Tales of Bengal Part 13

"Hullo!" rejoined Sadhu with great surprise; "you must have been with her when she fell into the nullah."

Ramzan bent his head in silence. After a few moments he looked up, clasped his hands, and said:--

"Tell me the truth, Sadhu, is Maini alive?"

"She is," was the reply. "On Thursday morning she came to our house dripping wet and quite exhausted, with a story that your mother had turned her out of doors and that she was on her way to live with us when, on crossing the Padmajali Nullah, her foot slipped and she fell into the water. She told us how, after being carried for nearly a gau-coss (lit. cow league, the distance at which a cow's lowing can be heard), she was swept by the stream against the overhanging roots of a pipal tree (ficus religiosa) and managed to clamber up the bank. But Maini never told us that you were with her. Why, Ramzan, you're quaking in every limb. I always suspected Maini had concealed the truth. Swear on the Quran that you did not try to drown her."

Ramzan feebly protested innocence, and the two men sat awhile without speaking.

At length Sadhu said: "I've come to make you a proposal. Young Esaf, the son of Ibrahim of our village, has fallen in love with Maini and wants to marry her. He is willing to pay the den mohur of Rs. 100 which would be due from you in case of repudiation. Now we want you to divorce her."

Ramzan was overcome by his wife's magnanimity, and the thought of losing her drove him to distraction. "No!" he shouted, "I won't divorce her. I'll fetch her back this very day!"

"That's quite out of the question," rejoined Sadhu. "Maini cannot bear her mother-in-law's cruelty, and I'm sure she'll never consent to live with you again. Besides, Esaf is a rich man and will make her happy. She shall marry him."

"I say she shan't," said Ramzan emphatically.

Sadhu got up and moved off, remarking, "Very well, I will go to the police station at once and charge you with attempting to kill her! We shall soon worm the truth out of Maini, and get plenty of eye-witnesses too."

Ramzan was beside himself with terror. He followed Sadhu, clasped his feet, and groaned, "No, you won't do that! I am ready to divorce Maini. Let Allah's will be done."

"Ah," replied Sadhu, "so you can listen to reason after all. Come to our house to-morrow evening; we will have witnesses ready, and Esaf will be there with the den mohur."

Ramzan had a sleepless night and was too downcast to work on the morrow. When evening came, he walked wearily to Simulgachi. There was quite a small crowd in Sadhu's courtyard. On one side sat Maini and some other women with faces closely covered; Esaf and the witnesses were on the other. Between them was a mat, on which lay a bag full of money. Ramzan was received without salutations, and squatted down by Sadhu's side.

Moslem husbands can get rid of their wives by repeating the word talaq (surrender) thrice, in the presence of witnesses. Every one expected him to utter the formula, which would release Maini from his power. However, he sat silent, with downcast eyes. After a minute or two, he rose and, looking steadily at Maini, was just about to speak, when she sprang forward, laid her hand on his arm, and said: "Surely you are not going to divorce me, your faithful wife, who loves you dearly and seeks only to make you happy? What have I done to be treated thus?"

A murmur was heard in the a.s.sembly, but Sadhu raised his hand in token of silence.

"Foolish girl!" he exclaimed, "do you wish to return to a mother-in-law who hates and persecutes you? Will Ramzan be able to protect you?" Then lowering his voice, he added, "Is your life safe with those people?"

"Life and death," rejoined Maini, "are in Allah's hands. It is his will that we should fulfil our destinies, and mine is to cling to my husband. I would not change him for Hatim Tai (a legendary hero, very rich and generous) himself!" Then nestling closer to Ramzan, she pleaded in a voice of music, "Surely you don't want to get rid of me?"

He was quite overcome and burst into tears.

"No," he sobbed, "I will never separate from my treasure. Come back to me, and you need not fear my mother's tongue. She has left my house for good, and I swear by Allah, in the presence of all these people, that she shall not live with us again. You, Maini, shall be sole mistress of my house."

Maini was overjoyed by this decision. She clapped her hands twice, and then, picking up the bag of money, said to the crestfallen Esaf, "Take back your rupees; I am going home with my husband".

So speaking, she took Ramzan's hand and led him out of the house, while a great silence fell on the crowd, broken at length by many exclamations and a buzz of loud talk. My readers who know Maini's sweet nature will not be surprised to learn that her happiness was thenceforward without a single cloud.

THE END