Binoy was in a quandary. “ I am afraid I don’t know many likely people,” he muttered. “ In fact, you may say I practically don’t know anybody at all in Calcutta, outside your family— still, I will look around.”
GORA 57 “ You know Sui, at all events,— what kind of a girl she is, ■*tnd all that? ’ said Mohim.
“Of course I do! ” laughed Binoy. “ Why, I’ve known her since she was a tiny tot— she’s a fine girl.”
' Then you need not look very far, my boy. I offer her to you! ” With which Mohim beamed triumphantly.
“ What! ’’ cried Binoy, now thoroughly alarmed.
lr v- hc$i y°Ur Par(lon if 1 have Put »*y foot in it,” said Mohim. ‘ Of course your family is better than ours, but surely, with one of your modern education, that need not stand in the way? ” “ No, no! ” exclaimed Binoy. “ It is not a question of family. — but just think of her tender age - ” “ What do you mean? ” protested Mohim. “ Sasi is quite old enough! The girls of Hindu homes are not mem-saJribs — it would never do to fly in the face of our own customs.”
Mohim was not a man to let his victim off so easily, and in his clutches Binoy felt he hardly knew what to do/ At last he said: “ Well, let’s have a little time to think it over.”
“ ’-Take your time by all means. You need not think I came to fix the happy day straight off.”
“ I have my people to consult - ” began Binoy again.
“ Of course, of course,” broke in Mohim. “ They certainly must be consulted. So long as your uncle is alive, we could not think of doing anything against his wishes.” And taking some more pan from his pocket he went away, appearing to regard the matter as settled.
Some time ago Anandamoyi had thrown out a suggestion as to the possibility of Binoy marrying Sasi, but Binoy had not paid any heed to it. To-day also the match did not appear to him any the more suitable, but nevertheless ho allowed the idea a place in his mind. If the marriage took place, thought he to himself, then he would really become one of Gora's family, not to be so easily cast off. He had always considered as laughable the English custom of regarding marriage as an affair of the heart, and so to him there was nothing impossible in the idea of his union with Sasi. In fact, he felt a special pleasure for the moment, because this proposal of Mohim’s would give him an excuse for seeking Gora’s advice. He half hoped that his friend would even press him to accept it, for he was sure that, if he didn’t agree too readily, Mohim would ask Gora to intercede.
These thoughts gradually drove away Binoy’s depression, and, in his eagerness to see Gora at once, he started out c 58 GORA CHAP.
towards his house. He had not gone far when he heard Safcish calling to him from behind.
He returned to his lodgings with the boy, who produced from his pocket something tied up in his handkerchief. “ Guess what’s in here! ” said Satish.
Binoy named all kinds of impossible things such as “ A skull,” “ A puppy,” but only succeeded in winning Satish’s disapproval.
At last, opening the bundle, Satish displayed some black¬ looking fruits and asked: " Can you tell me what these Binoy ventured a few random guesses, and when he had given it up, Satish explained that an aunt who lived in Rangoon had sent a parcel of these fruits for the family, and his mother had sent a few to Binoy Babu as a present.
Burmese mangosteens were not often seen in Calcutta in those days, so Binoy shook them and pinched them and then asked: " How on earth is one to cat this fruit, Satish Babu? ” Satish, laughing at Binoy’s ignorance, said: “ See here, Ci must not try and bite them — you must cut them with a fc and then cat the inside.”
Satish, only a short while before, had caused great amuse¬ ment to his relatives with his fruitless attempts to bite into one of them; he was now able to forget his own discomfiture by laughing at Binoy.
After these two friends of unequal age had joked together for a little, Satish said: “ Binoy Babu, mother says that if I3U have time you must como home with me. To-day is ila’s birthday.”
“ I’m sorry I shan’t have time to-day,” said Binoy. “ I am going somewhere else.”
