They were not aware, as they talked on, when the moon descended behind the roofs, and its place was taken by a faint hint of light in the east, like the smile on the face of a sleeping child. When at length the burden that lay on Binoy’s mind was lightened, he began to feel a little ashamed. After a pause he went on: ‘ This thing that has happened to me must seem very trivial in your eyes. Perhaps it makes you feel a contempt for me,— but what am I to do? I have never kept anything back from you, and I’ve unburdened myself to- you now, whether you understand me or not.”
Gora replied: “ Binoy, I can’t honestly say that I exactly understand this kind of thing, nor would you have understood1 it any better a few days ago. I can’t even deny that, amidst all the immensity of life, this side of it, for all its effusiveness- and passion, has struck me as utterly trivial. But perhaps it; may not be really so— that much I am free to admit. It has- seemed to me thin and unsubstantial because I have never experienced its power or its depths. But now I cannot dismiss as false what you have realised so tremendously. The fact of the matter is, that if the truths outside the field: of one’s own work did not appear of less moment, no man could have carried on with his duty. Therefore God has not confused man by making all objects equally clear to his vision. We must select for ourselves the field on which we • would focus our attention, and forgo our greed for all the rest outside it, else we shall never find the truth at all. I cannot worship at the shrine where you have seen truth’s image, for if I did I should have to lose the inner truth of my own life. We must choose one course or the other.”
“ I sec! ” exclaimed Binoy. “ Either Binoy’s course, or Gora’s. I am out to fulfil myself — you to give yourself’ up.”
Gora interrupted impatiently: “ Binoy, don’t try to be- epigrammatic! I can quite sec that to-dav you stand face to face with a great truth, with which there can be no trifling. You have to give yourself entirely up to it if you want to- realise any truth — there’s no other way of getting at it. It ia> 70 GORA CHAP.
70 GORA CHAP.
the one desire of my life that my truth may come before me as vividly some day.. So long, you have been content with what you knew of love from books. I also have only a book knowledge of the love of country. Now that you have experienced the real thing, you realise how much more true it • is than the thing you read about. It claims nothing less than •the whole of your universe; there is no place where you can get away from it. When once my love of country becomes so overwhelmingly self-evident, then also there will be no •escape for me, — it will draw out all my wealth and life, my blood, the very marrow of my bones; my sky, my light, in fact my all. How wonderful, how beautiful, how clear, how obvious that true image of my country will be, — how fierce and •overpowering will be its pain, its ioy, overpassing in a moment both life and death by its turbulent flood, — of this I caught Slimpses as I listened to you speaking. This experience that as come into your life has brought new life to me also. Whether I shall ever be able to understand what you have i felt I know not, but I seem to have been able to experience -through you some taste of what I have been yearning for unysclf.”
As he spoke Gora had left the mat and was walking up and -down. The tinge of dawn in the east seemed like a spoken rmessage to him; his very soul was moved, as if he had heard the chanting of Vedic mantras in some ancient forest retreat •of India. For a moment he stood motionless, thrilling through -and through, while it seemed to him that through the top of •bis brain a lotus-stem had pierced its way and unfolded into a radiant blossom, filling the sides above him with its expand¬ ing petals. His whole life, its consciousness, its power, seemed to lose itself in the bliss of its supreme beauty.
When Gora came to himself again, he said suddenly: “ Binoy, even this love of yours you will have to transcend — T tell you it will not do to stop there. One day I will show you how great and true is He who has called me with His -mighty power. To-day I am filled with a great joy — I know 'I will never give you up into any lesser hands.”
Binoy rose from the mat and came and stood beside Gora, •who with an unwonted enthusiasm pressed Binoy to his 'fcosom as he said: “ Brother, for us ’tis death — the samo ■death. We two are one; none shall separate us, none shall ever hinder us.”
Gora's tumultuous emotion sent its waves pulsing through Binoy’s heart, and without a word he surrendered himself GORA 71 xv completely to his friend’s influence. They paced the terrace together in silence, while the eastern sky flushed crimson.
