In this way, a couple of years passed by, many more would have gone by in the same way, if Devdas’s mother hadn’t intervened. She had grown increasingly dissatisfied with Devdas’s education. Now, she spoke her mind to Narayan Mukherjee.

“Do you want your son to grow up into a lout and yokel? Do something!”

Narayan Mukherjee thought it over.

“He could attend a school in Calcutta, and live with Nogen. That would work out well.”

Nogen was a cousin of Devdas’s mother, and she was satisfied with this arrangement. Soon everyone, including Parvati, heard that Devdas was going to school in Calcutta. Parvati’s heart felt cold with fear. As soon as she could, she cornered Devdas.

“Devda! Are you going away? To Calcutta?”

“Who says?”

“Your dad. Uncle Narayan.”

“Nonsense. I’m shan’t go.”

“And if they make you go?”

“What nonsense. They can’t.”

Parvati was delighted. Seizing her playmate by the hand, she shouted merrily,

“Don’t you ever go, Devda! ”

“Never! No one can make me.”

Alas for childish promises! Of course they could make him, and they did. Uncle Nogen said he would be happy to have Devdas lodge with him. A school was chosen and placed Devdas’s name among its students. Finally a carriage came to take Devdas to Calcutta. With him went fine portmanteaux, and the faithful Dharmadas, who would also lodge at Uncle Nogen’s, and whose duties were to look after Devdas, and prevent his running away.

Devdas’s mother wept many tears at his going, blessed him, and implored him to be a good student.

Parvati wept tears too, but many of them were tears of rage. Once again he had disappointed her. For a few days she kept to her room and wept, but then the tears dried up and boredom set in. It was no fun to roam and make mischief without her playmate and ally. No fun to go fishing on her own. She sat down and wrote a letter to Devdas; but how long does writing a letter take? The rest of the day stretched out empty and distasteful before her. When Devdas’s letters came, she was happy, she could spend a whole morning reading it and answering it.

Still the days dragged by, until one day Parvati demanded of her mother,

“Ma, I should like to go back to school.”

“Then you shall, my dear. Have I ever told you not to go?”

The next day, Parvati, accompanied by her maid, appeared before Govind Pandit in the

schoolhouse .

“Please don’t punish the girl, Sir,” said the maid “She has returned of her own will, and is anxious to learn.”

Govind Pandit said to himself “Well, well! “

Aloud, he said “Very well, she will not be punished.”

Summer vacation arrived, and Devdas came home for the holidays. As soon as he could,

he ran to Parvati’s house. He had so much to say and Parvati so little. He talked and talked about Calcutta. What could Parvati say? Nothing much had changed for her. Too soon the summer holidays came to an end, and it was time for Devdas to return to Calcutta. This time too, he protested, but not as much.

So in this way four years passed by. Devdas changed a little every year. He grew fashionable, wearing fine buttoned shirts, a gold watch and chain, and leather shoes. No longer did it satisfy him to fish in the river with a rude bamboo rod. Now he must take his gun and bring down a dozen birds. He talked of cricket and football and politics. Poor Parvati! Poor Parvati of Tal Shonapur village! How could a village girl keep up with such things?

It was summer vacation again. Last summer Devdas had not come home, choosing instead to visit various foreign places. This year his mother, and his father too, insisted on his coming home, so came, a little reluctantly, and waited till the next day before visiting Parvati.

Parvati’s mother and grandmother greeted him affectionately, inquiring after him. After a while he asked,

“Where’s Paru, Auntie?”

“In her room.”

Going up to her room, Devdas found Paru lighting the evening lamps. He called,

“What are you doing Paru?”

Startled, Paru did not reply at first, then she greeted him and stood back.

For some reason that he did not understand, Devdas felt embarrassed before his playmate.

“I’m sort of tired today, Paru. I think I’ll go home now.”

and he left.