Devdas

by Sarat Chandra Chattopadhya

  “And you won’t.” Parvati turned away.

  Monoroma thought, ‘Paru is hiding something!’ Hurt, she said,

  “Paru, dearest friend, when you are hurt, I am hurt. I want you to be happy – if there’s something you’d rather not say to me, it’s ok. But don’t joke with me like this!”

  Parvati replied, “I’m not teasing, dearest. I share all my secrets with you. But this is what my heart knows – my bridegroom’s name is Devdas, age nineteen or twenty, and that’s all I can tell you.”

  “But your grandmother says your marriage has been fixed elsewhere.!”

  “Fixed ? It’s not grandmother who is getting married. I don’t know that anything is ‘fixed’.”

  Monoroma was about to exclaim, but Parvati stopped her. “I’ve heard all that.”

  “Then, has Devdas …?”

  “Has Devdas what ?”

  Monoroma almost smiled. “So you two have fixed it up in secret.”

  “Nothing is fixed.”

  Monoroma cried out, “Oh, Paru, you’re not making any sense!”

  “Then ask Devdas to explain.”

  “Explain what ? If he means to marry you ?”

  Paru nodded, “Exactly that.”

  Monoroma stared, “You mean, you’re going to ask him yourself ?”

  “Why not , dear ? Who else will ask for me ?”

  “Won’t you be embarrassed? Afraid ?”

  “Was I embarrassed to tell you ?”

  “I’m your girlfriend! But he’s a man, Paru!”

  “He’s not a stranger to me, Mono. If I can speak to you, I can speak to him.”

  Monoroma continued to stare. Parvati laughed.

  “Mono, your wedding band is wasted on you! You know nothing of marriage. Before my husband, I have no shame.”

  Monoroma asked, “Well, what will you say ? Marry me, give me a place by your side ?”

  “That’s just what I’ll say.”

  “And, - if he doesn’t agree ?”

  “Then ? I don’t know what happens then, Mono!”

  On her way home, Monoroma thought, ‘What couraage! Bless her brave heart! If my life depended on it, I couldn’t bring myself to ask such a thing.”

  Parvati was right – the wedding band was wasted on Monoroma, she knew nothing of marriage.

  Chapter 6

  It was around one o’clock in the morning. A faint moonlight illuminated the sky. Parvati rose from her bed, and wrapped herself from head to toe in her bed-sheet. With slow, sure steps she descended the stairs. She looked about her – no one had awakened. Noiselessly, she unlocked the door and slipped outside. The village lay still,silent and motionless, before her. She was unlikely to meet anyone on the village path. Without any hindrance, she arrived at the manor house. The old gatekeeper, Kishan Singh, dozed in his chair, a book of scriptures, the Ramayana, lay open on his lap. As Parvati approached, he muttered without looking up, “Who’s there ?”

  Parvati answered, “It’s I.”

  Hearing a woman’s voice, Kishan Singh thought it was one of the maidservants. He returned to intoning the Ramayana drowsily. Parvati continued on her way. It was summer, and many of the servants had brought their cots outside, to sleep in the cool night air. Most were asleep, some were dozing, no one gave Parvati a second glance. Unchecked, Parvati entered the great house and ascended the stairs. She knew this house like her own, and in a moment she was in front of Devdas’s room. The door was ajar, she could see the lamp still burning dimly. She slipped in quietly and stood looking down at him. Devdas lay asleep on his bed, a book lay open by his hand, as if he had just fallen asleep. The only sound was the ticking of the clock on the wall. Parvati placed her hand gently on his foot and called softly, “Devda!”

  Deep in sleep, Devdas sensed that someone was calling him.

  He murmured “Ummm ?”

  “Oh, Devda !”

  Now Devdas opened his eyed and sat up. He saw Parvati’s face in the dim glow of the lamp, he knew at once that it was she, and could not believe it.

  “Paru ! is it you ?”

  “Yes, it’s me.”

  Devdas looked up at the clock, and his disbelief grew.