14 Where are you going? ” asked Satish.
44 What, that friend of yours? ” Satish could not understand the logic which prevented Binoy from going to their house, but compelled him to go to another friend — and that too a friend whom he, for his part, could not bear. Satish disliked tho very idea of Binoy’s wanting to see such a friend, who looked even more severe than his head master, and from whom any appreciation of his wonderful musical box seemed quite out of the question. So he insisted: 44 No, Binoy Babu, you must come home with XIII GORA 59 XIII GORA 59 It did not take long before Binoy had to capitulate. For all the conflict of his inclinations, for all the objections which occurred to his mind, he at last took his captor’s hand and started towards No. 78. It was impossible for Binoy not to feel pleased at being specially chosen to share the rare fruits from Burma, or to ignore the overture of intimacy which this implied.
When Binoy was approaching Parcsh Babu’s house he saw Haran coming out with several other unknown people who had been invited to Lila’s birthday feast. Haran Babu, however, went off without appearing to notice him.
As he entered the house Binoy heard the sound of laughter and scampering. Sudhir had stolen the key of the drawer where Labonya kept her album hidden. Amongst the poems selected by this youthful aspirant for literary fame were some which would have been fit subject for jest, and Sudhir was threatening to read these out before the assembled company. It was when the struggle between the two sides was at its height that Binoy appeared on the battle-field. On his arrival Labonya’s party vanished in the twinkling of an eye, and Satish ran after them to share in the fun. Presently Sucbarita came into the room and said: “ Mother asks you to wait a little, she will he here directly. Father has gone to call on Anath Babu, and will not be late coming back either.”
With the idea of putting Binoy more at ease Sucharita began to talk to him about Gora. She said with a laugh: “ I imagine he’ll never enter our house again! ” “ What makes you think so f ” asked Binoy.
“ He certainly was shocked to see us girls appear in the presence of men,” explained Sucharita. "I don’t suppose he has any respect except for women who give themselves entirely to domestic duties.”
Binoy found it difficult to answer this remark. He would have been only too pleased to be able to contradict it, but how could he say what he knew was untrue? So he merely said: “ Gora’s opinion is, I think, that unless girls give their whole mind to housework they are wanting in their loyalty to their duty.”
To this Sucharita replied: “ Then would not it be better for men and women to have a complete division of duties? If you allow men into the house, their duty to the world outside may likewise suffer! Are you also of the same opinion as your friend? ” 60 GORA CHAP.
60 GORA CHAP.
About the social code for women Binoy had up till this time agreed with Gora, and had even written articles about it in the papers. But he could hardly bring himself to admit such opinions now. " Don’t you think,” he said, “ that in all such matters wo arc really the slaves of convention? We are first of all shocked to see women outside their homes because we are not accustomed to it, and then we try to justify our feelings by making it out to bo unseemly or improper. Tradition is really at the bottom, the arguments arc only an excuse.”
Suckarita, with little questions and suggestions, kept the conversation to the subject of Gora, and Binoy said whatever he had to say about his friend with a sincere eloquence. He had never before arranged his illustrations and arguments.so well. It is doubtful, indeed, whether even Gora himself could have expounded his own principles so clearly and so brilliantly. Stimulated by his own unexpected cleverness and power of expression, Binoy felt a joyous exhilaration which made his face radiant. He said: “ Our scriptures say: Know thyself — for knowledge is liberation. I can tell you that my friend Gora is India’s self-knowledge incarnate. I can never think of him as an ordinary man. While the minds of all the rest of us are scattered in different directions by every trifling attraction, or by the tomptation of novelty, he is the one man who stands firm amidst all distractions, uttering in a voice of thunder the mantram: Know thyself."
The talk would have goue on indefinitely, for Sucharita was listening eagerly, but suddenly there came from the adjoining room the sound of Satish’s shrill voice reciting — Tell mo not, in mournful numbers, " Life is but ou empty dream! " Poor Satish never got the chance of displaying his attain¬ ments before visitors. Guests were often made hot and un¬ comfortable by being made to listen to Lila’s recitations of English poetry, but Baroda never called upon Satish, although in everything there was a keen rivalry between the two. Satish’s greatest joy in life was to humble Lila’s pride, *if he could find any way to do so. The day before Lila had been put tc the test before Binoy, but then Satish had no opportunity of proving his superiority without being invited. He would only have been snubbed if he had tried. So to-day he began to recite in the adjoining room as if doing it for himself, at which Sucharita could not restrain her laughter.
rein GORA 61 At that moment Lila rushed into the room, her hair swinging hn braids, and, running up to Sucharita, whispered something .in her car.
