"Brojo!" "Coming, madam!" "Are you deaf?" "It's past 4pm." "Bring the master his tea." "I received a letter from your brother." "Did I tell you?" "No." " Hasn't he written to you?" " Umapada?" "When did he ever write to me?" "He hasn't been doing too well as a lawyer" "He has asked me if I might find him something here." "And I was thinking I could do with a manager or something." "You know what a mess I make of figures." "Would he be able?" "Why not?" "He could do this, and I'll be there to help him." "You know he couldn't put his mind to anything, really." "I've already asked him to come." "How can you judge a man unless you give him responsibility?" "Have some more luchi?" "You've hardly eaten anything." "The less I eat, the more I work, Charu, no other way to keep the paper going." "Do you think I'm lazy?" "Whoever said so?" "That's what they call us:" ""The Idle Rich"" "I want to prove them wrong." "Money doesn't have to mean laziness." "You don't have any regrets, do you?" "Why?" "All the money I'm spending" "That new press I bought the other day." "You're doing good work, getting yourself talked about." "We are not going to starve." "Just to hear Suren Banerjee speak!" "I'll explain all these political things to you one day, Charu." "Ok?" "Intellectual power may be good in its own way." "But it is not intellectual eminence that constitutes individual or national greatness." "It is energy, patriotism, devotion to duty the capacity for self-sacrifice and unflinching regard for truth." "Just a minute, Charu." "I know it's very late." "That's not why I came." "This is for you." "Did you do this?" "Next time I'll embroider you a pair of slippers." "How do you find the time?" "You think I don't have time?" "You must feel very lonely, Charu..." "Oh, I'm used to it now." "Loneliness is not something to get used to." " Have you read Swarnalata?" " What?" "Swarnalata." "Why are you laughing?" "I've got my Charulata." "That's enough for me." "I don't need any plays, novels or poems." "Understand?" "Let's do one thing." "I'll write your brother to bring his wife along." "Then you won't feel lonely anymore." " Come on, play." " I'm playing." "Play!" " Ice-cream!" " Get on with the game." "Ice-cream..." "Play." "Didn't I say you couldn't win with me?" "All luck and no brain in this game." "Will power does it!" "I'm always telling my husband - if only you had will power..." "Let it be the one." "Oh, God!" "Now, only 3 cards are left." "Oh God!" "Now who has will power?" "It's past 4pm." "Could you ask Brojo to get some tea?" "I'll ask him myself." "Your Brojo must be deaf." "You have to shout a dozen times." "Storm's coming!" "Hare Murare!" "(God is great)" "Did you read Bankim?" " Where's Bhupati?" " Downstairs working." "Still working!" "?" " What's the matter?" " Nothing." "Hey!" "Come so soon?" "I'd have come even earlier but for mother." " And how is Aunty?" " She's fine." " Whose tea is this?" " Have some." "Tell Brojo to bring another cup of tea." "So..." "What are your plans?" "To accept your generous hospitality." "That's my plan, what's yours?" "First, relaxation..." "Then, literary endeavors, and then..." "And then?" "And then relaxation!" "That second relaxation has to go." "There is work for you." "Work!" "?" "Oh, that cursed word!" "I'll give you a slap!" "Come on." " Where?" " Come and see my new press." "What, you here too?" "Umapada's not like you." "He works for the Sentinel." "Do you want to take a quick look?" "I don't even know how may H's there are in "Phthisis"" "Don't worry, only political diseases in my paper" "Just give me a sheet." "24th issue of The Sentinel... dated April 9, 1879." "Careful!" "It's still wet!" "Wonderful name, I must say." "That was Nishikanta's idea." "The motto's mine." "Truth survives." "Will the paper survive?" "But you missed the main thing, my editorial!" "What's this?" "You're criticizing the Government?" "Why not?" "Why not, Amal?" "Why do you think the Government is carrying on the Afghan campaign?" "The prestige of England in Europe is at stake." "So why should India bear the cost of it?" "Shouldn't we condemn them?" "Shouldn't we condemn the Press Act too?" "Three years now they haven't changed it." "And what about the Civil Service thing?" "And what about the Arms Act?" "The Salt Tax?" "The Rent Tax?" "And another thing!" "The British Government is running the country." "All right." "But why don't the Indians get a say?" "I'll tell you... because there's no representation" "Have I done anything wrong by discussing this?" "And if the police gets on your track?" "To be outspoken is not necessarily to be disloyal." "Sedition!" "Not for me." "It was a mess-up with the tram - the horse ran wild in