  “So late in the night ?”

  Parvati did not reply. She sat silently with lowered eyes.

  Devdas asked again,”Did you come alone, so late in the night ?”

  Parvati said “Yes.”

  Now Devdas jumped up “Why ? and weren’t you afraid ?”

  Parvati smiled, “I have never been afraid of ghosts.”

  “Maybe you’re not afraid of ghosts! But what about people ?”

  Parvati said nothing, but she thought, “At this point of time, I don’t even fear people.”

  “How did you get in ? Did anyone see you ?”

  “The gate-keeper saw me.”

  “He saw you! And who else ?”

  “The servants sleeping outside may have noticed me.”

  Devdas leapt up from the bed , ran to the door and locked it.

  “Did anyone recognize you ?”

  “They all know me. It’s possible someone did recognize me.”

  Devdas stuttered, “You don’t say! How could you do this, Paru ?”

  Parvati thouhjt to herself, “How can I make you understand ?”, yet she remained silent, eyes lowered.

  Devdas continued, “It’s past midnight ! How will I show my face in the morning ?”

  Parvati replied, “I have courage enough.”

  Devdas did not get angry, but he showed signs of extreme agitation.

  “You are still so childish! Coming here like this – didn’t you feel any twinge of shame ?”

  Parvati shook her head.

  “And tomorrow ? Will you be so brave then ?”

  At this, Parvati looked up beseechingly at Devdas.

  “Tomorrow ? Yes indeed. I would not have come if I hadn’t been sure of one thng, - that you would remove all shame for me.”

  “I! And what of my shame ?”

  “You are a man. Peoplewill forget. In a few days no one will remember how poor, feckless Parvati came to you in the middle of the night, careless of her reputation, to ask you for a place by your side.”

  “Paru !”

  “And I …” she paused.

  As if spellbound, Devdas echoed “And you ?”

  “I am not dishonored! There is no dishonor in this for me. If people say ugly things about me, that kind of talk will simply wash away !”

  “What’s this, Paru ? You’re crying !”

  “Devda ! There’s so much water in the river ! Isn’t there enough there to cover my shame ?”

  Devdas bent low and gripped her hands, “Parvati!”

  In a choking voice Parvati whispered, “Give me a place by your side, Devda!”

  Then both were silent.

  Much later Devdas raised Parvati’s face to his, and asked,

  “Paru, will no one else do for you but me ?”

  Parvati said nothing. The only sound in the room was the ticking of the clock and her breath, harsh and sobbing. Just then, the clock struck two.

  “Paru !”

  “Yes ?”

  “You know my parents don’t want this marriage ?”

  “So I heard . “

  “Then why ?”

  Parvati held on to Devdas as though she was drowning.

  “I don’t want to know anything, Devda!”

  “Paru, should we disregard our parents ?”

  “Why not ? Yes.”

  “And where will you stay ?”

  “With you.”

  Again the two were silent. The clock struck four, reminding them that the summer dawn would soon lighten the sky.

  Taking Parvati by the hand, Devdas said “I will take you home.”

  “You will come with me ?”

  “Why not ? There may be some hope yet.”

  “Then let’s go.”

  Silently the two proceeded outside.

  Cha
pter 7

  Later that morning, Devdas sought out his father and spoke to him for a while. After listening to him , his father said ,” You’ve always been a thorn in my side and you will plague me till I die! Why am I not surprised to hear such a tale from your lips ! “

  After a short silence, he continued, “I’ll have nothing to do with this! Go settle whatever you have to do with your mother.”

  When Devdas’s mother heard all this, she wept. “So this what my future held!” she cried.

  Later that day, Devdas left for Calcutta.

  Parvati heard the news with a expressionless face, but her heart felt as though as it was .being squeezed under the weight of heavy stones. No one knew of last night’s story, and she did not tell any one. Monoroma came to see her, “Paru, I heard Devdas left for Calcutta.”

  “Yes.”

  “Then what is to be done ?”