Meanwhile the clock struck four. Binoy had determined, on his way to Paresh Babu’s house, that he would leave it ■early and go to see Gora. And the more he had talked about liis friend, the more eager he had become to meet him. T1iu3 (reminded of the hour, he got up hurriedly from his chair.
“ Must you be going so soon? ” exclaimed Sucharita. ■“ Mother is preparing tea for you. Won’t it do if you go a little later V' To Binoy this was not a question, but a command, so he isat down again at once. Labonya in a fine silk dress now •came in and announced that tea was ready, and her mother •wanted them to come up on to the terrace.
While Binoy took his tea Mistress Baroda entertained him -with the complete biography of each of her children. Lolita ■took Sucharita away with her out of the room, and there was -only Labonya left, sitting with her head bent over her knitting. .■Somebody had once complimented her on the play of her ■delicate fingers when she knitted, and ever since she had unade a habit of starting this work without any special reason, -whenever there were visitors present.
Paresh Babu came in just as evening fell, and as it was Sunday he proposed that they should go to the Brahmo Samaj .-service. Mistress Baroda turned to Binoy and^ said that, if lie had no objection, they would be glad of his company. After this Binoy could not see his way to make any objection.
They divided themselves between two gharries and set off •for the Samaj. When the service was dver and they were just preparing to get into the cabs, Sucharita with a little start exclaimed: “ Why, there goes Gourmohan Babu! ” There was not a doubt that Gora had seen the party, but lie had hurried away as if he had not noticed them. Binoy was ashamed at his friend’s rudeness, but he understood at once the reason of this precipitate retreat. Gora had caught «ight of him in that company. The happiness which had lit up his mind all this time was suddenly extinguished. Sucharita immediately read Bmoy’s thoughts and divined the cause of them, and because Gora could judge a friend like Binoy so -unfairly, all the more because of his unjust prejudice against Brahmos, her indignation against him once more gained the mastery. She longed more than ever for Gora’s discomfiture, mo matter by what means.
62 GORA CHAP'- CHAPTER XIV When Gora sat down to his midday meal, Anandamoyi tried/ to introduce the subject that was uppermost in lier thoughts. “ Binoy came here this morning,” she said by way of an. opening. “ Did you not see him? ” Without looking up from his food, Gora answered shortly n “ Yes, I did.”
“ I asked him to stay,” returned Anandamoyi after a long- silence, “ but lie went oil in an absent-minded sort of way.”
Gora made no reply, and Anandamoyi went on: “ Gora, there's something on his mind, I’m sure. I’ve never seen him like this before. I don’t like it at all.”
Gora went on eating without a word. Anandamoyi was a little afraid of Gora just because she loved him so dearly, so she was generally reluctant to press him on any matter when he himself did not open his mind to her. On any other occasion she would have let the subject drop, but to-day she- was so anxious about Binoy that she went on: “ Look 'her or Gora, don’t be annoyed if I speak plainly. God has created many kinds of men, but He docs not intend them all to tread the same path. Binoy loves you as his own life, that is why he will put up with anything from you — but nothing good can come of your trying to force him to your way of thinking.”* “ Mother, bring me some more milk, will yon? ” was Gora’a only reply.
Here the conversation ended. After her own meal waa over, Anandamoyi sat thoughtfully sewing on her bed, while Lachmi, having vainly tried to draw her into a discussion about the special wickedness of one of the servants, lay down to have her nap on the floor.
Gora spent a long time over finishing his correspondence. Binoy had seen quite plainly in the morning how angry he was, and it was unthinkable to Gora that he would not come to make it up. So in all that he was doing he kept listening for Binoy’s footsteps. But the day wore on and yet Binoy did not come.
Gora had just made up his mind to stop writing when Mohim entered the room. Ho dropped into a chair, and plunged right into the subject by askiug: “ What have you> been thinking about Sasi’s marriage? ” As Gora had never given a single thought to the question) he could not but maintain a guilty silence.
