off, he in agony from the pain of hand flew off after seizing with a bite the nose of the elder Saheb.
Torapa. That nose I have kept with me, and when the Babu will rise up alive again I will show him that (shows the nose cut off.). Had the Babu been able to fly off himself, I would have taken his ears; but I would not have killed him, as he is a creature of God.
Priest. Justice is still alive. The Gods were saved from the injustice of Ravana,[1] when the nose of Surpanaka[2] was cut off! Shall not the people be saved from the tyranny of the Indigo Planters by the cutting off of the elder Saheb's nose?
Torapa. Let me now hide myself inside the barn; I shall fly off in the night. That fool will overturn the whole village on account of his nose.
(Exit Torapa bowing down twice on the earth near Nobin Madhab's bed
Sadhu. So very weak is our madam become by the death of her husband, that there is no doubt she will die, when she see Babu Nobin in this condition. I applied so much water, rubbed my hand over the head so long; but nothing is bringing him to his senses again. You, Sir, call him once.
Priest. Eldest Babu! Eldest Babu! Nobin Madhab (with tears in his eyes) Guardian of ryots! Giver of food! Moving his eyes now. Ah! The mother will die immediately. When she heard of his[3] being bound with ropes above ground, she resolved not to take the rice of this sinful world for ten days. This is the fifth; this morning, Nobin Madhab taking hold of her shoulders shed much tears and said, "Mother, if thou dost not
- ↑ Ravana: the mythological demon King of Lanka, who carried away Sita, wife of Rama, and was later killed by Rama in a battle described in the epic 'The Ramayana'—Ed.
- ↑ Surpanaka: sister of Ravana, who tried to ensnare Rama, and was punished by Rama's younger brother Lakshmana who cut off her nose—Ed.
- ↑ This pronoun "his" stands for Goluk Chunder, the father of Nobin Madhab.
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