The Consequences of Intoxication Upon his return from Lilapur, the Rana’s generosity had allowed Buddhidhan to build himself a large and beautiful house. The gate opened onto an enclosed space, followed by a courtyard. On either side of this courtyard were spacious rooms. On one side, a room was divided to make a kitchen, a room for storing water, and a dining space. On the other side, the younger women held court. An enclosed passage, another room, and a store-room were to be found behind the main courtyard. Saubhagya Devi’s seat was in this enclosed passage. The front courtyard was partitioned from the inner living space with wooden planks. There was an English style ‘waiting room’ in the outer courtyard. During the day, the servants and soldiers of the family sat on the platform or otalo, and slept in this courtyard at night. A window of the women’s quarters opened on to a side-street. Pramaddhan’s bed chamber was above the women’s quarters. The floor above the courtyard was a large one. This space served as Buddhidhan’s drawing room. Pramaddhan had a drawing room adjacent to his bedroom, where he sat in the company of his friends. Buddhidhan’s bedroom was on this level. A window opened from his room onto his drawing room. The second floor was constructed above these rooms and it had an extended terrace, with partial enclosures encircling the rooms on it. These rooms had windows opening onto the terrace. Navinchandra’s bed was made in Pramaddhan’s drawing room. Pramaddhan saw to Navinchandra’s comfort and then proceeded to the Counsellor’s drawing room. Navinchandra was about to extinguish his lamp and go to sleep when he heard voices from either side of him. On one side, he could hear the Counsellor, Narbheram and Pramaddhan in Buddhidhan’s drawing room. On the other side was Pramaddhan’s bedroom, and since he was with his father, this is where the sisters- in-law sat chatting. The books that Kumud Sundari so wanted had finally arrived from Bombay a few days ago. Not satisfied with the solitary pleasure of reading them, Kumud read out parts of them aloud to Alak Kishori. She translated captivating passages from English and Sanskrit books for Alak, who listened to her meekly and attentively. ‘Alak behn, listen, this is most interesting. A woman forsaken by her husband laments her loss. Her words are haunting. Listen: “The peace which others seek, they find, as the heaviest storms do not last forever; for the heavens grant even to the guiltiest minds amnesty for what is past”. ’ ‘What does it mean?’ ‘It means, we feel guilt for our mistakes, but this burden does not last forever. There comes a time when we no longer feel the burden. Is this not amnesty granted by God?’ ‘Yes, of course.’ ‘The woman asks: “If the guiltiest of minds find amnesty, when will my God put an end to my sufferings? I am innocent: when will my sentence come to an end? I don’t ask for more,