by Binodini
He said to the carpenter, ‘Carpenter, does Sanatombi know I have come back?’
‘Yes, she knows, Saheb. She asks all the time.’
Maxwell said no more.
One day the carpenter gave him directions and Maxwell went to Sanatombi’s house. When Jasumati saw the Saheb had come, she ran in and said, ‘Sanatombi, the Saheb is here, Mesin Saheb. Don’t come out.’
Maxwell waited outside the gate for someone to come out. It could not be said that the household was very prosperous. He had seen how Sanatombi had lived at Manikchand’s, he had seen the house of the Lady of Ngangbam. And he realized—Jasumati did not live well. She led a hard life. Maxwell was pained when he saw this.
Jasumati came out as far as the gate and said, ‘Saheb, Sanatombi is not in.’
Maxwell did not know Jasumati, he had never seen her before. But from the way she looked, and some resemblance to Sanatombi, he knew she must be her mother and saluted her. He was a little taken aback when the easily panicked Jasumati said Sanatombi was not in even before he had asked for anyone. But when he looked he saw that Sanatombi was leaning against a pillar on the small porch—and that she was looking hard at him. She was even thinner, and a little paler, but he thought she looked even more beautiful.
Maxwell did not know what to say or do. After talking with Jasumati about the paddies and one or two other things, he saluted them both and left.
Maxwell could not sleep that night. He got up and wrote a letter home. ‘… … … Fate has brought me here again to suffer and to see suffering. I don’t know what the future holds for me. … … … But I love this painfully beautiful country. Perhaps there is no way out for me … … … .’
As he had thought, the matter of the paddies was where he had left it. They had asked for a report but it had remained unsent. He saw little indication that the ones who were to receive or take it had shown much interest. He saw before his eyes—Jasumati’s little house. And Sanatombi, thin, her marriage broken. He thought he would take up this matter without any further delay. But he wanted to meet Sanatombi by herself just one time. He wanted to say to her just once all that he had wanted to say as he was leaving—Sanatombi, forgive me. He wanted to say this just one time even today. This thought began to torment him incessantly.
One day he put aside his embarrassment and asked the carpenter. Who knew if this simple man would misunderstand him? The carpenter was very devoted to Maxwell. He also knew Maxwell was very unhappy that Sanatombi was living in her mother’s house. The ‘Maxwell–Sanatombi’ scandal was one that had shook the land and so he agreed to help arrange a meeting between the two of them—So, what was wrong if they wanted to clear the air, let them meet … … … So what if they met?
There was a small woodworking shed near the carpenter’s gate where he stored some foodstuffs, his finished carpentry, and where he would stay overnight to guard his belongings. This kind, simple man not only took messages back and forth between Maxwell and Sanatombi but also arranged for them to meet one day at the shed. How it poured that day; there had been blinding rain since the morning. But as agreed, Maxwell came on time, walking by himself along the muddy road. It was after twilight. The royal market had closed shop early. Not many people were on the road. Looking at the rain the carpenter had been taking it easy, thinking that the Saheb would not show up after all. As he had just started stretching out on his small bed with his dinner, he heard a knock on the door. When he opened the door, he found the Saheb standing there tall at the doorway. He stooped as he entered and he took off his large raincoat and hat, and after putting them down, he sat on the loom seat that had just been finished. He did not say a word. The carpenter did not say anything. He left quietly, perhaps to tell Sanatombi.
Maxwell was left sitting, a single lantern facing him. The room was not well lit. He sat, but he was restless. He wondered if Sanatombi would not come, or if it would end badly. He got up, but it was not a place he could pace. He sat down again nervously on the little loom seat, the Big Saheb of Manipur, Maxwell. He rehearsed what he was going to say to Sanatombi, he rehearsed what he would say in Meiteilon.
Sanatombi opened the door slowly and came in. A single cloth covering her head. Her stray wet hair glistened from the rain.
Sanatombi stood by the doorway. Maxwell rose to his feet; he thought she was about to fall. She had collapsed in Kangla one day. He went to her and sat Sanatombi down on the small bed and said, ‘Come, rest awhile.’ He forgot the Meiteilon he had rehearsed to say.