XIV GORA 63 Mohim then tried to bring Gora to a due sense of his duties as uncle by expatiating on the high price of bridegrooms in the marriage market, and the difficulty of furnishing the requisite dowry in the present circumstances of the family. And, having duly cornered Gora into the confession that he could see no way out of the difficulty, Mohim relieved him of the problem by suggesting Binoy as a solution. There was no need for Mohim to take such a roundabout way, but, whatever he might say to Gora’s face, in his heart of hearts Mohim was a little afraid of him.
Gora had never even dreamt that Binoy’s name could come up in such a connection, especially as they had both decided to remain unmarried in order to devote their love to the service of their country. So he simply said: “ But will Binoy agree to marry at all? ” “ Is this the kind of Hindu you are? ” broke out Mohim. “ For all your caste-marks and tikis, your English education has got right into your bones. Surely you know that the scriptures enjoin marriage as the duty of every son of a Brahmin! ” Mohim neither ignored the traditional customs like modern voune men, nor did he particularly affect the scriptures. He thought it absurd to make a show of eating at hotels nor did he think it necessary for plain, sober folk to be always quoting sacred texts, as Gora loved to do. But his policy was “ In Rome do as the Romans do,” and so to Gora he did not neglect an appeal to the scriptures.
Had this proposal been made two days earlier, Gora would simply not have listened to it. To-day, however, it did not seem to him to be so entirely unworthy of regard. At all events it gave him an immediate excuse for going to see Binoy. So eventually he said: “ All right, I’ll find out what Binoy thinks about it.”
“ You needn’t worry about finding that out, replied Mohim. “ He will think just as you tell him to think. If you put in a word in favour, it will be all right, so we may take it as settled.”.
Gora went off to Binoy’s lodgings the same evening and burst like a storm into his room, only to find it empty. He called the servant-boy and heard that Binoy had gone to A poisonous flood of antipathy against Parcsh Babu, his family, and the whole Brahmo Samaj filled Gora’s heart, and, bearing this overflowing revolt within him, he rushed off to GORA CEAP.
64 Paresh Babu’s bouse. His intention was to speak out quite straight, so as to make it too hot for that Brahrao household, and not too comfortable for Binoy either. But on reaching the house he found that all of them had gone out to the evening service.
For a moment he was in doubt as to whether Binoy had accompanied them — perhaps he might this very moment be at Gora’s house. Gora could hardly contain himself, and with his usual impetuosity he at once made for the Brahmo Samaj. As he reached the door he saw Binoy following Mistress Jiaroda into a cab. There was this shameless fellow, in full view of the open street, seated in the company of a lot of strange girls! The fool! To have got so completely caught in the coils — so quickly too, and so easily! Friendship, then, no longer had any charms. Gora went off like the wind, while Binoy in the darkness of the carriage sat silently looking out into the street.
Mistress Baroda, thinking that the sermon had moved him, did not care to interrupt his meditations.
CHAPTER XV Gora, on returning home that night, went straight up to the roof-terrace and there began to pace up and down.
After a while Mohim came up panting. “ Since man has not been provided with wings,” he grumbled, “ why on earth does he build three-storied houses? The heaven-dwelling gods will never tolerate these land animals trying to creep right up to the skies! Did you go to see Binoy? ” Without giving a direct answer Gora said: “ Sasi’s marriage with Binoy is impossible.”
What new caprice have you on the brain now?— may I know why you won’t? ” “ I have realised,” explained Gora, “ that it will be next to impossible to keep Binoy orthodox for long, so it won’t do to bring him into our family.”
“ 1 never! ” ejaculated Mohim. “ Many a bigot have I seen m my day, but this beats them all. You are going one better than even the Benares or Nadia pandits. They XV GORA 65 are satisfied when they see orthodoxy. You want orthodoxy warranted to last. You’ll be wanting to purify some one next, because you dreamt he became a Christian! ” After some more words had been exchanged, Mohim said: “ But I can’t hand the child over to the first uneducated boor I come across. Educated people arc bound to miss some rule of scripture or other now and then— for that, you may wrangle with them, or even mock at them, but why punish my poor girl by forbidding them to marry? What a fellow you are for getting things wrong side up! ” When Mohim came back downstairs he went straight to Anandamoyi and said: “ Mother, do put the brake on vour “ Why, what’s he been doing? ” asked Anandamoyi.
