Sona looked at her with eyes as piercing as a spear, and, as if striking with a dagger, said, “Are you telling the truth—exactly as it happened?”

“Absolutely true. I swear on my child.”

“You haven’t hidden anything?”

“If I have hidden even a grain, may I lose my sight.”

“Then why didn’t you kick that sinner? Why didn’t you bite him? Why didn’t you drink his blood, why didn’t you scream?”

What answer could Sillu give?

Sona, like a madwoman, her eyes blazing like embers, said, “Why don’t you speak? Why didn’t you bite off his nose? Why didn’t you strangle him with both hands? Then I would have bowed my head at your feet. Now, in my eyes, you are faithless, a mere harlot. If this was what you intended, why do you tarnish Matadeen’s name? Why don’t you just take someone and live with him, why don’t you go back to your own home? Isn’t this what your family wanted? You could have taken dung-cakes and grass to the market, brought back money, and your father would have drunk toddy from those very coins. Then why did you disgrace that Brahmin? Why did you stain his honor? Why do you sit here pretending to be a chaste woman? If you cannot live alone, why don’t you get engaged to someone? Why don’t you drown yourself in the river or pond? Why do you poison the lives of others? Today I tell you, if anything like this happens again and I find out, not one of the three of us will remain alive. Now, go, blacken your face and leave. From this day, there is no bond between you and me.”

Sillu slowly rose and stood up carefully. It felt as if her back had broken. For a moment she tried to gather her courage, but nothing came to her defense. Darkness swam before her eyes, her head spun, her throat was parched. Her whole body was numb, as if life was escaping through every pore. Step by step, as if there were a pit before her, she walked out and headed toward the river.

At the door stood Mathura. He asked, “Where are you going at this hour, Sillu?”

Sillu gave no reply. Mathura did not ask again.

The silvery moonlight still lay spread all around. The river’s waves still bathed in the moon’s rays, and Sillu, distraught, like a shadow in a dream, walked on toward the river.

They remain left behind. After the lamps are lit, they do not leave their offices and have begun to flatter the officers. Mirza Khushend’s authority is still as strong as ever, but Mirzaji, seeing no remedy for this deceit and its resolution, wishes in his heart that all of them should be dismissed. Yet, considering the suffering of the new men, he tells the inquirers, “Do as you wish.”

When Mr. Khanna saw that the old workers were again eager for employment, he became even more arrogant, though