He was sunk deep in sadness the entire day. He wanted to make Sheetala happy with his love. But now he realized that women did not look for love but only for material pleasures. Late in the night he left his home and didn’t turn back even once. There is a hint of attachment left in wilful renunciation, but detachment born out of disappointment remains firm. The sight of material things in light can create distractions but in darkness nobody deters from the straight path by even an inch.
Vimal was not educated, nor did he have any special skill. But he was hard-working and his strong sense of self-sacrifice gave him strength. He went to Calcutta first. He worked for a rich man there for some time. There he heard from someone that in Rangoon the wages were much better. So he left for Rangoon immediately. He started working in the port as a loader.
Hard work, irregular food habits and bad climate took a toll on his health and he fell sick. His body became weak and the glow on his face was gone. But still he remained the most hard-working man in that port. There were other labourers as well but this man was a workaholic. Once he decided on something he pursued it with single-minded devotion.
He did not send word home regarding his whereabouts. He convinced himself that nobody cared for him at home. His wife cared only for jewels. What he could not grasp was that love could cohere with the yearning for material pleasures. The other labourers used to eat their fill in the morning. They smoked tobacco and narcotics right through the day. If they were free they roamed around the bazaars. Many were addicted to alcohol. If they earned more in Rangoon they spent more too. As a result, sometimes they did not even have proper clothes to wear. But Vimal was among the rare few who lived a life of austerity and moderation. The aim of his life was to earn and save. Within a short time Vimal made a small fortune. With money he began to wield his influence on the other labourers. Almost everybody knew that Vimal was a thakur by caste. And everybody addressed him as Thakur. Restraint and good behaviour are keys to respectability. Vimal became the leader of the labourers and a moneylender.
Vimal had spent three years working in Rangoon now. It was evening and he was sitting and chatting with some of his fellow men near the seaside.
One of them said, ‘Here the women are hard-hearted. Poor Jhingur was living with that Burmese woman for the past ten years. Few would have loved even their legally wedded wives as much as he did this woman. He trusted her so much that whatever he earned he handed it over to her. They had three sons. Till yesterday they had their dinner together and went to sleep. No clash or fight. And she left in the night, just like that. She left the boys behind. Poor Jhingur is inconsolable. He does not know what to do with the small kid. The unfortunate child is only six months old. Only God knows how he will survive.’
Vimal asked gravely, ‘Did he buy jewellery for her?’
Labourer: ‘She kept all the money. Who could have stopped her if she wanted to get them made?’
Second labourer: ‘She was loaded with ornaments. When she walked, a jingling sound filled the air.’
Vimal: ‘If she betrayed him despite that it means that all women are treacherous.’
Suddenly, a man arrived and told Vimal, ‘Chaudhary, I met a soldier just now. He wanted to know your name, your father’s name and your village. There is one Babu Suresh Singh who is looking for you.’
Vimal said apprehensively, ‘Yes, there is a person by that name. He is a landlord in my village and a distant cousin.’
Man: ‘He got a notice pasted in the police station declaring an award of one thousand rupees to the person who gives any information about you.’
Vimal: ‘So you told the soldier everything?’
Man: ‘Chaudhary, am I such a fool? I sensed that something was amiss; nobody will spare so much money for nothing. I told him that your name was Jasoda Pande and not Vimal Singh. Your father’s name is Sukhu and that your hometown is in Jhansi district. Then he asked how long you have been living here. I told him ten years. He pondered for some time and then left. Does Suresh Babu have anything against you, Chaudhary?’
Vimal: ‘Not anything that I know of. But who knows what might be going on in his mind. He might usurp my land in the village by levelling some false charges against me. You did the right thing by misleading the soldier.’
Man: ‘He said that if I gave him correct information he would get fifty rupees for me too. I thought he’d get a thousand rupees and was trying to get away with giving me only fifty rupees. I shrugged away his proposal.’
One labourer: ‘If he had offered you two hundred rupees then you’d have told him everything. Wouldn’t you? Shame on you, greedy fellow!’
Man: (ashamed.) ‘What would I have said for two hundred? Even if he had given me two thousand I wouldn’t have given him any information. Do not consider me a traitor. You can test my loyalty whenever you want.’
The labourers kept on arguing with each other while Vimal went to his room and lay down. His wondered, What should I do now? If a gentleman like Suresh can change whom can I trust in this world? No, I have to go home now. If I delay any more I’ll be ruined. If I had stayed for two more years I could have earned five thousand rupees in total. I could have satisfied Sheetala’s desire to some extent. But right now I