Gora spoke again: “ Brother, the goddess of my worship does not come to me enshrined in beauty. I see her where there is poverty and famine, pain and insult. Not where worship is offered with song and flower, but where life’s blood is sacrificed. To me, however, it is the greatest joy that no element of mere pleasantness is there to seduce one; there one must rouse himself with his full strength and be prepared to give up his all. No sweetness cloys such manifestation; it is an irresistible, unbearable awakening, cruel and terrible, in which the strings of being are struck so harshly that all the tones of the gamut cry out as they are snapped asunder. When 1 think of it, my heart leaps— such joy I feel is fit joy for a man— it is Siva’s dance of life. The whole quest of man is the vision of the New as it appears in all its beauty on tho flaming crest of tho Old as it is destroyed. On the background of this blood-red sky I can see a radiant Future, freed from its bonds, — I can see it in to-day’s approaching dawn — listen, you can hear its drum-beats in my breast! ” And Gora, taking Binoy’s hand, placed it over his heart.
“ Gora, my brother,” said Binoy, deeply moved, “ I will be your comrade through and through. But I warn you never to let me hesitate. Like cruel fate itself, you must drag me along without mercy. We are both on the same road, hut our strength is not the same.”
“ Our natures arc different, it is true,” replied Gora, “ but a supreme joy will make our different natures one. A greater love than that which binds us to each other will unite us. So long as such greater love does not become true for both of u’s, there will be friction and falling out at every step. Then will conic a day when, forgetting all our differences, forgetting even our friendship, we shall be able to stand together, immovable, in an immense passion of self-abandonment. In that austere joy we shall find the ultimate fulfilment of our friendship.”
“ So may it be! ” responded Binoy, pressing Gora’s hand.
“ But meanwhile I shall give you much pain,” Gora went on. “ You will have to bear with all my tyranny— for it will •not do to look upon our friendship as an end in itself — we must not dishonour it by trying to preserve it at any cost. 3f our friendship must perish for the sake of the greater love, that can’t be helped; but if it can survive, then it will be fulfilled indeed.”
They both started on hearing footsteps behind them, and.
72 GORA CHAP.
looking round, they saw that Anandamoyi had come up. She took a hand of each of them and drew them towards the bed¬ room, saying: “ Come, get along to bed! ” “ No, mother, we can’t sleep now,” exclaimed both together.
“ Oh yes, you can! ” said Anandamoyi, as she made the two friends lie down. Then, shutting the door, she sat by their pillow fanning them.
“ All your fanning will not do, mother,” said Binoy. “ Sleep won’t come to us now.”
" Won’t it? We’ll see about that! ” replied Anandamoyi. “ At any rate, if I stay here you won’t be able to begin talking again.”
When the two of them had fallen asleep, Anandamoyi crept 2uictly out of the room, and on her way downstairs met (ohim coming up. “ Not now,” she cautioned him. “They’ve been awake all night. I’ve only just sent them off to sleep.”
“ My goodness— this is friendship with a vengeance,” said Mohim. “ Do you know if they discussed the marriage question at all? ” “ No, I don’t,” replied Anandamoyi.
“ They must have come to some decision,” Mohim mused aloud. “ When on earth will they wake up? Unless the marriage takes place soon, there may be all kinds of complications.”
“ There will bo no complications,” laughed Anandamoyi, “ if they are allowed a little more sleep. They are sure to wake sometime to-day.”
CHAPTER XVI “ Aren’t you going to get Sucharita married at all? ” cried Mistress Baroda.
Paresh Babu stroked his beard in his customary quiet manner, as he asked in his gentle voice: “ Where is the bridegroom? ” To which his wife replied: “ Why, it’s practically settled that she is to marry Panu Babu — at least we all think so — and Sucharita herself knows it too.”
“ I’m not sure that Sucharita looks with favour on Panu Babu,” ventured Paresh Babu.
“ Now look here,” cried his spouse, “ that’s just the soc& XVI GORA 73 of thing I can’t stand. What if we have always treated the girl like one of our own daughters — why need she put on such airs? If such an educated and religious man as Panu Babu is taken with her, is that a thing to be treated lightly? What¬ ever you may say, although mv Labonya is much better- looking, I can assure you she will never say ‘ No ’ to any one we are pleased to marry her to. If you go on encouraging Sucharita’s conceit, it will be a hard task to find a bridegroom for her.”
Parcsh Babu never argued with his wife, especially about Sucharita, so he kept silent.
