by Premchand
3
Vipin felt his life was like hell. He fought with his uncle. He wrote an obnoxious letter to his father-in-law, abused him, quarrelled with his parents, and even then when he failed to find peace, he started thinking of running away. He pitied Asha, thinking that it was not her fault, as she had not forced him to marry her. But this pity and sympathy failed to overcome the hatred that ran through his veins when he looked at her. She dressed herself in the best of her attires, and set her hair in different styles. She would adorn herself looking at a small mirror. But Vipin felt it was a futile attempt at preening. She heartily wished to keep him happy, and would look for reasons to serve him but Vipin would always try and run away from her. If they ran into each other by chance, he would utter such nasty words to her that she would run away from the spot with tears in her eyes.
The worst thing was that his character began to get warped. He deliberately tried to forget that he was married. Asha would not see him for days on end. She would hear his laughter from outside. She would peep through the window and find him embracing his friends and accompanying them for walks. She would sigh in isolation.
One day, during a meal, she said, ‘Now it is difficult to even catch a glimpse of you. Will you leave the house just because of me?’
Turning his face away Vipin replied, ‘I stay at home. These days I am looking for a job, that’s why I need to go to different places.’
‘Why don’t you consult a cosmetic surgeon to remake my face? I have heard these days there are doctors who can change and beautify faces.’
‘Why are you unnecessarily irritating me? Who told you to come here?’
Asha: ‘After all who will cure this hideousness?’
‘There is no remedy for this infirmity. When even God has failed, how can a man do this work?’
‘Think about it; you are punishing me for God’s mistake. Who in this whole world does not like a beautiful face? But have you ever seen a man who stayed single just because he was not good-looking? Unattractive girls too do not stay unmarried in their parents’ houses. Somehow they get married. Their husbands may not die for them, but they do not demean them like a fallen fly in milk.’
Vipin replied angrily, ‘Why are you needlessly bothering me? I am not arguing with you. The heart cannot be forced or convinced by any argument. I never say anything to you. Then why are you arguing with me?’
Asha left after the stern rebuke. She understood that for this lifetime at least, his heart had hardened towards her.
4
Vipin enjoyed frequent outings, and sometimes stayed out even during nights. Poor Asha, drowning in anxiety and despair, fell ill. But Vipin would not come to see her even by mistake. Leave alone looking after her, he wished in his heart of hearts that she would die so that he could be free of her. The next time he would check the girl out himself and marry again.
Now he was free of fetters. Earlier, he had been conscious of Asha. At least he had been mindful of the fact that someone was keeping an eye on him. He got so involved in bad habits that the men’s part of the house always remained crowded. But sexual perversity not only robs one of wealth but weakens both mind and body. Vipin’s face began to grow pale, his body weakened and his ribs became visible. Dark circles formed under his eyes. He now began to take great care to adorn himself—he applied aromatic oils, styled his hair differently and changed his clothes frequently. However, all these embellishments failed to reduce the dullness of his face.
One day Asha was lying on a charpoy in the veranda. She had not seen Vipin for weeks. She felt a strong desire to see him. She was afraid Vipin might not come but she could not stop herself and sent for him. Vipin took pity on her. He came and stood before her. When Asha looked at his face, she was shocked. He looked so lean that it was difficult to recognize him. She said, ‘Are you unwell too? You look much worse than I do.’
‘Oh! What attraction does this life hold for me anyway that I should worry about living?’Vipin answered nonchalantly.
‘Nobody withers away like this by worrying about living. Why don’t you take some medicine?’
She held Vipin’s hand and made him sit beside her on the charpoy. Vipin did not try to free his hand. There seemed to be an unusual humility in his behaviour which Asha had never seen before. His words exuded a sense of hopelessness. Although he was indifferent, there was no sign of anger. Asha felt that his eyes were full of tears. Sitting on the charpoy, Vipin said, ‘Only death can cure me now. I am not saying this to infuriate you. God knows that I do not want to hurt you. I may not live for many days now. I can feel the symptoms of a serious disease. Doctors have said the same. I feel ashamed of the fact that you have suffered so much because of me. Please forgive me. While I sit here I can feel my heart sinking. I think I am going to lose consciousness.’
As he was saying this he started shivering suddenly. An eerie sensation caught hold of his entire body. Becoming unconscious, he fell on the cot and his limbs began to convulse. He was frothing at the mouth and his whole body was drenched in sweat.
Suddenly Asha recovered from her illness. For months, she had not left her bed. But now the weakness in her eyes was replaced by a strange burst of energy. Quickly Asha helped Vipin lie down comfortably and started sprinkling water on his face. The maid rushed in too and fanned him. The news reached everyone. Vipin’s friends hurriedly called for a doctor. But even after a lot of effort by the doctor, Vipin did not open his eyes. By evening his mouth took on a twisted shape and the left part of his body became paralysed. He could not even utter a word, let alone move. It was not a mere seizure but a serious attack of paralysis.
