Pramaddhan and Kumud Sundari The men had dispersed, but the women were to spend the day with Alak Kishori. Kumud Sundari was in that group of women. And, Pramaddhan? What was he doing? Buddhidhan’s son could not sleep that afternoon. His head was full of excitement, of dreams of a new life. His authority was absolute, that is, as long as Kumud Sundari was not present. He respected his educated wife but lacked the courage to respond to her. Kumud tried her best to further his education and mould him in her own image. This he did not like. He wanted passion and desire from his wife, not learning. He also grew tired of her superior aesthetic sensibility. Love for him was animal passion. He felt constrained in Kumud’s presence as one often feels in the presence of elders or superiors. He sought enjoyment with equals among his friends and flatterers, and with Padma. As the days passed, he grew even less fond of Kumud. Moreover, his position in the palace had now altered, he was flattered by all. He did not like feeling insignificant and inferior before his own wife. He felt it was degrading for an important official like him to have to suppress his desires in the presence of his wife. That afternoon, since Kumud Sundari was not there in the room, Pramaddhan felt a great sense of freedom and abundant joy. He talked to himself, paced restlessly about the room, lay down upon the bed for a while, then got up again and went and stood at the window overlooking the street. He played with the gold buttons of his starched kurta, impressed passers-by with his imposing mien. He went into the room, picked up a mirror, twirled his moustache and admired himself. Meeting his own proud eyes in the mirror, he said: Now you watch me, Pramaddhan! Now I am an officer with a salary of two hundred rupees. Navinchandra, despite his lofty education will only get a paltry hundred rupees, while I will get two hundred! I will occupy the post hitherto occupied by Narbheram. And what shall I do with the money? Pitaji has said that I must maintain dignity. That means I must be proud. I will promote my friends. Won’t Pitaji agree even to this much? But how am I to spend these two hundred rupees? I don’t have to worry about household expenses. I don’t have to worry about savings, Pitaji saves enough. All right then, I should allocate my expenditure. I must give fifty rupees a month to Padma. I have to spend at least twenty five rupees on perfumes and suchlike if I am to visit her. I will need to spend another fifty rupees on clothes and other sundry expenses. So how much is it then? Fifty, and twenty five, and fifty more—that makes it hundred and fifty. So I still have fifty rupees to spare. That Kumud never says or asks for anything. But do I