Mohim explained: “ I had practically settled that Binoy should marry my Sasi, and got Gora to agree to it too; but now he has suddenly found out that Binoy is not enough of a Hindu for him — it appears that his views do not square with the ancient law-givers in every particular! So Gora has turned nasty — and you know what it means when he does that. Next to the law-givers, you are the only one in the world for whose opinion Gora cares. If only you say the word, my daughter’s future is assured. It won’t be possible to find another such husband for her.”
Mohim then gave a detailed account of the talk he had had with Gora. Anandamoyi was much upset, feeling more than ever that some difference was widening into a real gulf between Gora and Binoy.
Going upstairs she found that Gora had stopped pacing the terrace, and was reading, seated on a chair in his room with his feet upon another. She drew up another chair and sat down beside him, whereupon Gora put his feet down and, sitting upright, looked her in the face.
“ Gora, my darling,” began Anandamoyi. “ Listen to me, and don’t get into a quarrel with Binoy. To me you are like two brothers, and I can’t bear the thought of any difference between you.”
“ If my friend wants to cut himself adrift,” said Gora, “ I’m not going to waste my time running after him.”
“ My dear, I don’t know what the trouble between you is, but if you can bring yourself to believe that Binoy wants to cut the ties that bind him to you, where is the strength of your friendship? ” “ Mother,” replied Gora, “ you know I like to follow a 66 GORA CI7AP.
straight path. If any one wants to keep astride the fence, 1 11 ask him to take away his leg from my side, and I don’t care whether he or I get hurt in the process.”
“ What after all has happened? ” expostulated Ananda- moy1 He has been visiting at a Brahmo house— isn’t that the whole of his fault? ” “ Let it be as long as it may, but I have one little word to put in. You plume yourself on your steadfastness— that you never give up what you once take hold of. Why then is your hold on Bmoy so loose? Had your Abinash wanted to secede from the party, would you have let him go so easily? Hoes the keeping of Binoy mean so little to you, just because he is such a true friend? ” Gora remained silent and thoughtful, for Anandamoyi’s words had made his own mind clear to him. All this while he had been thinking ho was sacrificing friendship to duty He now saw that the exact opposito was the truth. He had been ready to inflict on Binoy love’s extreme penalty merely because the exactions of his friendship had not been submitted /^ strength of their friendship claimed to keep Binoy tied fast to his will, and Gora felt soro simply because that had not happened.
As soon as Anandamoyi saw that her words had made an impression, she rose to go without saying any more. Gora too, jumped off his chair and snatched his shawl from the rack.
“ Where aro you off to? ” asked Anandamoyi.
To Binoy’s.”
“ Won't you have your dinner first? It's ready.”
1 11 bring Binoy back with me and we’ll dine together ” Anandamoyi turned to go downstairs, but stopped as she heard footsteps coming up, saying: “ Here’s Binoy himself! ” and a moment later Binoy appeared.
Anandamoyi’s eyes filled with tears as she saw him. “ I “ No, mother,” he replied.
“ Then you are to dine here.”
Bmoy looked towards Gora, and Gora said: “ Binoy, you win live long. I was just going to see you l ” Anandamoyi felt a load lifted from her mind as she hurried away, leaving the friends to themselves.
When the two were seated, neither of them could muster GORA 67 xv up the courage to begin on the subject uppermost in their rminds. Gora led off with small talk. “ Do you know that mew gymnastic instructor we have got for the boys of the •club? ” he began. “ He is a splendid teacher! ” And thus •they went on till they were summoned downstairs for dinner.
When they sat down to their meal Auandamoyi could see from their conversation that the veil between them had not _vct been lifted. So when they had finished, she said: “Binoy, sit’s now so late that you must stay the night here. I’ll send a ancssagc to your lodgings.”
