In Readiness for Court The much awaited first day of Chaitra dawned at last. From early morning on, the homes of the courtiers were abuzz with activity. Shathrai bathed and dressed for the court. Narbheram was the first to arrive in attendance. Soldiers gathered noisily outside the Karbhari’s house. Shathrai relaxed on a mattress, leaning against a bolster. A servant brought him his jacket and helped him into it. Shathrai called for a mirror, admired his reflection and sat twirling his moustache. Narbheram was pacing about. He watched the Karbhari and muttered to himself: Look at him gaze at his face in the mirror; his heart is bereft of compassion and righteousness. ‘Oh God!’ he sighed aloud and walked away shaking his head. A group of policemen huddled outside Dushtarai’s quarters. The Faujdar sat on his bed, while his wife fetched his clothes and helped him dress. As he got ready, Dushtarai flirted with Rupali, bragged about his own intelligence, and mocked Buddhidhan’s fate. He spoke with much excitement and anticipation, ‘Tonight, Alak Kishori, Kumud Sundari and Saubhagya Devi will be subjected to some fine treatment, and I will prove just what kind of a man I am.’ His degenerate wife took delight in her husband’s licentiousness as if she had attained the height of good fortune. There was commotion all around. Everyone was busy chatting, roaming about aimlessly, showing their power, or obeying orders. Narbheram sought out Merulo. The soldier was busy folding

Khalaknanda’s clothes. Narbheram sat down on a large upturned copper pot, untied the knot of his tuft and said: ‘So, you are folding behn’s clothes today.’ ‘Of course, one has to do it.’ ‘True, she is ‘behn’ after all.’ ‘How can that be denied.’ ‘Yes, these are your lucky days, you are a Krishna among the gopis. If you don’t take advantage, you’d be a fool. Jamal has disappeared. So now you have two instead of one. Any news of Jamal?’ ‘Wretched Turk. Who knows where he rots. Good riddance!’ ‘But you changed the topic. You didn’t tell me about your behn.’ ‘Behn? She might well be a sister to others, Narbherambhai, but I am clear about these things. Those older than I are like mothers to me, and those younger are sisters.’ ‘And those of the same age?’ ‘Those I can take. If Jamal can take her, I can, too.’ ‘Isn’t Rupali jealous?’ ‘How can she be jealous! Am I jealous that now she has Garbaddas as well? She has two, so I have two!’ ‘Garbad, that rascal has it good.’ ‘Narbherambhai, what can I say. Garbad played mischief. Our Karbhari is busy with his administration, and the Faujdar is busy policing. Garbaddas would come to meet them when he knew that neither of them was home. He would wait for their return. The Karbhari was using Garbaddas to beguile and mislead Buddhidhan and had given him a free run of the house; so we had no authority to turn him away. He would sit