Sanatombi looked hard at him and said suddenly, ‘Why have you come? Why did you come back to Manipur?’
Sanatombi had spoken harshly to him not only on one occasion but again and again, but it was not a rebuke today. It sounded different. And he forgot what he had planned to say, his string of words that he had come to recite. He held Sanatombi tight. He did not let Sanatombi’s lips say a word. That day, for the first time, Sanatombi was defiled by the Big Saheb.
After that there was no holding back the flood. Sanatombi did not think any more; the Big Saheb of Manipur did not think any more. Sanatombi’s mother Jasumati beat her breast. But merely in a soft voice, for Jasumati could not raise her voice to discipline her daughter. Jasumati was not the Lady of Ngangbam; she was her mother but she was not a strong mother.
Sometimes Maxwell would come and tease Sanatombi’s younger sister Khomdonsana. He enjoyed teasing the outspoken little girl very much. The twelve-year-old Khomdonsana said, ‘Why do you keep coming here? Do you like my sister?’
‘No, I don’t like her. I like you,’ Maxwell replied, laughing.
‘You old baldy. … You think I would like you?’ Princess Khomdonsana incanted a litany of choice words.
‘Then take this.’ He took out a posy of velvet from his pocket and gave it to her.
‘No thanks, give it to your wife,’ answered the little girl angrily.
One day Princess Khomdonsana was playing near the gate. Maxwell tapped her and said, ‘Now you’re unclean. I have to take you now. I will take you to England.’
‘As if. I will just take a bath, that’s all.’
Maxwell had left a daughter like her back home. She would be impudent like her. Maxwell remembered his home and family in England, but he could not walk back the road he had embarked upon.
One day Mainu came and said to Sanatombi, ‘Your Highness, this is not good, what you are doing.’
‘I don’t know, Mainu, I don’t know anything any more. I have tried so very hard, but I can’t help it.’
People disapproved of what they were seeing but thought that the spells of Maxwell had indeed hit their mark—Sanatombi, the royal daughter of Surchandra, has gone completely mad. What else could it be but witchcraft? These people who speak in foreign tongues are well versed in these ways they say.
One day Chonjon came to the Saheb and said, ‘I would like to say something if I may.’
Maxwell looked up from his book and said, ‘What is it?’
‘I am saying this because I am fond of you, Saheb.’
‘So, tell me what is it?’
‘There are some people from the Sagolband area who are very angry with you. From what I hear, some royal clansmen are waiting to get you. If possible, please do not go towards Sagolband very much, it would be good to be careful.’
Maxwell did not reply. He knew what Chonjon was saying. He also suspected it, for one day a stone had been thrown at him as he was walking on the road. But he had not mentioned it to anybody as Maxwell had decided by this time that he would stand up for Sanatombi, come what may … … … .
But he did say this to Chonjon: ‘I understand.’ Chonjon had wanted to say more but as the Saheb cut him short he could not say anything else. Maxwell also was very busy these days, and he was out of Imphal frequently. One time after he had been away for about ten days, Chonjon came in and said, ‘Saheb, I have disturbing news.’
‘What news?’ Maxwell was alarmed.
‘The little house th
at was the carpenter’s workshop burnt down the other night.’
‘How did that happen?’
‘It looks like someone set it on fire.’
‘Was he hurt? Do they know who did it? Did he have any enemies?’
‘The house, the neighbourhood, I mean—they said it was defiled… … … .’
‘I see. Chonjon, do they know exactly who set it on fire?’
‘They say they do. You can arrest him if you want.’
‘Chonjon, I won’t arrest anyone. Go and give him a hundred rupees for him to build a house. I feel terrible. Tell him I will be coming too. … … … Chonjon, nothing happened to Sanatombi?’
‘No, nothing happened to her, Saheb.’
CHAPTER 17
Word spread like wildfire—Last night on the tenth day of the lunar month, on Wednesday, Manipur’s Big Saheb eloped with Princess Sanatombi, the daughter of Surchandra. No, it was Surchandra’s royal daughter Sanatombi who ran to the Big Saheb Maxwell, and so on.