the storm." "Did you get any advertisements?" "Only one..." "Holloway pills." "A three months contract, and that's only because I went there personally." "Bathgate, Starestreet?" "..." "None of the big chemists?" "We must bring down our rates." " Why?" " We're too expensive." "New paper, no prestige yet - how can you charge the same rates as Suren Banerjee?" "Besides, it's a political paper." "It's got no pep and no laughs." "How can you make it pay without all that?" "What do you mean by this?" "Tit-bits?" "Spicy news?" "Scandals?" "No, Umapada!" "I'll sooner give it up altogether" "But I want to get a kick out of my job." "If the paper sunk before it started, what good would that be?" "There's a direction." "And it's in my hands." "And do you know what it is?" "Truth, integrity." "All right." "You get on with it then." "What are you saying, Umapada?" "These days even a widow has a chance of holding her head high." "And you think we can't even keep a paper going?" "But the only way is the way of honesty." "The way you are suggesting is the way of prostitution." "So what am I supposed to do?" "Why do you have no enthusiasm for the paper?" "Because you don't have enough responsibility." "What's this?" "The key to this." "From now on you handle the money." "And the advertisement rates are one anna less." "Let's see if we can keep it going or not." "Do you know what this paper means to me?" "It's your sister's rival." "But don't tell Charulata!" "Is the room all right?" "You're asking me if this room is all right..." "After my life in the hostel," "I'm wondering if it isn't too luxurious." "What if it is?" "You've been studying hard." "You've become so thin." "So you still sing?" "You're something!" " Sister!" " What?" "I must get down to something." "What do you suggest?" "You ought to do one thing right away." " What?" " Get married." "Oh, don't you women ever think of anything else?" "Is she here too?" "As if you didn't see my husband." "So then the wife must be around too?" "Obviously." "You must be very hungry!" "Hail three-carved confection!" "I shall now proceed to..." "She made them, didn't she?" "And why shouldn't it be me?" " No." " Why?" "If you'd made them, she would not have brought me so many." "A woman's mind can only be understood by men!" "Take off that shirt, Mr. Clever-Dick." "Which shirt?" "The one you have got on." "It's got a hole big enough that a grown men could get inside." "And if there are more torn clothes, just give them to me." "In the hostel, we did our own." "What a set-up you've got here!" "It's like correcting a backward schoolboy's exercises." "Thank you." " How's everything?" " Very good." "Do you get the Sororuha Magazine?" "I get all sorts of things." "But you won't find it here." "Have a look in Charulata's drawing room." "I see you don't much care for..." "Such delights are not for me!" "All these sloppy tragedies the modern writers come out with!" "So you don't think much of tragedy?" "Nishikanta told me once that after reading one of Bankim's novels he couldn't sleep for 3 nights." "So I said to him, you must be crazy." "A healthy fellow like you, with 7 hours of sleep at night, you let a novel come along and mess them up for you?" "You agree?" "Suppose the Government comes out with a new tax?" "Would you still get your 7 hours sleep?" "Amal, politics is different." "Politics is a living thing." "Real, palpable!" "Whenever the Government imposes a new tax," "and it's happening all the time with Lord Lytton" "We can see... how the people of this poor country are affected, how they suffer." "Which is a bigger tragedy, that or Romeo and Juliet?" "The Queen will be saved all right." "But who's going to save the people of Bengal?" "All this sloppy literature is ruining the people." "We must do something about it." "We have to become strong, physically." "You can't get by brains alone." "Of course, it isn't enough." "Are you joking?" "Try it!" "How old are you?" "23." "I'm 35." "Come on, let's see." " Elbows on the table." " But I haven't yet..." "Go to bed now." "There's something I wanted to talk to you about." "I think Charulata has a literary bent." "She's always reading those magazines." "Anything Bengali." "The problem is," "I can't spare any time to guide her." "She is talented." "She writes well." "When I was in Monghyr, she wrote me letters." "Beautiful style!" "Whatever she has in her, you must bring it out." "Give her some time, guide her, make her write." "If she has some talent, it shouldn't be allowed to go to waste." "Start from tomorrow." "But she mustn't suspect anything." "Otherwise, she'd only resist and go back into her shell." "That changes everything." "I was going to do the writing, and