  What was to be done ? Parvati did not know herself, what could she say to anyone?

  She had given all her mind to one end, and that had culminated in last night’s action. She had not realised how high her hopes were, or to what depths of despair she would sink if they were dashed. Being human she clung to hope – Devdas would return, he would say

  “Parvati, you are my life, I cannot bear to give you up to another!”

  But a few days later, Parvati received a letter, a terrible letter,

  “Parvati, I have been thinking about you constantly for the past few days. My parents disapprove of our match. If I make you happy, I will make them unhappy. I can’t do that, I can’t go against them. I do not know when I will write to you next, so I will try to explain as clearly and fully as I can – your station in life is low. Your family buys and sells their brides and daughters, you are my neighbor, which my mother considers unlucky. My father – well, you know all that - . It hurts me dreadfully to remember that night, I know how proud you are, how wounded you will feel, how much pain this must cause you, yes, I know all this.

  Another thing – I have always been fond of you, you’re my friend from childhood, but I don’t believe I’ve ever been ‘in love’ with you, I have never loved you in the way a man may love a woman. Even now, I’m not desolated by your absence, my only sorrow is that I have caused you sorrow. Try , try to forget me.

  With heartfelt wishes for your happiness,

  I remain your friend, Devdas.”

  Until he had mailed the letter, this was how Devdas felt, but no sooner had he mailed it, than Devdas characteristically began to feel differently. As a child, he had, in some impulsive rage, thrown stones at friends and regretted it as soon as the stone had left his hand. So it was now – how would the stone that he’s hurled at Parvati strike her ? Would it be a death-blow ? Would she truly seek out the river and soothe her burning grief it its cool waters ? No, he had not done a good thing. His parents disapproved, certainly. But had they explicitly forbidden him to marry her ? After all, what did status really mean – Parvati herself was as good and true as any noblewoman. If she died, would God forgive him ?

  Back in his room, for he now lived in a rooming-house with other students as his uncle’s house had become too restrictive for him, he lay on his bed too listless for any activity. In the room next to his, lived Choonilal, a perennial student, who had been in the process of acquiring a B.A. degree for the past nine years. Choonilal was rarely to be seen during the day, he could be heard returning in the early hours of the morning. The evening lamps were lit, and the call to supper sounded but Devdas did not heed it, instead he locked his door and lay down again. Around one in the morning Choonilal , on the way to his room, paused in front of Devdas’s door. He called softly,

  “Devdas! Are you awake?”

  “You’re back early.”

  “I wasn’t feeling my best, so I thought an early night judicious.” he walked on .

  In a few minutes however, he was back. “Devdas, may I come in?”

  “Why?”

  “Do you have any tobacco?”

  “Yes.” Devdas opened the door.

  Choonilal filled his pipe, and when it was drawing to his satisfaction, inquired,

  “Why are you still up, old boy?”

  “Must one sleep every night?”

  “Mustn’t one?” answered Choonilal. “I used to think you were a ‘good’ boy, never up and about late – This is a lesson for me!”

  Devdas did not reply.

  “I noticed a certain gloominess ever since you came back. Anything wrong?”

  Still no answer.

  “Not feeling well? “

  Devdas sat up with a start. “ I say, Choony, have you never felt sorrow, any pain?”

  Choonilal laughed , “Never!”

  “Never in you life?”

  “Why this question? Why now?”

  “I just want to know?”

  “Then you must wait for another day!”

  “Choony, where do you go every night?”

  Choonilal smiled briefly. “Don’t you know already?”

  “Kind of.”

  Now Choonilal’s face lit up with enthusiasm; narrowing his eyes at Devdas he joked, “Devdas, if you really want to know what I feel you must become like me! Do you want to come with me tomorrow?”

  Devdas thought it over.

  “I‘ve heard that there is great merriment in this place, that you can forget all pain – is this true?”

  “Absolutely true!”

  “If that is so, then take me with you. I want to go.”

  The next evening when Choonilal came to Devdas’s room, he found him packing his suitcase. Puzzled, he asked, “Not going, then?”

