Page:Tales from the Indian Epics.djvu/72

66 to soothe him and to turn his thoughts from his troubles. And thus talking together they reached a wayside inn. There hungry and thirsty they flung themselves down on the ground. And the queen, worn out with fatigue and sorrow, fell into a deep slumber. But King Nala's mind was so troubled that sleep would not come to him. For a time he tossed about restlessly. Then the wicked god Kali, who possessed him, tempted him to rise and go out, leaving his wife alone in the wayside inn. "To take her with me," said the hapless king, "is but to take her to her death. If I leave her she will make her way to Vidarbha where King Bhima will lavish on her all she needs." Then suddenly he remembered his nakedness and taking a sword which hung on one of the walls of the inn, he stole back to Damayanti's side and with the sword cut off one half of Damayanti's single cloth and wrapped it round his own loins. Leaving the queen still sleeping he left the inn and went out into the night. But possessed though he was by Kali, his love for Damayanti hardly allowed him to leave her. He turned again and again and went back to the inn to gaze upon her beloved features. But at last Kali triumphed and Nala's love for Damayanti grew less and less. He looked at her for the last time and then like a man bereft of his mind he ran away as fast as he could, until he found himself in the heart of a great forest.

Next morning Damayanti awoke refreshed by her sleep. She looked round for Nala but her eyes sought him in vain. Then she saw that her single garment had been cut in half, so she guessed that the king must have cut it and gone out into the forest leaving her alone. For a time she was overwhelmed with grief.