now you want me to..." "Do both, you're up to it." "I trust you." "Good night." "Ooh!" "How lovely!" "Hey, sister!" "Oh, shut up!" "You're putting me off!" "Why?" "What are you doing that's so special?" "It's not what I'm doing." "I'm thinking too." "How can I think if you keep going 'Ooh'!" "You cannot turn the tide of Fate!" "Are you wearing a fancy dress?" "Kindly fair lady, give me a betel leaf!" "No Sir, not for you!" " What is this?" " Slippers for the Master!" "How lucky is Bhupati!" "You'll be lucky too." "Slippers for me?" "No, a wife." "Where have you been?" "To the shop." "Bought myself a note book." "And that makes you so tired?" "Shall I bring you a pillow?" "Finished exams, finished studies, classes finished professors..." "Anything not finished?" "Finished fooling around?" "Poetry, rhythm..." "You know, Charu," "I was thinking..." "What?" "That the whole life has a rhythm." "Birth and death." "Day and night." "Happiness and sadness." "Meetings and farewells." "Like the waves of the see - now up, now down." "You can't have one without the other." "Don't you agree?" "Are you going to write all this in your note book?" "How about a game of Strip Jack Naked?" " Did you see if the washing's dry?" " Yes." "Will you play?" "Manda, are you a Conservative or a Modern?" "Are you going to play?" "If not, I'll put the cards away." "Yesterday, the Queen of spades slipped under the pillow." "Listen," "Any woman spending her time reclining on the bed" "Gazing into a mirror and arranging her hair, embroidering carpets, reading novels," "Only concerned with her own well-being and nobody else's," "May indeed be somewhat superior to an animal" "But can show little justification for having been born into this world as a Woman." "We humbly suggest that a woman of this category" "Should put a rope around her neck and hang herself." "Is this your category?" "Do I embroider carpets?" "Do I read novels?" "You know I cannot." "Then you're a conservative." "Conservative Woman, leave this room!" "We're about to discuss literature!" "No." "All right, stay." " Have you read Manmatha Dutt?" " No." " Have you?" " Yes." "Lonesome melodies?" "Loathsome Maladies." "Lonesome melodies!" "Loathsome Maladies!" "I read it in last month's Sororuha." "You don't like Manmatha Dutt?" "No taste." "Has to be put right." "Who do you like then?" "Bankim." "Bankim!" "What originality!" "How can I be original, Amal?" "I don't know such a lot." "I simply said what I liked." "I find him difficult in places." "And I have to use the dictionary." "What descriptions!" "Especially of women." "All the women are beautiful." "They're too perfect for me." "They make me feel uncomfortable." "Mrinalini, Saibalini, Kapakundala - they're all so perfect." "And Kunda?" "She's beautiful, not perfect." "Lutfunissa's not perfect either." "Too tall, thin lips," "And dark complexion..." "Look at this conservative woman, the moment you mention Bankim, she starts snoring." "I'll tell you what, pick up that mat." "The mat?" "Come." "What a mess this garden's in" "Bhupati wanted to make a Japanese garden." "Your brother only thinks of his paper." "A pond here... a few lotuses... some ducks... a small bridge in the middle." "And flowers on each side." "No peacocks?" "To spread their tails and dance?" "No peacocks." "No screeching." "I'll sooner have some young deer." "Beautiful poetry could be written while sitting here." "Amal!" "Amal, please give me a push, will you?" "Just once..." "Modern Woman, that's going too far." "Do you know they're putting a tax on swinging?" "Gently, gently sway the flowers" "Softly, softly blows the breeze" "Gaily, gaily runs the river Flowing with a gentle ease" "From the treetops young and green" "The cuckoo call: "Hello, hello"" "Why my heart is filled with sadness" "Tell me, tell me, I don't know." "Hey, Mr. Clever!" "What are you thinking of?" "Just thinking." "About what?" "About writing." "Writing what?" "Thinking." "What?" "Thinking." "Good, you think, then write." "But not in that note book, I'll make you one." "One inkpot, one pen." "Hail, thou virgin page!" "My imagination has not yet covered thy purity." "Oh, when will the day come when I reach the last page and the last line and THE END?" "Good Lord!" "What magic is in my note book!" "You must promise one thing." "Whatever you write stays in that book." "It won't be published." "All right." "You missed an accent!" "Thank you!" "End of the essay, end of the book!" "Now, write a story." "Why?" "You think the essay's no good?" "Listen." "Even as Prince Abhimanyee, while still in the womb, learned only to penetrate the enemy ranks but not how to withdraw;" "So, a river, emerging from the mountain's rocky womb can