Page:Broken Ties and Other Stories.pdf/80

 her eyes,—all her words, in fact, were then welling up from some tear-flooded depth. When Satish arrived, the kirtan could not have been anywhere near its end. I divined that he must have been goaded with repeated inward urgings to have left the temple then.

As Satish came round into our view, Damini rosé with a start, wiped her eyes, and made off towards her room. Satish, with a tremor in his voice, said: ‘Damini, will you listen to me? I would have a word with you.’

Damini slowly retraced her steps, and came and sat down again. I made as though to take myself off, but an imploring glance from her restrained me from stirring. Satish, who seemed to have made some kind of effort meanwhile, came straight to the point.

‘The need,’ said he to Damini, ‘which brought the rest of us to the Master, was not yours when you came to him.’

‘No,’ avowed Damini expectantly.

‘Why, then, do you stay amongst his devotees?’

Damini’s eyes flamed up as she cried: ‘Why do I stay? Because I did not come of my own accord! I was a helpless creature, and every one knew my lack of faith. Yet I was bound hand