Indulekha

by O. Chandu Menon

  "I did not think that I would have a chance of seeing you today," he said. "I have nothing to do with all this tomfoolery. I am quite innocent of it, so please don’t blame me."

  Indulekha was put completely at her ease by these words and began to speak freely.

  "Why," she said, "why were you so unkind as not to come up and see me? Is that the way you keep up our old friendship? and I felt so happy too when I heard you had arrived."

  "The Nambudiri did not invite me when he went up," answered Cherusheri. "You see I am merely one of his train, and I did not think it proper to come up with him uninvited. But I had made up my mind to come at any rate tomorrow morning, and I am very fortunate to see you now. I hear that Madhavan has got a place on a hundred and fifty rupees a month; I’m so glad."

  The reserve which had constrained Indulekha when she first descended from her rooms vanished entirely, and she thrilled with maidenly modesty as Madhavan’s name fell on her ear. Cherusheri, rejoicing to hear her laugh coyly as she bent her head, honoured her for her ingenuousness, while Indulekha quickly answered, "A letter has come saying he will be here in two days. Perhaps when he goes back this time...... " and, for very shyness, she stopped short.

  "Perhaps when he goes back this time, Indulekha will go with him? Isn’t that it, Indulekha?" said Cherusheri.

  "Yes," replied Indulekha with a joyous smile, "What a relief it is to talk to you when you can help one out by exactly all one wants to say!"

  "I’ll come to Madras with you two young people," said Cherusheri. "My chief wish, my chief prayer, is that Madhavan and you, husband and wife, may long be spared to each other in all happiness."

  As he spoke, Cherusheri’s eyes overflowed with tears. All persons of ordinary intelligence who knew the handsome pair merely by their outward appearance, earnestly wished that Madhavan should wed lndulekha, but cherusheri, with his penetration and wisdom, knew that, in addition to the comeliness which made one the counterpart of the other, they were bound to each other by sympathy in education, talents and ability, and by ties of mutual affection. Hence he rejoiced in the thought of their union and prosperity, and hence it is no matter for surprise that he wept with gladness.

  Indulekha also was moved to tears as she said in broken accents:

  "We shall always prize your blessings so!"

  "Did he tell you what day he would arrive from Madras?" asked Cherusheri.

  "He wrote that he would be here this week. It is two or three days since he wrote, and he may come the day after tomorrow, or the day after that," replied Indulekha.

  "I don’t know when I shall be able to leave this," said Cherusheri. "The Nambudiri couldn’t have said anything about returning. He came here to stay, don’t you see, and can’t possibly think now of returning," and with this he laughed. Indulekha laughed, too, and asked why he had sent such an irrelevant stanza upstairs. Thereupon both Cherusheri and Indulekha laughed heartily, till Indulekha said, "Well, I’m very very glad to have met you here. I must go to the temple now, but you must be sure and come up to my room tomorrow morning after breakfast, if you are not gone by that time."

  "I don’t think we shall start tomorrow," said Cherusheri, and Indulekha went away to the bath-house.

  Cherusheri had hardly resumed his chair when he heard the tap of wooden sandals. The Nambudiripad was greatly dissatisfied with Indulekha’s final speech and sudden flight, but finding some comfort in his resolution to go back to her room at nine o’clock and hear her sing, he entered the hall with a complacent grin on his face and saw Cherusheri.

  "Hallo, Cherusheri," he cried, "what are you sitting moping there for? Why didn’t you come upstairs! Indulekha is a very pretty girl, a fine girl, an extremely fine girl. Never saw a girl like her."

  "And I’ll be bound that Indulekha never saw a man like your worship." replied Cherusheri. "She must have been struck all of a heap, as they say. I knew exactly how it would be."

  "What were those verses you repeated to me the other day, Cherusheri?" asked the Nambudiripad. "They were about Ravanan falling in love with that heavenly nymph Rambha. Just repeat them again."

  Cherusheri accordingly repeated the following lines:

  Ah me! fair maid, thou dost entrance

  Thy lover with thy winning glance.

  Thy sapphire eyes o’erwhelm me, sweet,

  And lay thy lover at thy feet.

  My darling comes; I love to note

  The locks which o’er her forehead stray,

  While round her lissom form do float

  Her garments in harmonious play.

  Fresh garlands bind her soft, rich hair,

  Enticing by their fragrance rare

  The bees, which hover round and round,

  Murmuring with melodious sound.

