Kumud Sundari Leaves Suvarnapur Navinchandra was none other than Sarasvatichandra himself, and Chandrakant would take him back to Bombay where he would live a life of glorious fulfilment. These and similar other thoughts had filled Kumud Sundari with hope and joy. But the morning had crushed all her hopes. Sarasvatichandra left Suvarnapur. And all she could do was to helplessly watch him leave. She was not allowed even a word with him. Could any pain be more agonising than this? This unseen wound was inflicted upon Kumud at a time when Buddhidhan’s household was waking up to celebrations. She had fallen down unconscious in presence of everyone, as you may recall. Dear reader, this part of the story we know. Kumud Sundari decided to share everything with her parents. She resolved to find Sarasvatichandra. She was determined not to fail. She sent Harbhamji, Fatehsinh and Abdullah back to Manoharpuri with this news. Her departure for Bhadreshwar was delayed by a day. Krishna Kalika and Pramaddhan rejoiced at Kumud’s decision to visit her parents. But Buddhidhan had been informed of their liaison. This spoilt their joy. Pramaddhan was gripped by fear when he realised that Buddhidhan was intent on punishment. Navinchandra refused to be of any assistance. This was also a cause of worry. There was no one else who could have advised him; therefore Pramaddhan sought Krishna Kalika’s counsel and he called her to Rajeshwar Mahadev. She in her wisdom suggested that he should accuse Kumud Sundari of an amorous alliance with Navinchandra. She further advised that Pramaddhan should present her as a witness and also suggest that the accusations of his illicit conduct were of Kumud Sundari’s making. Pramaddhan went home, but on second thoughts realised that no one would believe his accusation. He paced up and down in his room searching for a plausible defence. His eyes fell on some tiny scraps of paper lying under his desk. Kumud Sundari had torn and burnt all her letters, made marmadarakbhasma of them and kept the remains in a bottle labelled ‘Soul Ash’. But some tiny unburnt pieces lay under the table. On piecing the scraps together, Pramaddhan immediately recognised Navinchandra’s handwriting. He deciphered a line which read: ‘I once had wealth, a father, a beloved and a friend’. Pramaddhan was overjoyed at this discovery. Navinchandra wrote the word beloved! What more could be required as proof? His joy swiftly turned to anger as he thought: Such are the ways of the educated! I never knew that you were Navinchandra’s beloved. At that instant Kumud Sundari entered the room. Observant as she was, she immediately discerned a change in Pramaddhan. But before she could ask anything, Pramaddhan went berserk, ‘So my wise, most clever and learned one, ultimately this is who you turned out to be!’ Kumud Sundari was already numbed by her grief. She was also still weak from her faint. But this unexpected shower of flower petals startled her. She looked at her husband, calmed her nerves and