When, on the birth of Satish, Sucharita’s mother died, the girl had been only seven years old. Her father, Ram-sharan Haidar, had, on losing his wife, joined the Brahmo Samaj, and to avoid the persecution of his neighbours had taken refuge at Dacca. It was while he was working in the Post Office there that Paresh Babu had become his intimate friend, so much so that Sucharita from that time loved him like her own father. Ram-sharan Babu died suddenly, leaving whatever money he had to his two children, and making Paresh Babu trustee. It was from then that the two orphans had come to live in Paresh Babu’s family..
The reader already knows what an enthusiastic Brahmo Haran was. He had a hand in all the activities of the Samaj,— he was a teacher in the Night School, editor of their Journal, secretary of the Girls’ School,— in fact he was indefatigable. Every one expected that this young man would eventually take a very high position in the Brahmo Samaj. Even out- aide the Samaj he had become famous, through the pupils of his school, for his mastery of the English language and his knowledge of philosophy.
For these various reasons Sucharita had shown a special respect towards Haran, just as she did to all other good Brahmos. When she had come to Calcutta from Dacca, sho had even been eager to make his acquaintance.
Eventually not only had Sucharita become acquainted ■with this renowned person, but he had not hesitated to show his preference for her. Not that Haran openly declared his love for Sucharita, but he devoted himself so single-mindedly to the task of removing her imperfections, correcting her faults, increasing her enthusiasm, and generally improving her, that it became clear to all that he wished to make this particular girl worthy of being a helpmate unto himself. As (or Sucharita, when she realised that she had won the heart 74 GORA CHAP.
HSH ara^s^iSSr”5""® m ™«r that ha first began to tost Sucha&a. h thlS home by his more familiar title “ Panu Babu” it was no rut|crespute drH^ 2s j&wt&s ffirffikS oS°?^:SS“ man's nature becomes humble. When a man ^nroud^ml SSSS^ l-v^rJ^ts XVI GORA ^ VAVil 75 obscured everything else, and came out, in all its ungainliness, m whatever he said or did.
When obsessed with his own idea of the welfare of the Brahmo Samaj, Haran would not hesitate to impugn even, iaresh Babu’s judgement, Sucharita would writhe like a wounded snake. At that time in Bengal, English educated people did not study the Bhagavadgita, but Paresh Babu used to read it occasionally to Sucharita, and had even read nearly the whole of the Maiabharata to her. Haran disapproved of- this, for he wanted to banish aU such books from Brahmo households. He himself never read them, wishing to keep aloof from all such literature favoured by tho orthodox. Amongst the scriptures of the world-religions his only support- was the Bible. The fact that Paresh Babu drew no line between Brahmo and non-Brahmo in such things as the study of scriptures, and other matters which he regarded as un¬ essential, was a thorn in the side of Haran. But Sucharita could not bear that any one should have the arrogance to find fault with Paresh Babu’s conduct, even secretly. And it was> this open display of arrogance on his part which lowered. Haran in her eyes.
But although Sucharita felt herself becoming: estranged! every day by the violence of Haran’s sectarianism and by his dry narrow-mindedness, the probability of her marriage with, him had never yet been questioned by either side. In a religious community, a man who labels himself with a high- Snced ticket gradually comes to be taken at his own valuation; 5 much so that even Paresh Babu did not dispute Haran’a. claims, and because every one regarded him as one of the future pillars of the Samaj, he also gave his tacit consent to the idea. Aay, further, the only questioning that ever exercised him was as to whether Sucharita was good enough! for such a husband; it had never so much as- occurred to him. to inquire how far Haran was pleasing to Sucharita:.
As no one thought it necessary to consult Sucharita’s point-, of view in this matter, she also got into the way of. ignoring her own personal inclination. Like the rest of- the Brahmo Samaj, she also took it for granted that when it suited Haran to say he was ready to marry her, it would be her- part to- accept such marriage as.her life’s chief duty.
Matters had been going on thus when Paresh- Babu, on. hearing the few hot words Sucharita had exchanged with Haran in defence of Gora, began to have misgivings as to- whether she had a sufficient respect for him. Perhaps, he- 76 GORA CHAP.
thought, there might be some deeper reason for their differences of opinion, thus come to light. So when Baroda returned to the question of Sucharita’s marriage he had not shown his former complaisance.
