Indira and Other Stories/Indira/Chapter 1
INDIRA
At last I was being conveyed to my husband's home. My nineteenth birthday was past, and yet, contrary to Hindu customs, I had never left the home of my childhood. Why? The explanation is simple. My father was wealthy, my father-in-law poor. A few days after the wedding—I was only a child at the time—my father-in-law, in accordance with custom, sent people to fetch me away, but my father refused to part with me. "Let my son-in-law", he said, "first learn how to earn his own living. How can he maintain a wife under existing circumstances?" When this message was conveyed to my husband, he was much hurt and offended, (he was then only twenty years old), and he made a vow that he would set to work to earn a livelihood for us both. He set off for Western India. In those days there was no railway, and travel was difficult and dangerous. Nevertheless he made his way to the Punjab on foot, without means and without influence to help him. A young man who has the resolution to face perils and hardships is bound to overcome all obstacles. In a short time, he began to earn money, to make remittances. But for seven or eight years he neither returned home nor made any enquiries about me. Shortly before the period at which my tale begins, he had come home for the first time. The rumour ran that he had gained much wealth by taking contracts under the Commissariat. (Is that the right spelling, I wonder?) My father-in-law wrote to my father to say that Upendra (old-fashioned people must forgive me for thus boldly using my husband's name; I suppose ladies of the present day would not blush to say "my Upendra") had returned "by your worship's blessing", and was now in a position to maintain his wife. He had sent a palanquin and bearers. Would my father kindly send me to my new home? Or, if such were his orders, arrangements would be made for seeking a bride for Upendra elsewhere.
My father smiled to see that these were indeed newly enriched folk, with the manners of their kind. The palanquin was richly lined, over it was a silver canopy, the poles ended in grinning shark's heads in silver. The servant girl who had accompanied it was dressed in silk apparel, and had a fine gold bead on her necklet. Four stalwart black-bearded up-country retainers acted as escort.
My father, Hara Mohan Datta, was a gentleman by descent. He laughed and said, "My dearest Indira, I can keep you no longer. You must go now, but you must come back soon to see your old father. Mind you do not let all this magnificence make you conceited. In our homely Bengali phrase, do not smile at a finger posing as a banana tree!"[1]
So it was that I was at last on my way to my future home. My father-in-law's house at Manoharpur and my father's house at Mahespur were some twenty miles apart. So I rose early and took a hasty meal, knowing that however early we started it would be nightfall before we reached our journey's end. Halfway, there was a great lake of water known as the Black Tank, nearly a mile long, lying in the midst of lofty banks looking like hills, through which our road lay. The lake was surrounded by dense groves of ancient banyan trees. Its waters were as the dark thunderclouds in colour, very beautiful to look upon. The place was almost uninhabited. There was a single shop at the spot where travellers drew water when they halted by the lake. Not far distant was a little village, also called Kaladighi, after the Black Tank.
People feared to pass by this lake. The region had a bad repute for robbers, and travellers made up strong parties if they had to go this way. In fact the lake was commonly known as "Dakate Kaladighi", the Black Lake of the Dacoits. The solitary shopkeeper was suspected of being in league with thieves. As for me, I entertained no fears. There were 
many attendants with me—sixteen bearers, four armed retainers, and others as well. When we reached this place, it was already past mid-day. The bearers declared that they could not proceed further without stopping to eat and drink. My armed guards objected that the place had a bad name, but the bearers argued that with so numerous a party, there was no fear. All were fasting and weary, and finally a halt was resolved upon.
My palanquin was deposited close to the water's edge under the shade of the banyan trees. Presently I gathered from the sound of their voices that my attendants had gone to some distance. I summoned up courage to draw the sliding doors and look out on the lake. I saw that the bearers were taking their meal under a tree at a distance of about a hundred yards. Before me the lake spread its blue waters. Around it were the lofty yet rounded masses of the banks looking like hills; between them and the shore grew many mighty forest trees; on the slopes cattle were feeding; in the water the water-birds were joyously playing; a gentle breeze caused tiny waves to break in drops that glittered in the sunshine, and the lotuses rocked on the crest of the waves. I noticed that my armed guardians were in the water bathing. As they splashed they threw up drops that shone like diamonds in the brilliant rays of the afternoon sun. Then I observed that, with the exception of the bearers, all my attendants were in the water. Near me were only two helpless women, one my own maid, the other the woman my father-in-law had sent. I began to feel a little perturbed. There was no one near but my women. The place had an ill fame. I was fairly frightened. But what was I to do? A zenana lady, it was not for me to call even my own people to my rescue.
At this moment I heard a sound on the other side of my palanquin, as if some heavy object had fallen from one of the trees. I opened the door on that side, and peeped out. Before me was a tall, dark-visaged man. As I gazed, horrified, another and yet another man jumped from the branches above me. Four of them picked up the palanquin, placed the poles on their shoulders, and started to run.
Seeing that, my stalwart guardians shouted "Who is that?" and emerging from the water, ran in pursuit. Then it was that I knew I had fallen into the hands of robbers. What was the use of maidenly modesty now? I threw both doors of my palanquin wide open. I saw that my people were running with angry shouts after my captors. At first I had some hopes of a rescue, but these hopes were soon dissipated; for, as we proceeded, more and more robbers sprang from the trees. I have already told you that the lake was surrounded by dense masses of trees, and it was through these that my captors took their way, and were joined by fresh forces as they hastened. Some had bamboo staves in their hands, and some had armed themselves with branches from the trees in which they had been lurking.
Seeing so formidable a crowd, my people began to fall behind. In despair I thought to myself, "Shall I jump from the palanquin?" But my bearers ran so fast that a leap was not without peril, and moreover one of the robbers threatened me with his staff and cried, "If you try to get out, I will break your head." So I kept my seat.
One of my attendants succeeded in catching us up, and laid hold of my conveyance. Alas, one of the robbers smote him on the head, so that he fell senseless on the ground. I did not see him rise again. My belief is that he never rose again.
Seeing this, the others desisted from pursuit, and my captors bore me off without further impediment. They continued their flight uninterruptedly till long after night-fall, and then deposited the palanquin on the ground. I looked round me, and saw dense forest. It was intensely dark. One of the robbers lighted a torch. I was told to give up all I had on pain of instantaneous death. I handed over my jewels and ornaments, taking off even those I had on my person. I was given a coarse, dirty, and torn raiment, which I was compelled to exchange for the pretty dress I wore. When they had thus stripped me, the robbers broke up the palanquin, and tore off its silver ornaments. They then lighted a fire and burned the wood-work, so as to leave no traces of their wicked deed. Then they prepared to depart, leaving me at the mercy of beasts of prey in the gloom of the jungle, far from all human help and habitation. I cried aloud in fear. "I fall at your feet", I said, "I entreat you to take me with you!" I was reduced to such extremity as to desire the company of these reckless and wicked men!
One of the elders among them said to me, not unkindly, "My dear, what are we to do with such a lovely young maiden? The fame of our exploit will soon be all over the countryside, and if we are seen in the company of such as you, we shall be caught."
One of the younger men said, "I am willing to go to prison for so charming a piece of goods. I cannot give her up." I blush now to think of the other odious things he said; I cannot write them down. The older man was, it seems, the leader of the gang. He raised his staff and said, "I will break your head, scoundrel, if you talk thus. Are such sins for the like of us?" So saying, he departed with his followers. As long as I could hear their voices, I retained consciousness. When I could hear them no more, I fell into a dead faint.
- ↑ That is to say, "do not smile at their upstart ways!"