Jasumati wept. She did not know what to do. On one hand, it was a national scandal, on the other, there was defilement. She wept, ‘Sanatombi, I am lost, I am lost. My sovereign husband, I am now lost.’
Maxwell gathered around his close men, Tonjao and all. He consulted with them: What should he do now?—What is customary, I will do it all. When they said the first thing to do would be to inform the Dowager Queen, they discussed who would go to her. It was decided that Bamacharan and some Meiteis would go tell the queen. When Tonjao brought this up, Bamacharan said, ‘Why are you dragging me into this? Please do not involve me. I do not want to be part of this mess.’
The sahebs who were there at the time said, ‘Ridiculous.’ Maxwell got together some Meiteis and had them inform the Lady of Ngangbam. The queen said, ‘No, not now. Sanatombi has not settled matters with her husband. I would like to meet the Saheb—but it does not mean I am accepting this; we will talk about that later … … … .’
Maxwell came to see the Dowager Queen after dark without further delay. He truly felt awkward about meeting her. He felt intimidated. He knew the Lady of Ngangbam was a woman who could sharply put a person in his place at the right time. And so, he came to her very deferentially, with his answers prepared.
The queen said to Maxwell, ‘Mesin, even though we do not speak each other’s tongues, you have today taken my child. You are now a son-in-law of our clan. I realize you are not an unworthy person to marry my child but this is not a custom amongst the Meiteis. It is not simply not done. So, you must conduct yourself with knowledge of the Meiteis. I commend you for coming back and taking my child as your wife; you have manned up. But I cannot recognize the two of you yet because Sanatombi is still Manikchand’s wife. Watch yourself … … … Do not wander about much … … … .’
Maxwell understood what the Dowager Queen was telling him. He waited for the queen to sort things out.
The queen first took up the task of finalizing matters between Manikchand and Sanatombi. She sent word. But Manikchand replied, ‘I have divorced her long ago. There is no question of needing to bring matters to a close.’
Some of Manikchand’s friends urged him: ‘Take a lot of money. Ask the Saheb for a price for Sanatombi, why should you let her go for free.’ Manikchand did not agree with this either, and said, ‘I will not take a price for my wife. She left because she wanted to, and I also divorced her because I wanted to … … … .’
It was all right then, it was clear about Manikchand. Then what was next? The Dowager Queen, the Lady of Ngangbam, began to think on the implications for the country and for the lineage. These must be thought through. All the while, the Lady of Ngangbam gathered information on what the public was thinking, who was saying what. She called the scholars and consulted them; she conferred with the royal grandfather, the king of Moirang. On one side there was tradition, and on the other it was already a done thing. The Lady of Ngangbam had to think it through.
A scholar said, ‘There is nothing much to the union itself, Royal Dowager Queen. There have been many princesses in the past who became queens of Burma and Assam. Even now, the royal daughter of Maharaja Debendra is the queen of Tripura. Princess Sanatombi is a female offspring, so it is not as if she is bringing him into the lineage. Moreover, it has been clearly predicted in the manuscripts that the royal blood would be defiled by the white man. Please do not worry, Your Highness, who can predict the destiny of a man and a woman.’
‘I don’t know, pundit, I just can’t let her go for she is my daughter. Her Sovereign Father is no longer around as we know. So, you pundits must please be on my side,’ said the queen.
She called the elders of the clan one by one, she went to them and requested them to look upon it with favour, it was a deed that had already been done. If Sanatombi is clever, she could even be able to be of much use to Manipur.
The wise and eloquent Lady of Ngangbam contained them all. After Maxwell had been accepted as one of them there were even some who grew quite fond of him.
The Lady of Ngangbam had waited until this point, and now their union could be accomplished. Even though it was not done very publicly, she arranged for the recognition of their union and arranged for a gathering of an inner circle of people to be kowtowed to. She did not want the matter to be blown out of proportion, nor did she want to have people disapproving strongly of this affair, nor must it be seen as though this was a very desirable state of affairs. She called for Maxwell.