That very day Mistress Baroda drew Sucharita aside and said to her: “ You’ve been making father anxious.”
Sucharita started in dismay, — that even unconsciously she could be a cause of anxiety to Paresh Babu caused her the ; greatest concern. She turned pale as she asked: “ Why, what have I done? ” “ How can I know, dear? ” replied Baroda. “ Ho imagines that you do not like Panu Babu. Practically every one in the Brahmo Samaj believes that your marriage with him is a settled thing — and if you now - ” “ Why, mother,” interrupted Sucharita in surprise, “ I’ve ; never said a word about it to anybody.”
She had reason to be astonished. She had often been •irritated by Haran’s behaviour, but she had never for a •moment, even in thought, protested against the idea of marrying him, for, as we have seen, it had been impressed on • her that the question of her personal happiness had nothing •to do with the case.
Then she remembered that she had the other day un¬ guardedly allowed her displeasure with Ilaran to be visible • to Paresh Babu, and, thinking that this was what had upset • him, she felt immensely penitent. She had never permitted herself to break out like this before, and vowed she would i never let it happen again.
Haran himself happening to come that afternoon, Mistress Baroda called him to her room and said: “ By the way, Panu Babu, every one is saying that you are going to marry our Sucharita, but I’ve never heard anything about it from your • own lips. If such be really your intention, why don’t you speak out t ” Haran was unable to keep his avowal back any longer. He felt he must play for safety by definitely making Sucharita • captive. The question of her fitness for helping him in his work for the Samaj, and of her devotion to himself personally, • could be put to the test later. So he replied: “ That goes without saying. I was only waiting for her to reach her eighteenth year.”
“ You are over-scrupulous,” said Baroda. “ It is enough •that she has passed her fourteenth.” 1 1 The legal age.
2 VII GORA 77 Paresh Babu was astonished to see Sucharita’s behaviour at the tea-table that afternoon, for she had not given Haran such a cordial reception for a long time past. In fact, when he was about to go, she actually pressed him to sit down again, so that she might show him a new piece of embroidery of Labonya’s.
Paresh Babu was relieved. He thought he must have been •mistaken, and smiled to himself, thinking that some secret Covers’ quarrel had occurred between the two and had now •been made up.
Before leaving that evening Haran made a formal proposal •for Sucharita’s hand to Paresh Babu, adding that he did not wish the wedding to be delayed for long.
Paresh Babu was somewhat mystified. “ But you used to say,” he objected, “ that it is wrong to marry a girl under •eighteen. You’ve even written to that effect in the papers.”
“ That does not apply to the case of Sucharita,” explained Haran, “ for her mind is unusually developed for her age.”
“ That may be so,” protested Paresh Babu, firm in spite •of his mildness. “ But, Panu Babu, unless there be any very special reason, you should act according to your own con¬ victions by waiting till she comes of age.* • Haran, ashamed at having been betrayed into this weak- mess, hastened to make amends by sayina: “Of course, that is my duty. My only idea was that we should have a formal betrothal at an early date in the presence of friends and of •God.”
“ Certainly, an excellent suggestion,” agreed Paresh Babu.
CHAPTER XVII "When, after two or three hours’ sleep, Gora awoke and saw Binoy sleeping beside him, his heart was filled with joy. He •felt as relieved as one who has dreamt that he has lost some¬ thing very precious, and wakes up to find that it was only a dream. He realised, with Binoy beside him, how crippled his life would have been if he had given up his friend. Gora jfelt so elated that he shook Binoy out of his slumber, shouting: ** Come along, there’s work to do.”
Gora had a regular social duty to perform every morning: to visit the poor people of his neighbourhood. It was not with the -idea of preaching to them, or of doing them good.
78 GORA chap.
but simply with the desire for their companionship. In fact he was hardly so intimate with his circle of educated friends- as he was with these people. They used to call him “ Uncle and offer him a hookah specially set apart for higher folk, and (*ora had actually forced himself to smoke simply in order to. come closer to them.
