Buddhidhan (Continued) The motherless Saubhagya Devi had lived with her in-laws since she was a child. She was no longer a child. Her body and mind changed, visibly and invisibly. With the death of her father-in-law, her widowed mother-in-law observed confinement. Saubhagya Devi had to shoulder the entire burden of the household. Her mother-in- law instructed and guided her from her room, and it was Saubhagya Devi’s duty to obey her, even anticipate her wishes. She thus became a householder even before she was married. Hitherto, she had not spoken with Buddhidhan. But in these difficult times, gradually, unseen by others, and with trepidation, the two began to converse, initially standing well apart from each other. However, the young unmarried couple, in anticipation of pleasures to come, began to experience sensations hitherto unknown. Their hearts blossomed under force of youthful passion and even in the midst of very real difficulties, this tender attraction, unbeckoned by either, grew and dreamt innocent dreams. Neither was aware of this. In moments of playfulness, worldly responsibilities receded into the background; but their everyday lived reality compelled them to forget their tenderness. They had little scope to comprehend the two conditions. Sometimes their awakened desires sought to play themselves out and their growing familiarity allowed the playfulness of touch. Still children, they were in ‘love’. If this sorrowful world was a sari dark as a moonless night, their love was resplendent like the Milky Way; in the belief that the whole world slept, it twinkled brightly. Sorrows and joys do not come in monotones. Flung against the rocks of difficulty, Buddhidhan’s courageous mind grew tougher. At the same time, he was also tempered by delicate feelings. A love of pleasure and passion took root deep within his grave and sombre disposition. No one in the world was aware of this development. One day, the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law sat reminiscing about the past. The mother-in-law was overcome with emotion. Not wanting the child to see her tears, she sent her out of the room, saying, ‘Daughter-in-law, will you get me some water?’ The girl promptly got up to fetch water. She went to the other part of the house and filled a tumbler from the pot. Buddhidhan was sitting on a swing, deep in thought. He stopped swinging when he saw her, the one who brought a sparkle to his eyes, the light of the house. He stared unblinking at Saubhagya Devi as she filled water. He looked at her face and eyes, which were uncovered, but his imagination led him to visualise her tender and sensuous body which was covered. He oscillated between that which was seen and that which was imagined. Saubhagya Devi grew aware of his intense gaze. Both stared at each other, and they forgot all else. She forgot that her mother-in-law had asked for water. Meanwhile, the mother-in-law had shed her tears and regained her composure. She wondered where Saubhagya Devi was, and felt that her daughter-in-law had understood her pain