  Within my breast I feel the fire of love arise,

  I yield, I yield myself a willing sacrifice.

  "Ah, that’s it," said the Nambudiripad, "now just write them for me on a palm leaf."

  Kesavan Nambudiri hurried up with a leaf and style, and Cherusheri, having written the verses, handed them to the Nambudiripad, who sat for some time in the hall with the leaf in his hand till he chanced to see lndulekha’s mother, Lakshmi Kutty Amma, passing out by the northern door. Now it goes without saying that Lakshmi Kutty Amma, lndulekha’s mother, was a handsome woman, while her age was not more than five and thirty. As soon

  as the Nambudiripad saw her, he asked Kesavan Nambudiri who she was.

  Kesavan Nambudiri was almost terrified out of his wits by this question, because he was devoted to his wife, Lakshmi Kutty, and knew his friend the Nambudiripad’s disposition. Hence, quaking with fear, he answered, "Oh! that, that is lndulekha’s mother."

  "Oh is she," said the Nambudiripad. "Then she’s your wife! isn’t she?"

  Kesavan Nambudiri admitted the fact, and the Nambudiripad promptly expressed a wish to talk to her. Kesavan Nambudiripad declared he had not the least objection in the world, but suggested that the conversation should be deferred until they were assembled upstairs in lndulekha’s room for music. "Quite impossible," interposed Cherusheri Nambudiri. "There’s no time like the present. How can you think of talking when music is going on?"

  The fact was that the Nambudiripad’s question and Kesavan Nambudiri’s discomfiture had tickled Cherusheri’s fancy mightily, and he put in his word, thinking it only just that some retribution should fall on the foolish Nambudiri’s head. His suggestion met with the entire approval of the harebrained Nambudiripad, who exclaimed, "Cherusheri is quite right. I must have a look at her and talk to her now. We’ll all go and sit in Karuthedam’s room. That fellow Karuthedam hasn’t any manners at all. He ought to have asked us to his room long ago; oughtn’t he, Cherusheri ?"

  "Of course he ought," replied Cherusheri.

  "But we can go now, can’t we, Karuthedam?"

  "Oh, certainly, certainly," said Kesavan Nambudiri rising with utmost reluctance as the Nambudiripad rose.

  "Now, then, Cherusheri, aren’t you coming?" asked the Nambudiripad.

  "I think I’ll stay here, unless you particularly want me to come," said Cherusheri.

  "Never mind," replied the Nambudiripad, "you stay here, and I’ll go with Karuthedam."

  When the Nambudiripad and Kesavan Nambudiri entered the latter’s quarters, Lakshmi Kutty Amma was not to be seen, but lndulekha’s maid, Ammu, was there preparing betel-nut.

  Now Ammu, who was about twenty-five years of age, was an extremely graceful woman, and so far from being included among the ordinary household servants, was an object of lndulekha’s special care. Under lndulekha’s orders she was always dressed in pure white and wore plain gold discs in her ears, while a ruby locket hung from a white ribbon round her neck.

  It followed as a matter of course that front constant attendance on lndulekha she had acquired great refinement of manners, and the result was that as soon as the Nambudiripad set eyes on her, he concluded that she was lndulekha’s mother.

&
nbsp; "Just fancy your having such a young wife, Karuthedam!" he said, "What a lucky fellow you are. To think of this being lndulekha’s mother! Why she looks younger than lndulekha herself. This beats everything! She’s just a girl herself! It’s really extraordinary! Why how old can she be? But I wish she would turn her face round here. What the deuce does she mean by hiding herself away there? I say Lakshmi, do come here, won’t you? Your daughter wasn’t half as shy. Of course, you’re shy at seeing Karuthedam, but never mind him, come here."

  "That’s not lndulekha’s mother," said Kesavan Nambudiri. "That’s Indulekha’s maid. lndulekha’s mother must have gone out some where or other."

  "Oh, I see, I made a mistake," observed the Nambudiripad. "Never mind, Karuthedam, go and call Lakshmi."

  Kesavan Nambudiri went off to do as he was bid, and the maid Ammu also made for the door, when she was stopped by the Nambudiripad.

  "Stop, stop!" he cried, "I want to ask you something. You’re Indulekha’s girl, aren’t you ? You are a sweet little morsel, you’re far too pretty to be in service. What, let you go, do you say? No, no, stop a bit."