5
It is not an easy job to nurse a paralytic patient. Besides, Asha herself had been unwell for months. But she forgot herself while nursing Vipin. Vipin was in a critical condition for many days. Asha sat by him day and night. She would prepare nutritious food for him and take his head in her lap to give him medicine. Only such a patient woman could understand the little signs through which he communicated his needs to her. She was heedless when her own head ached or her body burnt with high fever.
After a fortnight, Vipin’s condition started improving. His right foot had become crippled but he started speaking a few words with a lisp. The worst affected part of his body was his good-looking face. It was very badly twisted, as though someone had pulled a rubber toy out of all shape and stretched it out. He would sit or stand for a while with the help of assistive devices but had no strength to walk around. One day while he was lying down on the bed, he thought of picking up a mirror to take a look at his face. He had never seen such a hideous man. He whispered, ‘Asha, God has punished me for my pride. Really, it is the consequence of the wrong I have done to you. Now if you turn your face away with hatred after looking at me, I won’t complain. I want you to take revenge for the way I treated you.’
Asha looked at her husband tenderly and said, ‘I see you with the same feelings even now. I don’t find any difference in you.’
‘What! I look like a monkey now and you say that there is no difference. I won’t go out now. God has really punished me.’
6
Many things were tried but Vipin’s face did not come back to its normal shape. The left side of his face had twisted so much that the sight of it was frightening. However, his limbs had gained enough strength to enable him to walk about a little. Asha had vowed to propitiate the Goddess during her husband’s illness. Today it was the occasion to fulfil that promise. The women from the entire mohalla had come dressed up for the ceremony. There was a lot of singing and celebration.
A woman asked, ‘Asha, now you must not like his face at all?’
‘I find it more attractive than earlier,’ Asha replied solemnly.
‘Oh come on, are you kidding?’
‘No, sister, I am speaking the truth. I got his soul in place of his good looks, which is far more precious.’
Vipin was sitting in a room. Many of his friends had gathered there.
They were playing cards.
There was a window in the room that opened into the veranda. The window had been closed at first but a friend of his now opened it quietly. Peeping through the window, he said to Vipin, ‘Today beautiful fairies have gathered in your house.’
‘Close the window,’ Vipin said.
‘Ah! Just look at these beautiful faces. Who is the most beautiful among them according to you?’
Vipin glanced around cursorily and replied, ‘For me the one who is decorating flowers on the thali is the most beautiful.’
‘What has happened to your eyes? Have they too become disfigured along with your looks? For me she is the ugliest.’
‘That is because you are looking at her face; I see the beautiful soul beneath it.’
‘Oh, is she Mrs Vipin?’
‘Yes, she is a Goddess.’
Translated from the Hindi by Shaifta Ayoub
A Hired Pony
1
Two young men were walking hand in hand in the playing field of Agra College one evening. One of them was named Yashwant, while the other one was Ramesh. Yashwant was tall and of a sturdy build. There was an unusual glow on his face that spoke of a life of moderation and good health. Ramesh was a man of short stature with a lean body. He was spiritless and infirm. There was an argument going on between them.
Yashwant said, ‘I consider wealth to be worthless before the spirit.’
Ramesh replied, ‘Oh, that’s wonderful.’
‘Yes, you just wait and see. I know you are making a jibe at me but I’ll show you how insignificant wealth is for me.’
‘Well then, you can prove it to me later. I don’t consider riches to be insignificant. I’ve been studying books since the last fifteen years for the sake of wealth. I’ve also been staying here, away from my parents, brothers and relatives for the same purpose. Who knows how many doors I will have to knock on and how many people I will have to flatter? Won’t it involve a degradation of the spirit? I can’t adhere to such high ideals. If I get a considerable bribe in a lawsuit here, then perhaps I won’t be able to resist it. Would you let such a chance slip through your fingers?’
‘I won’t even look at it and I’m sure you’re not as mean as you pretend to be.’
‘I assure you, I’m meaner than I’m ready to confess.’
‘I can’t believe that you’ll be able to harm anyone out of self-interest.’
‘Brother, only ascetics can subsist on ideals in this world, I cannot. I believe that if I can win a bet by pushing you, then I’ll surely throw you to the ground. And if you don’t mind, then I’ll say that you too will knock me down in such a situation. It’s difficult to sacrifice self-interest.’
‘Then I’ll say that you are a hired pony.’
‘And I’ll say that you’re a blockhead.’
2
Yashwant and Ramesh had enrolled themselves together in school and had also passed out together from college with their respective diplomas. Yashwant was a bit slow-witted but he was hard-working. Whatever work he took on, he stuck to it and wouldn’t rest before completing it. Ramesh was intelligent but lazy. Even an hour of concentrated effort was difficult for him. Till his MA, he had always been ahead, while Yashwant lagged behind. Intellect prevailed over diligence. But, the equation reversed in the civil services exam. Yashwant left all other activities and concentrated on his studies with full vigour. He turned his face away from the usual entertainment. He didn’t go wandering around, didn’t visit the circus or the theatre with his friends, and confined himself in his room. Ramesh chatted away with his friends and played cricket. Occasionally, he would open his books, for a change. He was fairly confident that he’d do better than his friends this time too. He’d often go and tease Yashwant. He’d close Yashwant’s books and exhort him not to risk his life studying. Civil service was not the ultimate objective in life—so there was no need to sever all connections with the world. If Yashwant saw Ramesh coming from a distance, he’d close the door.
