Eshwardas asked, ‘Are you coming from Lahore? Where will you stay in Shahjahanpur?’
‘In an inn for now. I will have to look for a place.’
Eshwardas was surprised. ‘Are you not visiting a friend or a relative there?’
‘I need to find someone.’
‘Where are you from originally?’
‘From Lucknow. But now I have no place. I am a widow.’5
Eshwardas found a nice house for Maya in Shahjahanpur. He even got her a servant. He would visit regularly to ask after her. Maya tried her best to not take his help, not to get close to him, but he was so kind, guileless and noble that she felt like her hands were tied.
One day he arrived with a lot of flower pots and furniture. He had also got some beautiful picture frames. Maya was angry. ‘I don’t need any decorative things. You trouble yourself unnecessarily.’
Eshwardas was mortified. ‘These things were just lying around in my house unused. So, I got them for this house.’
‘I don’t want to be a slave to these glittery, showy things.’
Scared, Eshwardas replied, ‘Should I get them removed if you don’t want them?’
Maya saw that his eyes were moist. She felt compelled to accept the gifts. ‘Let it be . . . since you have already brought them. But don’t do it again.’
One day, her servant did not show up for work. Maya waited till about eight or nine in the night. Finally she started doing the dishes herself. She had never done this sort of work before, so she was in tears. Gone were the days when there was an army of servants in her house. Now she had to even wash the dishes herself. Tilottama was running around full of energy trying to help her. She was absolutely free of worries. She was happy to work and be of use.
Then, Eshwardas arrived. When he saw Maya washing the dishes, he said, ‘What are you doing? Leave it. Let me call someone. Why didn’t you call me? Please come away.’
Maya said indifferently, ‘There is no need. Don’t trouble yourself. I’ll do it.’
‘But you don’t have to. I’ll be back in a minute.’
‘You don’t have to call anyone. It is not a big deal.’
‘All right. Then let me help you.’
He picked up a vessel and ran out to get water. He came back with the water and started washing the dishes.
Maya tried to pull the vessel out of his hand. ‘You are embarrassing me. Let it be. I’ll finish in a minute.’
‘Who is embarrassing who? You are a traveller in this town and I live here. It is my duty to serve you. You have already been too hard on yourself by not even informing me. This now is too much. I cannot tolerate this.’
Eshwardas finished washing the dishes soon. It seemed like he was used to this kind of work. He even filled all the water jars. Finally, wiping the sweat off his forehead, he said to Maya, ‘Tell me if you need anything from the market. I’ll get it.’
Maya said, ‘I don’t need anything. You may leave.’
Eshwardas called Tilottama to him. ‘Come, Tilottama. I’ll take you out for a walk.’
Maya said, ‘Please don’t. She doesn’t go out for walks at this time.’
Eshwardas was stung by Maya’s indifference. He left without a word. Maya wondered if she had been too hard on him. There was a constant duel inside her head because of the unfortunate incident on the train. She shivered every time she thought of what could have happened to her if Eshwardas had not arrived in time like her guardian angel. And her heart was filled with gratitude. Would she bloody her hands with the murder of a man who had been her saviour? But wasn’t it him who had been responsible for all this? She was on that train without a friend or helper because of him. He was responsible for her widowhood, the pain of which she was suffering now, and would have to suffer for the rest of her life.
Her eyes would get bloodshot when she remembered all this, she would heave a long sigh, wanting to kill him that very instant.6
At last Maya arrived at a decision. She called Eshwardas for a meal. He may have been a great help to her but no amount of kindness or obligation could erase her pain. Eshwardas arrived at nine for the meal. Maya told him sweetly, ‘Please sit. I’ll get some warm puris for you.’
Eshwardas said, ‘Were you waiting for me? You shouldn’t have troubled yourself in this heat.’
Putting down the plate in front of him, Maya replied, ‘I don’t really know how to cook. Please excuse me if it is not to your taste.’
Eshwardas ate everything with relish and praised her cooking. He had not eaten such delicious food before.
‘You said you didn’t know how to cook.’
‘Was I wrong?’
‘Most definitely. You proved yourself wrong. I have not eaten such delicious khasta in my life.’
‘You are only saying that to please me. Well, it does me no harm.’
‘No, I am not trying to make a fool of you. I am being honest. I want to find some mistake but I cannot. Next time I throw a party for my friends, I’ll trouble you for sure.’
‘Of course. I will be very happy.’
It was ten by the time the dinner was over. It was quiet everywhere. When Eshwardas got up to leave, Maya told him, ‘Are you leaving? Why don’t you stay here tonight? I am a little scared. You sleep in the room and I’ll sleep in the veranda inside.’
Eshwardas thought for a second and then said, ‘All right. You never told me that you were scared to sleep in the house alone or I’d have arranged for someone to spend the night here.’
While Eshwardas went into his room Maya finished her dinner. But she could not swallow a morsel. Her heart was beating rapidly. There was a
