Neither Mrinalini nor Girijaya had forgotten their mutual promise in the meantime. At midnight, both met beside Hrishikesh’s house. As soon as Mrinalini saw Girijaya, she asked, “Well, where is Hemchandra?”

Girijaya replied, “He has not come.”

“He has not come!” The words echoed from the depths of Mrinalini’s heart. For a moment, both were silent. Then Mrinalini asked, “Why did he not come?”

Gi. I do not know. He has given this letter.

Saying this, Girijaya placed the letter in her hand. Mrinalini said, “How shall I read it? If I go home and light a lamp to read, Manimalini will wake.”

Girijaya said, “Do not be anxious. I have a lamp, oil, flint, “I have brought everything. I will light the lamp at once.”

Girijaya swiftly produced fire and lit the lamp.

The sound of fire-making reached the ears of one of the householders. In the lamplight, he saw.

When Girijaya lit the lamp, Mrinalini inwardly recited as follows:

“Mrinalini! How shall I write to you? For my sake, you have left your homeland and are spending your days in hardship in a stranger’s house. Though by the grace of fate I have found your whereabouts, yet I have not met you. You may think me unloving for this—or, had you been another, you might have thought so—but you will not. I am engaged in a special vow; if I neglect it, I am faithless to my lineage. For its fulfillment, I have pledged to my guru that I shall not meet you here. I know with certainty that you would not wish me to break my word for your sake. Therefore, somehow pass this year. If God is pleased, soon I shall make you queen of the palace and my happiness will be complete. Send your reply through the hand of this young, clever girl.”

After reading the letter, Mrinalini said to Girijaya, “Girijaya! I have neither paper nor pen to write a reply. Take my answer by word of mouth. You are trustworthy; as a reward, I give you the ornaments from my body.”

Girijaya said, “To whom shall I take the reply? When he gave me the letter and bade me farewell, he said, ‘Bring me the reply tonight itself.’ I agreed. On my way here, I thought perhaps you would have nothing to write with; so I went to him to bring those things. I did not find him. I heard he…” He departed for Navadwip at dusk.”

Mrinalini: Navadwip?

Girijaya: Navadwip.

Mrinalini: At dusk itself?

Girijaya: At dusk itself. I heard that his guru came and took him along.

Mrinalini: Madhavacharya. Madhavacharya is my doom.

After pondering for a long while, Mrinalini said, “Girijaya, you may go now. I shall not remain outside my chamber any longer.”

Girijaya replied, “I am leaving.” Saying this, Girijaya took her leave. As the faint strains of her gentle song faded away, Mrinalini re-entered her room.

As Mrinalini stepped into the house and was about to close