Krishnakanta's Will (Chatterjee, Roy)/Part 1/Chapter 3
CHAPTER III
Brahmananda returned home after dark, having finished the business of writing the will. Almost as soon as he set foot in the house he met Haralal, who had been eagerly awaiting his return.
"All right?" asked Haralal.
"I wish I could get the moon to give to you, but to wish is not to have," said Brahmananda with a sardonic laugh.
"You have failed to carry it out then?" again asked Haralal.
"Oh, I felt too nervous. I am very sorry I couldn't do it."
With this Brahmananda returned the forged will and the bundle of notes to Haralal.
Haralal was in a great passion. He almost shook with rage. "Fool!" he exclaimed, "I least thought you would disappoint me. But you are worse than useless. To have failed to do what could be done by a woman! Shame on you! I am off; but should any one get the scent of what passed between you and me, I will not spare you."
"Oh, never fear," said Brahmananda. "I will not breathe a word of it to any one."
Leaving him Haralal went round and looked into the kitchen where Brahmananda's niece, Rohini, was busied in preparing the evening meal. At Brahmananda's house he was quite free to look in where he liked.
Rohini was young and handsome. She was a widow, but she never much cared to live as a high caste Hindu widow ought. She loved to pay attention to her person and dress; and she wore the few ornaments which she had got at her marriage. However, she certainly abstained from eating fish. In matters of food, like all other widows in gentle families, she was strictly a vegetarian. Besides her personal attractions, which were by no means inconsiderable, she possessed certain accomplishments; for example, she excelled in cookery, could use the needle with skill, and was known to have a knack in certain other things requiring ingenuity. She was liked by her neighbours, for she was useful to them. Her late husband's parents and hers had been long dead; so she lived under the care of her uncle, who being a single man, loved her as his own child for her obedience and for attending to every household work besides her regularly attending to the duties of the kitchen.
While she was engaged in cooking, a tabby cat, that lay near the door with her head resting between her fore paws, was looking wistfully at some fried fish held in a plate. Rohini's attention happening to be attracted towards her, she cast a menacing look at the animal. But the cat, instead of taking it as a hint for her to be off, took it as an invitation to come and have a taste of the fish. So she rose to her feet, and was just about to approach the plate when Haralal entered the kitchen. His sudden appearance and the creaking of his shoes put the cat to flight.
Seeing Haralal Rohini drew her veil a little over her face, and rising and standing with her eyes looking on the ground, asked, "When did you come home, uncle?" Rohini called Haralal uncle although she had no relation with him.
"I came yesterday. A word with you, Rohini," said Haralal.
She was rather amazed. "Will you take your meal here, uncle?" she asked.
"I can't say now; I may," said Haralal.
"Rohini," he said again, fixing his eyes on her, "do you remember when you took a journey to the Ganges to bathe? It was on a memorable occasion; and it happened that on your way back you were separated from the people with whom you went."
"Yes," said Rohini with her eyes still fixed on the ground.
"You lost your way," he went on; "and you got into a field where you came in the way of some bad characters. You remember it well of course?"
"Oh yes, I do."
"Why were they after you? They had a bad motive. It was I who delivered you from their hands."
"You happened at that time to be riding across," said Rohini. "Oh, I can never forget it. How I wish I could do something to show my gratitude to you."
"Yes you can do something for me, Rohini, if you wish to. There cannot be a more opportune time for it than the present. I am sure you can do it, for it is not a difficult thing to do. Now, will you do it for me? Say, will you?"
"Yes, I will," said Rohini. "I can even lay down my life, if necessary, to do you service."
"Bravely spoken. I am right glad to hear that you are ready to serve me. Well, you may have heard that father has made a fresh will in which he has excluded me altogether from any share in his property. Here is a false will I have prepared just as if it were made by my father. All you have to do is to bring me his will, putting this in its place. You can do it, I know, for you are very intelligent. Besides you are quite free in our house, and my father likes you very much."
Rohini shuddered. "Oh, I cannot do that," said she; "no, not even for all the property of your father. Anything but that, and I will most willingly do it."
"Don't decide so hastily," said Haralal. "It is not too much I ask of you, and you know you are in debt to me."
"Oh, I can't do it. It is against my conscience," said Rohini.
"You women are worthless," he said a little vexed. "It is all talk with you."
"I cannot steal the will," said Rohini. "Have we not eaten your father's salt? Would you have me be faithless to him?"
When Haralal saw that it was useless to try to induce her by argument, he said, "Here, Rohini— here is a thousand rupees for you. You must do it for me. You must—there's a good girl."
Rohini declined the offer with thanks. "What you propose," said she, "is highly objectionable, and therefore I must refuse to do it."
"Rohini," sighed Haralal, "you are nothing to me; so I should not be surprised at your refusing to do what I ask of you. Had my wife been living now I should have had no need to ask you. She would have done it for me, I know she would."
Rohini smiled.
"What makes you smile?" asked Haralal.
"The mention of your wife," said Rohini, "puts me in mind of the report that you wish to marry a widow. Do you really mean to do so?"
"Why, yes; but it is difficult to find one to my liking."
"I may tell you what we think," said Rohini. "We can never like to see you remain a widower all your life. You ought to marry again, if not for your own sake, for the sake of your child at any rate. We should be happy indeed to see you take a wife. And we don't care whether it be an unmarried girl or a widow you choose for your partner in life."
"Widow marriage," said Haralal, "is not forbidden by the shastras."
"I am told so," said Rohini.
"Why don't you marry again, Rohini? I have no objection to you, not at all, for you are young, handsome and useful."
Rohini blushed, drew her veil so as to completely hide her face, and sat down again to mind what she was about.
"Well, it is useless to wait any longer, so I must be off," said Haralal, fetching a deep sigh. And he had walked up to the door, and was just about to leave the kitchen when Rohini called to him, saying, "I cannot bear to see you go disappointed. You may leave the will. I shall see what I can do."
Haralal's face grew bright. He returned and put the will and the bundle of notes in her hand.
"Take your money." said Rohini. "If I do it, I will do it for your sake, not for the sake of your money."
Haralal gave her many thanks; and he took his leave, saying that he was very pleased with her.