The chief admirer of Gora was one Nanda, the son of a. . carpenter. He was twenty-two years of age, and worked in. his father s shop at making wooden boxes. He was a first- rate sportsman and the best bowler in the local cricket team Gora had formed a Sports and Cricket Club into which ho had. introduced these sons of carpenters and blacksmiths on a foot¬ ing of equality with the well-to-do members. In this mixed- company Nanda stood easily first in every kind of manly- exercise. In consequence, some of the better-duss students- were jealous of him, but under Gora’s strict discipline they had to acquiesce in his election as their Captain.
A few days previously Nanda had wounded his foot with, a chisel and had not been attending at the cricket-field for some days, and Gora, being so preoccupied about Binoy all this time, had not been able to make any inquiries, so to-day they started together for the carpenters’ quarter to call on. Nanda.
As they reached the door of Nanda’s house they heard tho> sound of women weeping within. Neither Nanda’s father nor any other mcn-folk of the household were at home, and from a neighbouring shopkeeper Gora learnt that Nanda had died that very morning and his body bad just been taken to the- burmng-ghat.
Nanda dead! So healthy and strong, so vigorous and! good-hearted, and so young too!— dead, that very morning! Gora stood petrified in every limb. Nanda was a common carpenters son: the gap caused in his circle would be felt by few, and that perhaps only for a short time; but to Gora,. Nanda s death seemed cruelly incongruous aud impossible. He had seen what immense vitality he had— so many people- were alive, but where could one find such abundance of life?
On inquiring into the cause of his death they learnt that it was tetanus. Nanda’s father had wanted to call in a doctor but his mother had insisted that her son was possessed of a, devil, so she had sent for an exorcist, who had spent the whole- night uttering spells and tormenting the sufferer, searing hi* body with red-hot wires. At the beginning of the illness- Nanda had asked for Gora to be informed, but, fearing lest ho XVII GORA 79 should insist on their having medical aid, Nanda’s mother had not sent him the message.
“ What stupidity, and what a terrible penalty! ” groaned Bmoy, as they turned away from the house.
“ Don’t comfort yourself, Binoy,” said Gora bitterly, “ by simply calling it stupidity and trying to remain out of it. If you had really a clear vision of how great this stupidity is, and how far-reaching its penalty, you could not have dis¬ missed the matter with just an expression of regret I ” Gora quickened his pace more and more as his excitement grew on him, while Binoy without answering tried to keep up with him.
Gora after a short silence suddenly continued: “ Binoy, I can't let the matter end here so easily. The torments inflicted by that charlatan on my Nanda arc torturing me, they arc torturing the whole of my country. I can’t look upon this as a trivial or isolated event.”
Finding Binoy still silent, Gora roared out: “ Binoy, I know quite well what’s iu your mind! You are thinking that there’s no remedy, or if there is, it’s a long way off. But I can’t bear to think in that strain. If I could, I should not have remained alive. Whatever wounds my country, no matter how serious it may be, has its remedy — and that remedy i3 in my own hands. Because I believe this, I am able to bear all the sorrow and distress and insult that I see around me.”
“ I have not the courage,” said Binoy, “ to keep my faith erect in face of such widespread and terrible misery.”
“ I shall never bring myself to believe that misery is eternal,” answered Gora. “The whole will-power and thought-power of the universe is attacking it, within and without. Binoy, I urge you again and again, never even in your dreams think it impossible for our country to become free. With the conviction of its freedom firm in our hearts, we must keep ourselves in readiness. You want to rest content with the vague idea that at some propitious moment the battle for India’s freedom will commence. I say the fight has already begun, and is being carried on every moment. Nothing could be more cowardly than for us to remain unanxious and unwatchful.”
“ Look here, Gora,” answered Binoy. “ Between you and the rest of us I see this differfince: our everyday happenings seem to strike you with new force every time, even things that have gone on happening for a long time. But, as for us.
80 GORA ciiap.
we are as unconscious of them as of the breath we take, — they move us neither to hope nor to despair, neither to rejoicing nor to despondency. Our days slip emptily by, and we rculise neither ourselves nor our country in the midst of surrounding events.”
Gora suddenly turned scarlet and the veins started out on his forehead, as he clenched his fists and began to run furiously after a man driving a pair of horses, while in a voice that startled the whole street he called out — “ Stop! Stop! " The stout, dressy Bengali babu who was driving the turn-out gave one look round and then, with a flourish of his whip on the flanks of his spirited horses, disappeared.
