Soon, Budh’s house could be seen. Doctor Sahib breathed a sigh of relief. He went to the door and banged the latch hard. From inside a dog answered raucously but no human word was heard. He banged the door harder and the dog became louder; the old lady woke up.
She said, ‘Who is breaking down the door so late in the night?’
‘It’s me, I was here a little while ago.’
The old lady recognized the voice; she understood that some calamity had befallen someone in the family, otherwise why would he come so late. But Budh hadn’t cast the spell yet, how had it taken effect? When she had tried to reason he wouldn’t listen. Now they were properly caught. She got up, lit an oil lamp and came out with it.
‘Is Budh Chaudhuri asleep? Please can you wake him?’ asked Doctor Sahib.
‘No, Babuji, I won’t wake him at this hour, he’ll eat me alive. Even if the Lord Sahib came to see him at night, he wouldn’t get up.’
Doctor Sahib explained the situation briefly and implored her to wake Budh.
Budh came out on his own, and rubbing his eyes, said, ‘Tell me, Babuji, what’s your command?’
Irritated, the old woman said, ‘How come your sleep broke today? If I’d tried to wake you you’d have set upon me.’
The doctor said, ‘I’ve explained the situation to the old lady, you can ask her.’
‘Nothing,’ said the old lady. ‘You put the curse, his servant had taken the money and is now about to die.’
‘The poor woman is dying. Do something to save her!’ said the doctor.
‘That’s a bad thing you’re telling me. Turning back a curse is not easy,’ said Budh.
‘Son, one’s life is at risk, don’t you know? If the curse happens to fall on the one who reverses it, then it might be difficult to survive,’ said his mother.
‘She can only be saved if you save her, please oblige me.’
‘For the sake of another’s life, should one throw away one’s own?’ asked the old woman.
The doctor said, ‘You do this work day and night, you know all the tricks. You can kill and you can bring to life. I never believed in these things but seeing the miracle you pulled off I’m left dumbfounded. You’ve benefited so many people, take pity on that poor old woman.’
Budh seemed to be melting a little, but his mother was much cleverer than him in matters of business. She was afraid he would soften and mess things up. She didn’t give Budh a chance to say anything.
She said, ‘That is all very well but we have children too. We don’t know which way things will go. It will come down on our heads, won’t it? Once your purpose is met you’ll move aside. It’s not a laughing matter to reverse a spell.’
‘Yes, Babuji, it’s a very risky job.’
‘If it’s a very risky job I don’t want it done for free, do I?’
‘How much will you give, fifty or hundred at the most? How long can we live on that?’ said the old woman. ‘Reversing a spell is putting one’s hand in a snake-hole, jumping into fire. Only by God’s grace can a life be saved.’
‘So, mother, I am with you. Say whatever you want. I just have to save that poor woman’s life. We’re losing time on talk here and I don’t know what her condition is like there.’
The old woman said, ‘You’re the one who’s wasting time. You decide the matter and then he’ll go with you. For your sake I’m taking this danger on my head, if it was anyone else I’d refuse outright. I’m drinking poison knowingly, doing you this favour.’
Every second felt as long as a year to Doctor Sahib. He wanted to take Budh with him right away. If she died, what would he mend when he got there? Money was of no account to him at that moment. He was only concerned that Jagiya be saved from the jaws of death. The frenzy of pity had made absolutely insignificant the money for which he used to sacrifice his own necessities and his wife’s desires.
He said, ‘You tell me, what can I say, but whatever you want to say, say quickly.’
The old woman said, ‘Okay, then give us five hundred rupees, the work can’t be done for less.’
Budh, looked at his mother in surprise, and Doctor Sahib felt faint. Dejectedly, he said, ‘That is beyond my capacity. It seems she’s fated to die.’
‘Let it be then,’ said the old woman. ‘It’s not as if we’re burdened by our lives. We took on the responsibility of this work because of your entreaties. Go back to sleep, Budh.’
‘Old mother, don’t be so cruel, only man comes to the help of man.’
Budh said, ‘No, Babuji, I’m prepared in every way to do your work. She said five hundred, you reduce it a bit. But yes, keep the danger in mind.’
The old woman said, ‘Why don’t you go and sleep? If money is dear to him, isn’t your life dear to you? If tomorrow you start spitting blood then nothing can be done. Who will you leave your children to? Do you have anything in the house?’
Hesitating, Doctor Sahib said two hundred and fifty rupees. Budh agreed, the matter was settled, the doctor and he set out for his house. He had never experienced such spiritual happiness before. The man who goes to court and returns having won the lost case could not be happier. He went along with a bounce in his step and kept telling Budh to walk faster. When they got home they found Jagiya at the brink of