How Maxwell stressed out when the day came. And what with the Meiteis telling him all sorts of things: This must be done, that must be done. Maxwell got even more confused; he did not know what to do. If he went along he could become a joke, if he did not he could be violating something.
One person also said, ‘If one has eloped with somebody’s child one must do everything and anything to satisfy their every wish.’
But Sanatombi came to his rescue, saying, ‘Mesin, I will tell you. Do not listen to every little thing they say, you will only go crazy.’
The matter was this. A Manipuri had told him he must go wearing a dhoti on this occasion.
Maxwell asked Chonjon, ‘Is that correct?’
‘It is correct, Saheb. If you can do it, it would look good.’
‘Then you tie it on for me.’
But Sanatombi said, ‘What’s the point, Ta’Chonjon. He will look like a fool if it falls off. Let him wear his usual clothes.’
Maxwell came with a few of his people to kowtow to the Dowager Queen. Bamacharan, Tonjao, and company also came along. They found Sanatombi’s younger sister was also there. She giggled when she saw the state Maxwell was in. But Jasumati said she was not well and did not come.
Maxwell’s relief knew no bounds when it was all over. He took off his jacket and tie as soon as he got home. He leaned back and stretched on the sofa and rested. But it was not over yet. The Meiteis were not done tormenting him yet. A Meitei fellow with little sense went and told him that if he married a princess of the royal clan he needed to give presents of clothes to all the elders. He agreed. When he sent Tonjao with clothes and velvet slippers and so on for the queen, she said, ‘Who told him to do all this? The poor fellow must be bewildered by all of this.’
CHAPTER 18
Today Maxwell is no longer in Manipur; he has gone abroad. His life of fourteen years in Manipur is over. People gather around Sanatombi to save her. She is living without Maxwell. They all, including Little Majesty, try to make sure she does not feel sad. People would come to visit her, but she is surviving without Maxwell. She is alone.
Her illness has gotten worse again. She had recovered after Little Majesty had taken her to Calcutta for treatment, and for three or four months she had been able to go about around the house and out on the porch, but her illness returned once again. Her face is flushed and she has also begun to rave deliriously every time her fever starts. She mentions Maxwell often in her disconnected ramblings. This time she is suddenly physically ravaged. They treat her illness
but everyone knows now that it is getting the better of her. The Dowager Queen, the Lady of Ngangbam, sent over witch doctors and shamans, and various offerings and prayers were made, but there was no sign of her getting any better. They consult her astrological birth scroll and see that she is entering her thirty-fourth year. Little Majesty is not in Manipur at this time either, he has gone abroad. What can be done? they worry—Should they send a telegram … … …?
Before he left he had entrusted her to Khomdonsana and Meino, ‘Please look after Royal Sister well, keep me informed, I will dash back … … … .’
Sanatombi must not feel abandoned, she must not think ‘I am abandoned’, she must not be made to have any misgivings that she is bereft.
This time she mentions ‘the royal son-in-law’ very often when she is delirious. Everyone knows that she refers to Maxwell and not Manikchand. Mainu’s eyes are heavy with tears all the time these days. She had heard Maxwell say to Sanatombi, ‘My name is not Mesin.’
‘I know that.’
‘What’s my name?’
‘I don’t know.’
‘My mother calls me by another name.’
‘We do not call our husbands by their name.’
‘Our women call their husbands by their name. There is nothing wrong.’
‘Then I will call you “mamhak ibungo”.’
‘What’s that?’
Sanatombi had explained, a man who is married to the king’s daughter is called ‘mamhak ibungo’, the royal son-in-law. Maxwell had said, ‘Very tempting, I’ll take that. Am joyful.’
From then on, she had sometimes called Maxwell royal son-in-law, sometimes she called him Mesin as before.
Khomdonsana and Meino look after Sanatombi even more closely while Little Majesty is away. They make sure there are no breaks in her care. They send messages to Little Majesty often—She is all right, don’t worry.