He remained in this state for several months. His colleagues sympathized with him. They did his work and avoided troubling him. People marvelled at his love for his wife. But a human being cannot live in his own world forever. The climate of that world does not suit him. Where in that world can one find such enchanting and pleasurable emotions? Resignation cannot bring ecstasy and joy filled with hope. The bookbinder would generally remain in his own world till midnight, but ultimately, he had to come out of that world and prepare dinner for himself and in the morning he had to take care of his pets. This work was an unbearable burden for him. Circumstances won over his emotions. Like a thirsty wayfarer in a desert, the bookbinder ran towards the mirage of conjugal pleasures. He wanted to see again that delightful show of life. The memory of his wife started fading against his strong desire of experiencing marital pleasures once again, so much so that there remained not the slightest sign of her memory after six months.
At the other end of his mohalla lived his office’s peon, from whose family Rafaqat got a marriage proposal. He was extremely happy. The peon’s status in the colony was no less than that of a lawyer. People made several attempts to guess his income. He himself used to say that when the government gave money to farmers to help them buy seeds, he had to keep a huge bag with him as his pockets were not big enough to hold his extra earnings. The bookbinder thought that fortune was finally smiling on him. He at once grabbed the offer the way children grab toys. All the marriage rituals were performed within a week and the new bride came home. A person who had lost all hope and was disenchanted with the whole world just a week back was sitting today on a horse with a wedding wreath on his head, looking like a new flower in bloom. It was a strange manifestation of human nature.
Before the week was over the new bride started showing her true colours. The Almighty had not blessed her with great beauty but to compensate the lack of it, He had given her a razor-sharp tongue to humiliate her husband and entertain her neighbours. For eight days, she minutely studied Rafaqat’s behaviour and then told him, ‘You are a strange creature. People keep animals for their comforts and not to make life miserable. Why do you let the dog drink the cow’s milk and why let the cat drink the goats’ milk? From today onwards, the milk must be brought home.’
The bookbinder couldn’t say anything. The next day, he stopped giving gram to his mare. His wife would parch the gram and eat it with green chillies and salt. Every morning, she would drink fresh milk with her breakfast and make tasmai almost every day. As she belonged to a rich family, it was not possible for her to live without betel leaves. The consumption of ghee and spices increased in the house. In the first month itself, the bookbinder felt that his income was not enough to support his family. His condition was like a person who consumes quinine thinking it to be sugar.
The bookbinder was an extremely pious man. For two or three months, he endured that frightful pain. His face expressed his agony more than his words. He, who had been cheerful even in the most dire circumstances earlier, was now misery personified. Wearing dirty clothes, with dishevelled hair and an expression of deep sadness on his face, he lamented day and night. His cow had turned into a skeleton. His mare had become so weak that she was unable to move. Even the sneeze of a neighbour could scare his cat. The dog could be seen chewing on the bones picked from the garbage. Despite all that, this brave man did not leave his old friends. The biggest problem was his wife’s sharp tongue due to which he sometimes lost his patience and his enthusiasm. He would often cry bitterly sitting in the corner of a dark room. Finding it difficult to be content with what he had, his broken heart took the path of extravagance. His self-esteem, which is a reward for being content with what one has, disappeared. He had to starve on many days. Now, he did not have a pot for storing water. In fact, he wanted to draw water from his well and drink it immediately so that it did not go waste. He was no longer satisfied with cold water and dry bread. He would get biscuits from the market and crave milk, cream and mangoes of good quality. How long can ten rupees last? He would spend all his salary in one week and then look for orders for bookbinding from private clients. Then, he would spend one or two days fasting, and after that he would start borrowing money. Slowly, the situation became so bad that from the first day of the month, he would start borrowing. Earlier, he used to advise others to spend sparingly. Now, others persuaded him to economize but he would say carelessly, ‘Dear, let me eat what I am getting today, leave tomorrow to God. If I get something to eat tomorrow, I will eat, otherwise I will sleep hungry.’ His condition was like a patient’s who, after losing hope in medical treatments, stops exercising restraint on diet, and wants to eat as many goodies as he can before his death.
But he had not yet sold his mare and cow. One day, they were sent to the animal shelter. The goats also became victims of Rafaqat’s extravagance. Due to his addiction to luxury foods, he owed money to the baker. When the latter felt
