Chapter Fourteen

The Abduction of Diggaj

At that very moment Bimala came and rattled the door from without. Bimala had been standing hidden beside the door, watching everything. At the sound of the knock, Diggaj's face turned pale. Ashmani cried, "What a calamity — Bimala is coming — hide thyself, hide thyself!"

Diggaj wailed, "Where shall I hide?"

Ashmani said, "Go and sit in that dark corner with a black pot on thy head — in the darkness she will not make thee out." Diggaj proceeded to do so, marvelling at the sharpness of Ashmani's wit. Unluckily, in his haste the Brahmin seized a pot of cooked lentils and upturned it over his head — there was half a pot of boiled arhar dal inside. The moment Diggaj inverted the pot upon his skull, a hundred streams of lentils coursed down from his head; a torrent of dal flowed along his topknot; rivulets of lentils descended from his shoulders, his chest, his back, and his arms, like rivers flowing in waves from the mountains to the plains below; his towering nose shone like a mountain-peak with its own cascade of dal. At this moment Bimala entered the room and began to survey Diggaj's magnificent spectacle. Diggaj, upon beholding Bimala, burst into tears. Bimala was moved to pity. She said, "Weep not. If thou wilt eat up those remaining morsels of rice, we shall not speak of any of this before a soul."

The Brahmin brightened at once; with a cheerful countenance he sat down once more to his meal — his wish being to wipe off the lentils adorning his person as well, but that he could not manage, or did not dare. He ate the rice that he had mixed for Ashmani. He lamented long and earnestly over the wasted lentils. When the meal was done, Ashmani made him bathe. When the Brahmin had calmed himself, Bimala said, "Rasik! There is a matter of great consequence."

Rasik said, "What is it?"

Bimala. Dost thou love us?

Diggaj. Do I not?

Bimala. Both of us?

Diggaj. Both of you.

Bimala. Wilt thou do as I say?

Diggaj. Shall I not?

Bimala. This very moment?

Diggaj. This very moment.

Bimala. This very instant?

Diggaj. This very instant.

Bimala. Dost thou know why we two have come?

Diggaj. No.

Ashmani said, "We shall flee with thee."

The Brahmin stood open-mouthed in utter stupefaction. Bimala suppressed a loud laugh with great effort. She said, "Hast thou nothing to say?"

"Ah — ah — well — well — well —" No words would come.

Ashmani said, "Then wilt thou not do it?"

"Ah — ah — let me go and inform the master of the house."

Bimala said, "Why should one inform the master of the house? Is it thy mother's funeral rites that thou must go to him for guidance?"

Diggaj. No, no, I shall not go — but when must we leave?

Bimala. When? Come now; dost thou not see that I have already come out with my jewels and belongings?

Diggaj. This very moment?

Bimala. If not now, when? Otherwise say so, and we shall seek out some other man.

Gajapati could hold out no longer and said, "Let us go then."

Bimala said, "Take thy bag."

Diggaj threw his namavali wrap about his shoulders. Bimala went ahead, the Brahmin followed; and at that moment Diggaj said, "Fair one!"

Bimala. What?

Diggaj. When wilt thou return?

Bimala. Return? We are going for good.

A smile spread over Diggaj's face in full measure, and he said, "My household goods are left behind."

Bimala. We shall buy thee new ones.

The Brahmin was somewhat downcast; but what was he to do — the women would think he did not love them. In a tone of resignation he said, "My bookbag?"

Bimala said, "Take it quickly."

Vidyadiggaj's entire library consisted of two volumes — a grammar and a digest of law. Taking the grammar in his hand, he said, "What use is this? I have it by heart." And so he placed only the digest into his bag. Crying "Durga Shrihari!" he set forth with Bimala and Ashmani.

Ashmani said, "Go ye ahead; I shall follow behind."

So saying, Ashmani went back indoors, while Bimala and Gajapati went on together. Hidden in the darkness, the two passed unobserved out through the fortress gate. When they had gone some distance, Diggaj said, "But Ashmani has not come."

Bimala replied, "It seems she could not get away. Why do we need her, after all?"

Rasikraja fell silent. After a moment he breathed a long sigh and said, "My household goods."