  "Let me go, Sir; your humble servant is late already,"

  "Wait a minute: tell me, are you married?"

  "No, Sir."

  "What a shame that you should have to do all the work of the house with no one to comfort that dear little heart of yours. Come here a minute. What’s that in your hand? Betel leaf?"

  "No, Sir: betel nut which I have cut up."

  "Is it for Indulekha?"

  "My mistress takes it sometimes."

  "Look here; just tell me quietly, has Indulekha got a flame ?"

  "A flame?"

  "An intrigue, then, an intrigue?"

  "An intrigue?"

  "A lover on the sly, I mean a lover on the sly."

  "Your slave really knows nothing of all this."

  "Will you come with us when I take Indulekha away with me?"

  "Yes, when you do, Sir," said Ammu, laughing, and running away.

  Meanwhile it was in great trepidation that Kesavan Nambudiri went about searching for his wife. At last he espied her worshipping in the temple, and went up to her with a sickly smile.

  "He’s sitting there in our room waiting to see you," he said. "Make haste, if you don’t mind."

  "Mercy on me," ejaculated Lakshmi Kutty Amma. "Do you mean to say he is thinking of me now?"

  "No, nothing of the sort," replied Kesavan Nambudiri. "He only wants to see lndulekha’s mother, that’s all. What’s the harm of his wanting to see you?"

  "There’s no harm, so I’ll come. But please go on and I’ll follow," said his wife.

  As they arrived at their room, they saw Ammu going away laughing, and Lakshmi Kutty Amma stopped at the threshold while Kesavan Nambudiri entered.

  "Well," said the Nambudiripad, "hasn’t she come?"

  "Yes, she’s standing here," answered Kesavan Nambudiri .

  "Let her come in," said the Nambudiripad. "Why shouldn’t she come in and have done with it? I’ve seen lndulekha and want to see lndulekha’s mother. Let her come in at once."

  Lakshmi Kutty Amma entered, but kept herself half hidden behind the door.

  "Now, then, Karuthedam," said the Nambudiripad, "why haven’t you got lights? Tell them to bring a lamp."

  A lamp was accordingly brought, and he ordered it to be placed near the door. When this was done, he proceeded to scan Lakshmi Kutty Amma’s features and form with great attention, looking her up and down, then staring at her first from one side and then from the other. He completely lost his head with excitement, and Kesavan Nambudiri was thrown into a fever of alarm.

  "Bless you!" exclaimed the Nambudiripad, "what a lucky fellow you are, Karuthedam! I never saw such luck. I suppose it’ll be rude, won’t it, if I tell the truth and say she’s better looking than Indulekha? Your name is Lakshmi Kutty, is it not?"

  "Yes," replied Lakshmi Kutty Amma.

  "It ought to be Divine Lakshmi," said the Nambudiripad. "I shall always call you Divine Lakshmi. Now wake up, Karuthedam. Can’t you say something?"

  The hapless Kesavan Nambudiri had nothing to say, and all he knew was that his affairs had taken a desperate turn. The simpleton was overwhelmed with anxiety, lest this Nambudiripad, appearing above the horizon of his life, like a malignant star, should blast his fortunes, although had he known the firmness and constancy of his wife, he would also have known that there was not the slightest cause for apprehension. But he was quite incapable of grasping this fact, and suffered himself to be disquieted in vain.

  "There’s no mistake about it," continued the Nambudiripad. "Lakshmi, you’re just divine; that’s what you are. What have you got to say, Karuthedam? What a lucky fellow you are, to be sure! I have never had such luck as this with all my power and money."

  "I think it is time for evening prayer," feebly remarked Kesavan Nambudiri.

  "Nonsense," said the Nambudiripad. "Lakshmi Kutty, just bring that lamp a little nearer, will you? I want to look at my watch."

  Kesavan Nambudiri snatched up the lamp and held it for him, but this was not what the Nambudiripad had wanted at all. However, he could say nothing, and, having looked at his watch, announced that it was only half-past six, and began to chatter again.

  "How old are you, Lakshmi Kutty?"

  "Going on for thirty-five."

  "Quite a chick", said the Nambudiripad. "What tremendous luck you have, Karuthedam. How did you manage to get a footing here, Karuthedam?"

  Kesavan Nambudiri began to shiver and shake. "Good God," he thought, "would the impudent rake carry off my wife? I’ve brought all this trouble on myself, and I shouldn’t be surprised if he tries to take Lakshmi if he can’t get lndulekha. I shouldn’t wonder if he got his way either," and with these reflections he well nigh abandoned himself to despair.

