‘What will you offer him as a gift?’
‘What am I worth to offer him a gift?’
‘Give him your youngest daughter.’
‘Come on, you’re insulting me!’
‘All right, if not that then you will let him embrace you lovingly just once, won’t you?’
‘Bhabhi, if you pull my leg like this, I will go back!’
‘This mahatma is quite a pleasure-seeker.’
‘Then he can go to blazes! He must be a wicked man!’
‘You will receive his benedictions only on this condition. He does not accept any other offering.’
‘You’re talking as though you are his deputy.’
‘Yes, only after consulting with me does he decide upon all his strategies. I take the offerings. I give the blessings and I have my meals by his side.’
‘Then why don’t you admit that you have played a trick in order to call me over?’
‘No, but while we are with him, I will advise you about a few things so that you can live comfortably at home.’
After this, the two friends began to talk softly among themselves, as though strategizing a game plan. When her sister-in-law stopped talking, Nirupama asked, ‘And what if a girl is born yet again?’
‘So what? At least for a few days your life will have been spent peacefully and contentedly. Nobody will be able to snatch away those days from you. If a boy is born then it would be an unparalleled situation. If a girl is born, we will have to re-strategize. We will be able to survive only if we employ such tactics with your family, which comprises of utterly foolish people.’
‘I am not certain whether the plan will work.’
‘Write to Tripathiji after about two or three days, informing him that mahatmaji has blessed you with an endowment. God willing, you will immediately begin to enjoy the self-respect and esteem due to you. The conceited people will come at once and be at pains to give you the best they can. At least for about a year you can live peacefully. After that, we will see what we can do.’
‘Won’t I be sinning against my husband if I pull the wool over his eyes?’
‘It is virtuous to be deceitful to such selfish people.’3
Nirupama returned home after about three or four months. Tripathiji had gone over to bring her back. His wife’s sister-in-law sang praises of the mahatma in no mean terms. She said: ‘Nobody has known the mahatma to bless without receiving the profit of his blessings. But yes, nothing can be done about one who is utterly doomed.’
Actually, Tripathiji had always been contemptuous of the power of benedictions and blessings. Besides, nowadays, it was also quite embarrassing to believe in all this mumbo jumbo; nevertheless he felt touched by what his sister-in-law had to say.
Nirupama’s family began to shower a lot of attention on her. When she was in the family way, everybody began to look up to her with renewed enthusiasm. Her mother-in-law, who never had a kind word for her and cursed her every now and then, began to treat her with a great deal of indulgence. ‘Daughter, let it be, I will cook the food. You will get a headache.’ When Nirupama was about to lift a basin full of water or a charpoy, she would run across to her and exclaim, ‘Bahu, let it be. I’m coming. You should not lift anything heavy. It is different with daughters—they are not affected by anything, but boys are affected by the ache even while they are inside the womb.’ Now, Nirupama was fed milk so that the boy would be healthy and fair. Tripathiji became obsessed with purchasing clothes and jewels for her. Every month he bought something new. Nirupama had never had it so good in all her life. Not even when she had been a young bride.
The months began to pass. Bodily signs indicated to Nirupama that she was carrying a girl yet again but she remained quiet about the perception. She thought to herself, How can one trust the monsoon sunshine? Let me make the most of it before the clouds gather. Every now and again she became grumpy. She had never been so self-willed. Nobody ever seemed to utter a word of dissent because they did not want to hurt her for fear that the boy would suffer the consequences. Sometimes, Nirupama would throw tantrums only to test the patience of her people. She had begun to enjoy bothering them. She thought to herself, The more I exasperate you selfish people, the better! You respect me because I will give birth to a son who will carry forward the name of your family. I mean nothing to you; the boy is paramount. I am of no consequence; whatever importance I receive is because of the child. And this is my husband! He used to love me deeply earlier; he didn’t care about worldly, materialistic things. Now all his expressions of love are merely selfish and farcical. I am like the cattle that is well-fed because of the milk it yields. All right, so be it! Right now I can twist you round my little finger! I’ll have you make me as many ornaments as I please. You will not snatch these away from me. Will you?
Ten months passed like this. Both of Nirupama’s sisters-in-law were invited to their paternal home from their respective husbands’ homes. Gold ornaments had been made for the child; a fine-looking milch cow was purchased; Tripathiji bought a small pushchair to take the child out for leisurely walks. The day Nirupama began to feel the labour pains, a panditji was called to ascertain the auspicious moment. The chief huntsman was called to fire gunshots to herald the birth of the boy and singing women were gathered to sing joyous songs. News was sought at every instant about the impending birth. A lady doctor was also sent for. A band of musicians was waiting for the good news to be announced. Even the sarangi player sat with his instrument,
