Barrister Parvateesam

He said, “I’ll write down the address and all the details about how to get there for you. Wait for me until half-past three. If I still haven’t arrived by then, just follow the instructions I’ve written. Don’t worry, you won’t get lost anywhere,” and with that, he wrote everything down on a piece of paper, even drawing a little map for me. Poor fellow. As I was about to leave, he suddenly remembered something important.

“Oh, by the way, I almost forgot to tell you one more thing. As soon as we arrive there, either the servant or the lady of the house, or after the usual greetings, they’ll ask, ‘Would you like to have a wash and brush up?’ That means, if you feel the need to wash your face and hands, comb your hair, or freshen up, you can say yes. If not, just say ‘No, thank you,’ and that’s enough. Don’t forget this—keep it in mind,” he said.

I agreed, set off for home, had dinner, chatted a bit with our landlady about this and that, studied for a while, and then went to bed.

The next day, I finished my meal, studies, and everything else by three o’clock, washed my face and so on, and sat waiting for Raju to arrive. But he didn’t show up. Even half-past three passed. Fearing that if I delayed any longer I might not reach there on time, I put the note Raju had written into my pocket and set out. I took the tram for part of the way, and for the last stretch, I had to walk through a lane as described in the directions.

Without any trouble, and without having to ask anyone, I managed to find the lane. When I was about a furlong from their house, I remembered how, after arriving, they would ask me something, and I would have to go to their bathroom. Thinking there was no need for all that, and since the lane was deserted and dusk was already falling, I relieved myself by the roadside and then proceeded to their house.

I was sure it was the right house, so I pulled the chain. The servant came and opened the door.

After greeting me, he took my coat and hat and hung them on the stand in the hall. As he was leading me inside, Raju hurried in, almost running. The two of us went into the hall together.

The lady of the house, her face beaming with joy, was talking to someone but came over to us, greeted Raju, inquired about his well-being, and then, pointing at me, asked, “Is this gentleman your new friend?” Raju replied yes, introduced me by name.

She looked at me with a gentle smile, a hint of mischief in her eyes, shook my hand, and said, “Very pleased to meet you, Mr. Par... Ba... tisan. How do you do?”

The grandeur of the house, the people there, the beauty and grace of the lady of the house—all of it left me so spellbound that I completely forgot everything Raju had told me earlier. When she said “How do you do?” I was at a loss for words, and blurted out, “As usual, like all people,” and then—

Just as I was about to say something, the lady gave a slight smile, and at the same time, Raju pressed my hand. All this happened simultaneously. Realizing that I had already made some blunder, I thought I should at least be careful from now on. Just then, the lady of the house asked, “Would you like to have a wash?” Out of habit, I was about to put my foot in it again, but then, recalling Raju’s advice just in time, I replied, “No, thank you.” But I didn’t stop there. Since I wasn’t used to telling lies, I added, “I did it at the corner of the street.”

That was it! It was as if a thunderbolt had struck. The lady was dumbfounded. Everyone who had been standing and talking nearby froze on the spot, as if my words had turned them to stone.

A little distance away, the butler suddenly clapped a hand over his mouth as if he were about to vomit and dashed off to the other side. The entire atmosphere seemed to chill and settle into a heavy silence. Oh Lord! What on earth did I say wrong? Why have they all turned to ice? I trembled, my eyes filled with tears, and I looked around, blinking in confusion.

The hostess was the first to recover. She quickly regained her composure, glanced at everyone, and with a gentle smile, revived the spirits of the room. “Very good, Mr. — Mr. Same, very good! Come along,” she said, introducing me to everyone there with Raju’s help. In a few moments, everyone returned to their usual manner. But my fear did not leave me. Somehow, I sat through until the refreshments were served. Then, seizing an opportunity, I said, “I have some studying to do. I’ll take my leave now.”

“It’s quite dark outside. Can you go alone, or shall I come to help you?” Raju asked.

“Oh, there’s no need! I’ll go slowly by myself. It’s all right,” I replied, and made my way out, returning to my lodgings.

When I got home, my wife asked what interesting things had happened there. Distracted, I replied that there was nothing special, and picked up a book. Sensing that my mind was not at ease, she quietly left me alone. I realized that I had done something improper at the gathering, though I still didn’t know exactly what it was. Poor Raju seemed to feel very sorry, as if it were his own fault. Well, what could be done? I tried to study, but my mind kept wandering, thinking about the incident.

I sat there for quite some time. As I was thinking that I should go to bed, Raju