Finally, the day of the exam arrived. Yashwant had read everything, but when he tried to think about how to answer a specific question, it seemed to him that he’d forgotten everything. He was in a state of panic. Ramesh was not accustomed to making preparations beforehand. I’ll see when the question paper is before me, he thought. He was full of confidence and had no worry at all.
The results of the exam came out. The slow-moving tortoise won over the fast-running hare.
Now Ramesh’s eyes opened but he didn’t despair. He was confident that for a worthy person like him fame and wealth were bound to come, sooner or later. He started preparing for the law exam and although he didn’t work too hard, he passed in the first division. Yashwant sent him a congratulatory telegram. He had become a government officer in a district.
3
Ten years passed. Yashwant worked very hard and his officers were very happy with him. But, although his officers were pleased, his subordinates were proportionately displeased. Yashwant wanted his subordinates to work as hard as he did. He expected them to be as selfless as he was. Such individuals are considered important for the administration. Yashwant’s work impressed his officers and in five years he was made the district judge.
Ramesh was not as fortunate. He tried different courts but didn’t succeed in his law practice. If the judge didn’t come on time, he would leave the court and wouldn’t return even if he was called back. He’d say, ‘If the judge doesn’t practise punctuality, why should I? Why should I wait for him for hours in the court?’
He conducted interrogations with such courage that the judges who were accustomed to flattery considered his fearlessness audacity. He didn’t know what forbearance was. Whether it was the judge or a rival lawyer, if anyone dared to bandy words with him, he’d give them a piece of his mind. Once he even fought with the district judge. The consequence was—his degree was revoked. However, he continued to reign over the hearts of his clients.
Then he got the job of a professor at Agra College. But his misfortune didn’t leave him there either. He rubbed the principal the wrong way on the very first day. The principal believed that the students should stay away from politics. He didn’t allow any student of the college to participate in any political gatherings. Ramesh began to openly violate this principle on his first day. He declared that students needed to participate in political gatherings. This was a part of their education. If in other countries, students had revolutionized society, why should the boys in his country be suppressed? The consequence of this was—Ramesh had to tender his resignation before the year was over. However, the students continued to adore him.
Thus, led by circumstances and his own inclinations, Ramesh, in the course of time, became a judge. First he fought in the court on behalf of his clients, then he fought with the principal in support of the students and finally he challenged the government on behalf of the common people. By temperament he was fearless, self-respecting and a lover of truth and ideals. For such a person, there was no other option but to become a servant of the common people. His articles on the current state of the country began to appear in newspapers. His discussions were so lucid, touching and comprehensive that soon his fame spread far and wide. People felt that a new sun had risen in the firmament. The government officers cringed after reading his articles. He aimed his target so sharply that it was not possible for anyone to avoid it. The hyperboles flew over their heads thick and fast. They could only watch the spectacle from a distance. These weapons were beyond their reach, or became unwieldy in their hands. Ramesh’s jibes would hit the bull’s eye and create a stir and commotion among the officers.
Yashwant shuddered reading the articles of his old friend. He was afraid lest Ramesh got caught in the grip of law. He repeatedly cautioned Ramesh to exercise restraint and beseeched him to curb the sharpness of his free-flowing pen. Why should he deliberately poke his fingers into the jaws of this poisonous law?
But Ramesh was intoxicated by the idea of leadersh
ip. He didn’t even care to reply to these letters.
In his fifth year, Yashwant was transferred from his current job and became the district judge of Agra.
4
The political situation of the country was worrisome. The secret police had created quite a panic. Their fabricated stories frightened the officers of the government. Newspaper agencies were silenced in some places while the leaders of the public were stopped at others. To serve their own interests, the secret police poisoned the minds of the rulers in such a way that every man with independent thought appeared a murderer to them.
Ramesh was not one to sit quietly seeing such a state of affairs. As the officers became more and more oppressive, Ramesh’s passion increased proportionately. Every day, he would deliver a speech somewhere or the other and most often his speeches would be filled with seditious sentiments. To speak about what is fair and apparent is itself sedition! If someone’s political speech is not considered seditious, then one should conclude that he has concealed his inner emotions. He doesn’t have the courage to bring whatever there is in his heart to his lips. Ramesh had never learnt to hide the feelings of his heart. Being a mass leader, he couldn’t afford to be scared of the hangman’s noose. If there was disaster coming, let it! He was ready to bear everything. He became an eyesore for the officers.
One day Yashwant sent for Ramesh. Ramesh felt like saying—Why? Do you feel ashamed coming here? After all, you are just a slave. But then he thought for a while and sent a message saying that he would come the following evening. The next day, he reached Yashwant’s bungalow at six o’clock sharp. He didn’t mention this to anyone; partly because others might accuse him of fawning on officers and partly because there was a chance of some harm coming to Yashwant.