Page:Krishna Kanta's Will.djvu/115

118 mother-in-law called in a doctor, put her under diet and pills, and entrusted the charge of administering the medicine to Khirodâ. The daughter-in-law snatched pills and food from Khiri’s hand and flung them out of window.

By degrees this sort of thing became unbearable in the eyes of Khiri. She said, "For whom are you thus grieving, Thâkurun? Does he for whom you are refusing food and sleep think of you for a single day? While you are weeping yourself to death, he is meditating, with closed eyes over his hukâ, on the charms of mistress Rohini."

Bhramar gave Khiri a sound slap. She was always very smart with her hand. Almost weeping she said, "You may say what you choose, but get out of my sight."

Khiri.  "Do you think your slaps will shut people's mouths? For fear you should be angry we say nothing; but if I don't speak I shall die! Call Pânchi and ask her if Rohini did not come out of the Bâbu's garden that night he was so late."

Khirodâ's destiny was evil thus to talk to Bhramar so early in the day. Standing up, Bhramar rained slaps and cuffs upon