An old Mohammedan cook had been crossing the road with a basket of provisions for some European master on his head. The pompous babu had called out to him to got out of the way, but the deaf old man was nearly run over. Ho managed to save himself, but tripped, and the contents of the basket — fruits, vegetables, butter and eggs — were scattered all over the road. The angry driver turning on his scat had shouted, “ You damned pig! ” and given the old man such a stinging stroke with bis whip that he drew blood.
“ Allah! Allah! ” sighed the old man as he meekly pro¬ ceeded to gather up what things were not spoilt into his basket, while Gora, returning to the spot, began to help him at his task. The poor cook was greatly distressed at seeing this well- dressed gentleman taking so much trouble, and said: “ Why are you troubling yourself, Babu? These things arc no longer any good.”
Gora knew quite well that what he was doing was really no help at all, and that it would only embarrass the man ho was seeming to help— but he felt that it was impossible not to do something to show passers-by that one gentleman at least was anxious to atone for the brutality of another by taking the insult upon himself, and thus to uphold outraged right.
When the basket was refilled Gora said: “ This loss will be too heavy for you to bear. Come along to our house, and I will make it up to you. But let me tell you one thing, Allah will not forgive you for submitting to such insult without a word of protest.”
“Allah will punish the wrongdoer, ’’replied the Mohammedan.
“ Why should he punish me? ” “ He who submits to wrong* said Gora, “ is also a wrong¬ doer, for it is ho who is the cause of all evil in the world. You may not understand me, but remember that religion is not xvn GORA merely being pious, for that simply encourages tlie evildoer. Your Mohammed understood that all right, and that’s why he did not go about preaching meek submission.’'
As Gora’s house was rather far away, he took the old man to Binoy’s lodgings, and, standing in front of the writing-table, said: “ Get out your money.”
“ Wait a moment,” replied Binoy. “ Let me get the key.”
But the tug of the impatient Gora was too much for the lock, and the drawer flew open. The first thing that came into view inside was a large photograph of Parcsli Babu’s whole family, which Binoy had managed to procure from his youthful friend Satish. Gora sent the old man away with the necessary sum of money, but he said not a word about the photograph; and, seeing Gora silent, Binoy did not care to refer to it either, though his mind would have been relieved by the exchange of a few words on the subject.
“ Well, I’m off! ” said Gora suddenly.
“ That’s nice of you! ” exclaimed Binoy. “ To go off alone! Don’t you know that mother invited me to breakfast with you? I’m off with you too! ” They left the house together. On the way back Gora did not speak a word. The photograph had reminded him that the main current in Binoy’s heart was carrying him along a path with which his life had no connection.
Binoy understood well enough the cause of Gora’s silence, but he shrank from trying to break through the barrier of his reserve, for he felt that Gora’s mind had touched upon a point where there was a real obstacle to their intercourse.
When they reached home they found Mohim standing at the door, looking down the street. “ What’s been happening? ” he cried, on catching sight of the two friends. “ As you have been awake all last night, I was picturing you both comfortably asleep on the footpath somewhere. But it’s getting late. Go and nave your bath, Binoy.”
Having thus driven Binoj' off, Mohim turned to Gora and said: “ Look here, Gora, you must think seriously of the matter I spoke about. Even if Binoy is not orthodox enough for you, where in the world shall we find a better? It’s not sufficient to secure mere orthodoxy— wc must have education too. I concede that the usual compound of education-cum- orthodoxy is not strictly in accord with our scriptures, but for all that, they do not make such a bad combination either. If you had a daughter of your own, I am sure you would have come to my opinion.”
82 GORA CHAP.
“ That’s all right, Dada,” answered Gora. “ I don’t think Biuoy will have any objection.”
“ Just listen to him! ” exclaimed Mohim. “ Who is worry¬ ing as to whether Binoy will object? It is your objecting that I am afraid of. If only you will request Binoy with your own lips, I shall be perfectly satisfied. If that will not serve, let it drop.”
“ I’ll do that,” said Gora.
Whereupon Mohim felt that nothing remained but to order the wedding feast.
At the first opportunity Gora said to Biuoy: “ Dada has begun to press hard for your marriage with Snsi. What say you to it? ” “ First tell me what you wish.”
“ I say that it wouldn’t be such a bad thing.”