Today, Jhiguri found himself doubting the justice of God. Who knows what sort of Lord He is, that He witnesses such darkness and yet does not punish the sinners.

At this moment, these gentlemen were a sight worth painting.

Heera was nowhere to be found, and the days kept passing by. Hori did all he could to search for him, but in the end, exhausted, he had to give up. He also had to think of the fields and the crops. What could a single man do alone? And now, more than his own land, Hori was worried about Puniya’s fields. Puniya, now left alone, had become even more formidable. Hori spent his days trying to appease her. When Heera was there, he kept Puniya in check. But with his departure, there was no one left to restrain her. Hori’s partnership was with Heera; Puniya was a woman, helpless—what conflict could he have with her? And Puniya knew Hori’s nature well, and she punished him thoroughly for his goodness. Fortunately, the estate clerk did not press Puniya hard for the overdue rent; he was satisfied with a small offering. Otherwise, Hori would have been ready to take another loan to pay off not just his own arrears, but hers as well.

In the month of Sawan, it was time to plant the paddy. There was such a rush that no laborers could be found, and Hori could not transplant rice in his own fields. But how could Puniya’s fields be left untilled? Hori worked late into the night, planting her paddy. Now, he alone was her protector. If Puniya suffered any hardship, the world would laugh at him. The result was that Hori’s own kharif crop yielded very little grain, while Puniya’s granary was so full of rice there was no room left to store it.

Since that day, there had been a constant rift between Hori and Dhaniya. Hori had stopped speaking even to Gobar. Mother and son had joined together to boycott him. He had become a stranger in his own home. He was suffering the fate of those who try to ride two boats at once. Even in the village, he was no longer respected as before. With her courage, Dhaniya had not only won the leadership of the women, but also the men. For months, the incident was the talk of the surrounding villages. It even took on a supernatural hue—“Her name is Dhaniya, you see. She is favored by Bhawani. The moment the police put handcuffs on her man, Dhaniya invoked Bhawani. The goddess descended upon her. Then she gained such strength that she broke her husband’s handcuffs with a single jerk, grabbed the inspector by the moustache and tore it off, and then sat atop his chest. Only after much pleading did she let him go.” For some days, people came just to catch a glimpse of Dhaniya. That story had now grown old, but Dhaniya’s respect in the village had greatly increased. She