Binoy cast an inquiring glance at Gora’s face and then he said: “ The Sanskrit adage tells us that he who has dined should bear himself right royally — therefore will I not walk •the streets this night, but rest me here.”
The two then went up on to the roof, and rested on a mat spread on the open terrace. The sky was flooded with the •autumn moonlight. Thin white clouds, like short spells of •drowsiness, passed over the moon and then floated away. On ■every side, up to the horizon, stretched rows of roofs of all heights and sizes, mingling here and there with the tops of trees, like an unmeaning, unsubstantial phantasy of light and «hade.
The clock of a neighbouring church struck eleven. The hawkers of ices had given their last call. The sound of the traffic grew faint. There was not a sign of wakefulness in the Hano near by, except for the occasional bark of a dog, or the sound of the neighbours’ horses kicking against the wooden .-floor of their stables.
For a long time neither of them spoke, till at last Binoy, •hesitatingly at first, but gradually giving full vent to his emotion, spoke out his mind. “ My heart is too full to contain itself, Gora,” he said. “ I know that you yourself are not interested in the subject of my thoughts, but I cannot rest until I have told you all. I cannot judge whether the thing is good or evil, but this much I know for certain, — it is not to be trifled with. I have read a great deal about it, and up till now I imagined I knew all there was to be known, — just as •one may dream of the delights of swimming when looking on the picture of a lake; but now that I am in the water, I don’t -.find it such an easy matter 1 ” With this introduction Binoy began to unfold to Gora, a3 Ibest he could, the wonderful experience which had come into bis life. Nowadays, he averred, it seemed as if all his days And nights enveloped him completely — as if the sky had no GORA CHAP.
Kin it, but was filled with sweetness, like the beehive with.
ey in the springtime. Everything nowadays came close- to him, touched him, had for him a new meaning. He had. never known before that he loved the world so deeply, that: the sky was so wonderful, the light so marvellous, that even the stream of unknown wayfarers along the streets could be- so profoundly real! He longed to do something for every one- he came across,— to dedicate his powers to the eternal service- of the world, as did the sun.
From the way Biuoy spoke, one would hardly infer that he- had uny particular person in mind. He seemed to have a. delicacy about mentioning any name— or even giving a hint that there was a name to mention. He almost felt guilty to- be talking thus at all. It was a liberty, an insult,— but it was- too tempting to be resisted on such a night, seated by the side- of his friend, under the silent sky.
What a wonderful face! How the glow of life delicately revealed itself in the tenderness of her forehead! What a- glorious intelligence, what inexpressible depths in her features!' How radiantly did her innermost thoughts blossom out in her -C8 when she smiled!— how unutterably did they lurk beneath e shade of her eyelashes! And those two hands of hers! They seemed to speak, so eager were they to express in beauty of service the- tender devotion of her mind. Binoy felt his life and youth to be fulfilled with this vision— great waves of joy dashed against his breast as it repeatedly flooded his heart.
What could be more wonderful than to be privileged to experience^ what so many other people in this world have to- go through life without even seeing? Could this be some- madness? Was it in any way wrong? What if it were— it was too late to check it now. If the current should carry him to some shore, well and good; but if it should float him off,, or drown him, that could not be helped. The trouble was he- did not even wish to be rescued— it seemed as if the true goal' of all his life was thus to be swept away from all bonds of tradition and habit.
Gora listened on in silence. On many such moonlit nights,, seated alone together amidst the stillness all around, the two- friends had discussed all manner of things— literature, people, the welfare of society, how they two would spend their future- lives — but never anything so intimate. Gora had never come- face to face with such a true revelation, such a vivid expression of the inner truth of the human heart. He had always looked down upon this kind of thing as rubbishy poetic outpourings GORA xv —but to-day it touched him so closely, he could ignore it no longer..Not only so, the violence of its. outburst knocked at the door of his mind too,— its rapture thrilled through his being like flashes of lightning. For an instant the veil was lifted o2 an unsuspected region of his heart, and the magic of the autumn moonlight found entrance and irradiated that erstwhile obscure chamber.