Later that morning, Devdas sought out his father and spoke to him for a while. After listening to him , his father said ,” You’ve always been a thorn in my side and you will plague me till I die! Why am I not surprised to hear such a tale from your lips ! “

After a short silence, he continued, “I’ll have nothing to do with this! Go settle whatever you have to do with your mother.”

When Devdas’s mother heard all this, she wept. “So this what my future held!” she cried.

Later that day, Devdas left for Calcutta.

Parvati heard the news with a expressionless face, but her heart felt as though as it was .being squeezed under the weight of heavy stones. No one knew of last night’s story, and she did not tell any one. Monoroma came to see her, “Paru, I heard Devdas left for Calcutta.”

“Yes.”

“Then what is to be done ?”

What was to be done ? Parvati did not know herself, what could she say to anyone?

She had given all her mind to one end, and that had culminated in last night’s action. She had not realised how high her hopes were, or to what depths of despair she would sink if they were dashed. Being human she clung to hope – Devdas would return, he would say

“Parvati, you are my life, I cannot bear to give you up to another!”

But a few days later, Parvati received a letter, a terrible letter,

“Parvati, I have been thinking about you constantly for the past few days. My parents disapprove of our match. If I make you happy, I will make them unhappy. I can’t do that, I can’t go against them. I do not know when I will write to you next, so I will try to explain as clearly and fully as I can – your station in life is low. Your family buys and sells their brides and daughters, you are my neighbor, which my mother considers unlucky. My father – well, you know all that - . It hurts me dreadfully to remember that night, I know how proud you are, how wounded you will feel, how much pain this must cause you, yes, I know all this.

Another thing – I have always been fond of you, you’re my friend from childhood, but I don’t believe I’ve ever been ‘in love’ with you, I have never loved you in the way a man may love a woman. Even now, I’m not desolated by your absence, my only sorrow is that I have caused you sorrow. Try , try to forget me.

With heartfelt wishes for your happiness,

I remain your friend, Devdas.”

Until he had mailed the letter, this was how Devdas felt, but no sooner had he mailed it, than Devdas characteristically began to feel differently. As a child, he had, in some impulsive rage, thrown stones at friends and regretted it as