The next day Satyaprakash sent five hundred rupees to his father and replied that he was fortunate to be remembered.
Congratulations for finalizing Gyanu’s marriage. Use this money to get some piece of jewellery for the bride. As for my marriage, considering all that I have seen with my own eyes and all that I have suffered, there will not be a bigger fool in the world than me if I agree to be tied down into a marriage and family. I hope that you will forgive me. The very talk of marriage hurts my heart.
He wrote a second letter to Gyanprakash saying that he must obey their parents’ directions.
I am an illiterate, foolish man without wisdom. I do not deserve to marry. But, for me, there cannot be a matter of greater pleasure and satisfaction than the prospect of you getting married, although I will be unable to attend the auspicious occasion of your wedding.9
Devaprakash was shocked to read this and did not have the gall to repeat his request. Devapriya turned up her nose and said, ‘This boy only looks innocent. He sits a hundred miles away and shoots such poisoned arrows!’
But Gyanprakash was deeply hurt when he read the letter. ‘It is the injustice meted out by mother and father that has forced him into such a severe vow. It was because of this that he was exiled, and probably for ever. I wonder why mother was so jealous of him. I remember him being very obedient, humble and sombre. I have not seen him ever talking back to mother. I ate the best food but even then he did not resent me, though he could have been jealous. What surprise is it then that he has so much disgust for a householder’s life? Why should I then be entrapped by the same predicament? Who knows if I may have to face similar circumstances? My brother has reached this conclusion after much thought.’
In the evening, when the parents sat down to discuss the issue, Gyanprakash declared, ‘Tomorrow I’ll go to visit my brother.’
Devapriya asked, ‘In Calcutta?’
‘Yes.’
‘Why not call him instead?’
‘With what face can I call him? You people have already blackened my face. Such a good man is wandering in an alien city because of you, and am I so shameless as to—’
‘Shut up now! If you don’t want to marry, then don’t but don’t rub salt into our wounds. It is the parents’ duty that makes me say this, otherwise nobody cares a jot for it! I don’t care if you get married or stay a bachelor, just get away from my sight!’
‘Now do you hate even the sight of me?’
‘If you don’t want to listen to us, then go wherever you wish. We’ll convince ourselves that God didn’t give us a son.’
‘Must you uselessly say such bitter words?’
‘If this is what you wish, so be it.’
Devaprakash saw that the situation had gone completely out of control. So he dismissed Gyanprakash with a gesture and started trying to placate his wife. But Devapriya was crying inconsolably and repeating, ‘I shall not see his face!’ Finally, irritated, Devaprakash said, ‘You are the one who incited him with your bitter words.’
Devapriya replied, ‘It is that scoundrel who has planted all this venom; it is he who sits afar and is trying to decimate me. He has set up this pretence of love only to snatch away my son from me. I know him very well. This spell of his will not be over before I am dead. Otherwise, my Gyanu who has never talked back to me would not have caused me such heartache.’
‘Arré, this does not mean that he will not marry at all! He said all this nonsense only out of anger. Once he calms down, I will pacify him and convince him.’
‘He is out of my control now.’
Devapriya’s apprehension turned out to be justified. Devaprakash tried very hard to reason with his son. He told him, ‘Your mother will die of this suffering.’ But it went unheeded. Once Gyanprakash said ‘no’, it would not change to ‘yes’. Seeing no resolution, his father also gave up.
For three years, this issue was raised every year during the wedding season, but Gyanprakash remained unwavering in his vow. The mother’s cries and pleas yielded no results, though he did agree to one of her demands. He did not go to Calcutta to visit his brother.
Within three years, their home underwent a major transformation. All three of Devapriya’s daughters were married. Now there was no woman at home besides her. She felt as if the empty house would devour her. When she became crazy out of despondency and rage, she would curse Satyaprakash to her heart’s content. But the brothers continued their exchange of love-filled letters.
A strange sense of misery manifested in Devaprakash’s nature as well. He had retired and was now studying the scriptures. Gyanprakash had also earned the title of a ‘teacher’ and presently taught in a school. Devapriya was