  “Yes, I’m going.”

  “Then why all this?” Choonilal indicated the boxes, the suitcase.

  “Because I’m getting ready to go.”

  “And you’re taking everything with you?!”

  “Who can I leave them with?”

  Choonilal was perplexed, “I don’t leave my stuff with anyone – they just stay in my room!”

  Devdas came to himself. He gave an embarrassed laugh, “Choony, I should have explained! I’m going home.”

  “What’s this? When will you be back?”

  Devdas shook his head, “I’m not coming back.”

  Choonilal stared at Devdas’s face, trying to get a clue from it.

  Devdas was still talking, “Here – take this money. That should cover my debts here – if anything’s left over, tip the servants. I don’t think I’ll ever return to Calcutta.

  Choony, my eyes are open now – I can see the true value of what I so carelessly threw away in my youth, and all this – this has no value for me now.”

  “So you’re giving up your studies?”

  “If I had any sense, I never would have started, I never would have come to Calcutta in the first place.”

  “What’s up with you, man?”

  Devdas paused,”I ever see you again I’ll tell you the full story.”

  It was almost nine o’clock. In bemusement, Choonilal and all the residents of the house watched Devdas take his belongings and leave. After he had gone, Choonilal declared angrily to everyone that he had never met such a wet drip like Devdas before.

  It’s not in the nature of experienced and intelligent people to precipitately form an opinion in the instant that they are faced with something. They examine the object or the problem in depth, looking at it from this side and that before proclaiming its faults or its advantages. However, there is another type of persons who act exactly in the opposite way, they do not have the patience to think for very long about anything. No sooner that something comes into their ken, they know instantly that it is good or it is bad, scrutiny is too much of an effort for them, and logic is replaced with a sort of blind faith. For these people, if fate is kind, the highest success is theirs; if luck is against them, they descend to the darkest depths of life, and there they lie like stones, blind to light and hope. To this latter class of people belonged Devdas.
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  Chapter 8

  Early the next morning, Devdas returned home. His mother, astonished, asked,”Deva, has college closed again ?”

  Devdas answered “Yes” in a abstracted way,. To his father’s questions, he muttered something incomprehensible. When Devdas’s father asked his wife, she said “Perhaps the college closed because it’s still so hot.”

  For a couple of days, Devdas fretted around. He hoped to see Parvati, and she never appeared. One day, Parvati’s mother, coming across him, said, “Since you’re here, Deva, why don’t you stay until the wedding ?”

  Devdas said “Very well.”

  After the midday meal, Parvati used to go out to fetch water from the well, carrying the large water pitcher on her hip. Today, she saw Devdas, sitting under the plum tree, with a fishing rod dangling in the river, not too far from the well. Her first impulse was to turn back and run home, her second was to get the water as quietly as possible and slip away, but she could do neither. She froze, her pitcher began to slide from the hand, and she had to set it down hurriedly. At the noise, Devdas looked up and beckoned, “Paru, come here.”

  Slowly, Parvati moved toward him. Briefly, he looked at her, then gazed at the river. Finally, Parvati spoke, “Devda, did you want to tell me some thing ?”

  Still not looking at her, Devdas said, “Yes, sit down.”

  Paravti did not sit down, but remained standing, looking down at him.

  Devdas did not speak. After several minutes of silence, Parvati slowly turned and began walking away.

  Then Devdas called,”Listen…”

  Parvati returned.

  Still Devdas did not speak, again Parvati turned and walked away. Devdas sat like a stone, silent, until he saw her fill the pitcher and turn towards home. He rolled up the fishing line and walked up to her.

  “I’ve come,” he informed her.

  Parvati stared coldly at him.

  “I’m here, Paru!”

  Parvati asked,”Why ?”

  “You wrote, don’t you remember ?”

  “No.”

  “Paru! What do you mean ? Don’t you remember that night ?”

  “I remember, but why speak of it ?”

  Her voice was steady and harsh, but Devdas did not understand.