liked Neeren. Surely there was no harm in trying? Finally, Horihor had given in and spoken to Awnnoda Roy, asking him to write to Neeren’s father on his behalf. And now this! How was she going to get Neeren’s father to agree to the match after this?

A few days later, Durga met Gokul’s wife in one of the back lanes of the village. In the privacy of the empty road, Gokul’s wife broke down completely. She sobbed her heart out while telling Durga the whole story.

‘This is my life, Dugga—kicks and beatings till the day I die. I have no one, no one. Only one brother, and him worthless. No place I can escape to for a few days’ peace!’

Durga’s heart swelled in sympathy. Gokul’s wife was her favourite village aunt, and she was torn by her despair. She wanted to viciously condemn the people slandering her aunt’s virtue, but she also wanted to simply soothe the sobbing woman. Outrage, protectiveness and affection mixed together in such a lump in her throat that she ended up not expressing any of them properly. ‘That Shokhi grandmother, she’s always been like that!’ she finally settled for saying.

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