woman to wield authority over Buddhidhan’s household, his family, clan, relations, and when possible, even in affairs of state. Nothing happened in the household without Alak Kishori’s approval. No one could point out her shortcomings. No one could impede her. Outsiders saw her as the very life-force of the Counsellor’s family. They sought to influence the Counsellor through her and showered her with praise and flattery. Some even believed that the family would be plunged into darkness the day Alak Kishori left for the house of her in-laws. The Counsellor was aware of this and always on his guard, lest someone take advantage of the situation. He always had his way, but kept up the pretence of his daughter’s authority. He did not have the power to change what the world believed, and he did not want to use his power in a way that would hurt his daughter’s pride. He was also curious about the blind ways in which the world formed its opinions. Sometimes however, without his knowledge, Alak Kishori actually wielded power, thus reinforcing the common belief. The household of the Counsellor of Suvarnapur functioned in this manner. Alak Kishori was still childish. She had never as much as seen poverty. She always got her way, did exactly what pleased her, issued orders, and ensured that they were obeyed. She knew only praise. The ascendancy of the Counsellor coincided with her birth. She had seen people superior to her in age, wisdom, experience and beauty remain subservient to her. No one told her what was right; no one dared tell her what was wrong. It was in no one’s interest to point out to her desirable from undesirable, or cause tedium and boredom by recounting to her stories of the family’s past. It was believed that to point out to her the future that awaited her would cause a strain upon her imagination and pain her. Hence, her gaze was fixed on events unfolding in the present and her vision limited by the immediacy of the obvious. Consequently, arrogance like a dangerous snake lurked in her delicate mind. It swayed upon her brows, danced in her eyes, hissed through her tongue and endowed her body with a poisonous vibrancy. She did not possess the nectar of knowledge that could have countered the poison since she had never experienced the goodness and bounty of association with the righteous. Her hauteur was contained only by the natural goodness of the Counsellor’s family. Her glory was like the sun at high noon. Her in-laws obeyed her wishes. Her haughtiness pricked her husband, but causing injury to her heart appeared to him ungrateful. People had hoped that her brother Pramaddhan would marry at the right age and become a householder, thereby deflating Alak Kishori’s arrogance as the Counsellor’s family would then be ruled by someone else. But those who had harboured such hopes were soon forced to reconsider. Counsellor Buddhidhan’s son Pramaddhan had received many marriage proposals. But the parents and