Vasavadatta too failed to please. She next tried Gitagovinda. The book pleased for a time, but on coming to the following verse,
“मुखरमधीरं त्यज मञ्जीरं रिपुमिव केलिषु लोलं।”
[Thy sounding bangles, wench, resign,
Lest they the tell-tales play.
Thy foes they are, sweet lady mine;
For dal'ance restless they.]
she blushed from shame and threw it down. Then for a while, she sat still on the bed. At hand were a pen and inkstand. She now began absently to write this and that, “क,” “स,” “म,” room, door, tree, man &c. By degrees, one entire side of the couch became filled with marks. When there was no further room left, she was awakened to a sense of what she was about. She smiled at her work, and began to read what she had written. What has she written? “वासवदत्ता,” “महाश्वेता,” “क,” “ई,” “इ,” “प,” a tree, a Senjuti[1] Siva, “गीतगोविन्द,” “विमला,” shrubs, leaves, scrawls, a fort. Confusion! What more has she written!
“कुमार जगत् सिंह”
(Prince Jagat Singha.)
Tilottama's face crimsoned with shame. Foolish girl! Who's there in the room that thou shouldst blush so. “कुमार जगत् सिंह.” Tilottama read the words once—twice—thrice, many times; she looked at the door and read, and looked and read;—like a thief in the very act of stealing.
She had not courage enough to read it for a long while, lest any one should come in and catch her in the act. Hurriedly she
- ↑ Senjuti is a certain religious ceremony in which Hindu maids worship Siva—whose likeness is painted in water stained in ground rice.
