Page:Tales of Bengal (Sita and Santa Chattopadhyay).djvu/100

Tales of Bengal After I had finished my tuition I started homewards. The streets were already lighted, and instead of going home, I proceeded straight to the house of my neighbour.

But what was this? For a moment I thought that I had returned through the paths of dreamland to that ever memorable night of my life. There were the same brutal shouts from the bridegroom's party, the same abject entreaties from the bride's relations and the very same wails from the women's apartments. The next instant I remembered that such a scene was not after all of rare occurrence in Bengal.

The drama was nearing its last act as I approached. The bridegroom's party swept out of the house with loud shouts and soon disappeared. They had not been paid the promised price for the boy, and so this scene had resulted. The girl had fallen forward on her seat and lay there like one dead, but nobody could spare her attention. All were anxiously looking out for some sort of a bridegroom, to save the situation. If the girl was not married now, the family would become outcast for ever.

For a moment I did indeed think of offering myself. Perhaps so I might have expiated my sins. But my feet refused to advance. On the pretext of saving the girl, was I to make her life a curse and a burden to her? What had I to offer? And yet it was terrible to listen to the heart-rending wails of grief.

Suddenly a slim and dark youth stepped forward and stood before the bride's father. "Do not trouble yourself, sir," he said, "if you agree, I am ready to marry your daughter."

It seemed as if the magic wand of an enchanter suddenly transformed everything. It was like the dead coming back to life. I gazed at the young magician, and I wanted to clasp him to my heart. Brother mine, you made up on that instant for all that I had ever done and Rh