  "Your first husband was one of those Kilimanur rajas, wasn’t he, Lakshmi?" asked the Nambudiripad.

  "Yes" .

  "Then Karuthedam’s star came into the asce4ndant, didn’t it ?" maundered on the Nambudiripad. "Can’t you speak, Karuthedam?"

  "We are very late for evening prayer, aren’t we?" said Kesavan Nambudiri.

  "Not a bit of it," returned the Nambudiripad. "Quite time enough if we go at seven; just tell Govindan to bring my silver betel-case here." Govindan accordingly brought the case and set it before the Nambudiripad.

  "Take it up and have a look at it, Lakshmi Kutty," said the Nambudiripad, and then as Lakshmi Kutty Amma came forward, he saw her distinctly in the lamplight.

  "My eyes," he exclaimed, "Wonderful! Prodigious! You are lucky, Karuthedam. She’s a regular beauty. Hallo, Karuthedam, you seem to be knocked out of time altogether. Well, to be sure, Lakshmi the Divine is enough to drive any one crazy. That’s a fine betel-case, isn’t it?"

  "Very fine," replied Lakshmi Kutty Amma.

  "You can take it up if you like," said the Nambudiripad.

  "I never thought there would be any objection to my taking it," returned Lakshmi Kutty Amma.

  "Capital, capital," cried the Nambudiripad, "you’re very witty. I like to hear wit like that. Lucky fellow, Karuthedam. It’s no wonder that Indulekha is pretty, but I don’t think she is so witty. No, I am sure she isn’t. How old is Indulekha ?"

  "She is now in her eighteenth year," said Lakshmi Kutty Amma.

  "Then you must have been seventeen yourself when Indulekha was born."

  "Quite so."

  "You hadn’t any other child, had you?"

  "No."

  "You can’t be nearly so happy as you used to be."

  "Really, there is no reason why I should be unhappy."

  "But the Raja was an excellent man, wasn’t he?"

  "Most excellent."

  "It’s very hard on you, then," said the Nambudiripad. "It’s uncommonly difficult for a woman to get a suitable husband and for a man to get a suitable wife. They ought to suit each other exactly, but it is very rarely that they do! If they don’t, t
here’s no end of bother. Come, Karuthedam, what’s the matter? Can’t you say something?"

  "I think it’s past seven o’clock," said Kesavan Nambudiri.

  "Nothing of the kind," answered the Nambudiripad. "How many years have you been married, Karuthedam?"

  "Six years," said Kesavan Nambudiri.

  "And no children, have you?"

  "No."

  "It’s enough to knock a man down to think of your luck, Karuthedam," said the Nambudiripad. "Cherusheri repeated some verses to me the other day, all about some fellow seeing some other fellow’s wife and going mad with envy. Hang it, I can’t think what they were. Just call Cherusheri, will you?"

  Kesavan Nambudiri went and found Cherusheri ready for the evening prayers, and waiting only for the Nambudiripad.

  "What on earth is the matter?" he asked, when Kesavan Nambudiri called him. "It’s very late: it’s past seven already."

  "My dear Cherusheri," gasped Kesavan Nambudiri, "I’ve been such a fool, you can’t think. I don’t believe that Nambudiri. will ever come out of that as long as he lives. Oh dear, oh dear, what can I do? I can only say I’ve made an awful mistake."

  "What do you want me for now?" asked Cherusheri.

  "To repeat some verses or other, that’s all," replied Kesavan Nambudiri. "It’s enough to drive one out of one’s senses. "

  "Good Heavens!" exclaimed Cherusheri, "what verses does he want now? But never mind, I’ll come," and so saying he entered the room with Kesavan Nambudiri.

  "Hallo, Cherusheri," cried the Nambudiripad. Don’t you remember you recited me some verses the other day, how some man got so wild on seeing another man’s wife? Just say them again, will you?"

  "Some man got wild on seeing another man’s wife?" repeated Cherusheri. "What do you mean? I don’t remember any such lines."

  "Bother it all," said the Nambudiripad. "Don’t hustle me and I’ll tell you. It was something about the moon rising and not being ashamed of himself on seeing some woman’s face, and then it went on about some strange man standing before her husband and not being ashamed of himself, don’t you know? Now just repeat it all."