only move forward and never turn back." "O, flow of the river!" "O, youth!" "O, time!" "All you can do is advance;" "You never look back along the path strewn with many memories." "Only the mind of man looks back." "No such concern perturbs the Universe." "How is it?" "I want your opinion." "If it's good, why it's good, if it's bad, why it's bad." " I don't say it's bad." " What then?" "I say there are enough of these things." "Rivers, sky, clouds, moon..." "Enough?" "Not in poetry." "Think about Addison, Steele, Emerson..." "Or do I have to write stories?" "All right, you write what you like." "No, it's your turn now." "My God!" "Why not?" "I don't get ideas like yours." "Write your own ideas." "Write about your childhood." "Your village, the river, the religious festivals, the fairs..." "Impossible." "Why?" "I can't remember." "You'll have to make an effort." "If you don't write something now, Bhupati will want an explanation." "Explanation?" "He'll say I'm not teaching you anything." "So it's because of him that you..." "I don't mean Bhupati appointed me your official teacher." "Where are you off to?" "Time for tea." "I'm going to publish my essay!" "Do what you like." "Why my heart should feel such sadness." "Tell me, tell me, I don't know." "Sister!" "On the roof." "You can get a nice view of the Church tower." "I won't go." "All right, stay." "Do you want another betel leaf?" "Sure." "What paper shall I send my essay to?" "What paper shall I send my essay to?" "How should I know?" "It's because you don't know that I'm asking you." "Whose who do know can't make up their mind." "Quickly, say one or the other, Bishwabandhu or Sororuha?" "Soro... what?" "Sororuha, which means lotus." "Come on, quick, say one!" "Lotus!" "Right!" "Bishwabandhu won't accept articles from new writers." "Now say quickly, will they accept my essay or not?" "They will." "Good." "Blessings upon you, dear Manda." "Blessings won't do, if I'm right, you must give me a treat!" "What would you like?" "Cake from Pelleti or Sandesh?" "Ice cream!" "What!" "?" "Ice cream!" "So be it!" "You didn't get the washing in." "Suppose it had rained!" "Amal's started writing these days." "Did you read any of it?" "Why ask me?" "I was just wondering if he had any real talent or is just wasting his time." "There is a very good offer of marriage come from Burdwan" "The youngest daughter of Raghunath Mitter." "He's good." "I haven't quite managed to finish the proofs..." "Why?" "I've been doing a bit of writing myself..." "What?" "Nothing much, just.." "Go and fetch it." " Will you read it?" " Yes, go and get it then." "Run, run." "Nothing sloppy, I hope." "A good bride." "All we need is Amal's consent." "He only needs a little pushing." "No question of force here, Charu." "Will you read it yourself or?" "No, you read it." "Just a moment." "Go ahead." ""Light of the moonless night." Whenever we..." "Wait." "Say that again." ""Light of the moonless night"" "Light... of the moonless night." "You mean straight?" "Is it something scientific?" "I am a student of literature, Bhupati." "You don't expect me to write an astronomic treatise?" "So, there is no moon?" "And no stars?" "What about the night?" "Yes, but not your kind of night." "And no light then." "Not my kind of light." "Amal, I think it's time you get married." "There is a very good offer from Burdwan." "Mitter, the lawyer, his youngest daughter." "Good looking girl and well educated." "Are you willing?" "No doubt about it." "How do you know?" "If you can't understand my writing, how can you understand me?" "I understand all right." "No, you don't!" "Now, stop squabbling." "I haven't told you the main thing yet." "Mr. Mitter is going to send his son-in-law to England." "You understand?" "England!" "Sit down, Amal, and let this sink in." "Suppose you come back a barrister." "Just think!" "England!" "The land of Shakespeare." "Why just Shakespeare?" "Burke, Macaulay, Gladstone..." "You can go and listen to the speeches in Parliament!" "I never managed it." "That's my big regret." "Once, I got as far as booking the passage but..." "The isles of Greece..." "Exactly!" "Why just England?" "The continent too!" "France, Germany, Greece," "Italy - the land of Mazzini and Garibaldi." "How many Bengali boys get this chance?" "Aren't you tempted?" "Mediterranean..." "What a wonderful name." "Like running your fingers over the strings of the tanpura." "Just think, Amal" "The last decade of the XIX century..." "New Year's Eve, you hear Big Ben." "The snow is falling, you're walking down the street." "Overcoat, gloves, chest out..." "Young Bengali!" "Oh, if only I had your opportunity." "Well, are you willing?" "Mr. Amal Chandra Basu?" "Wet with rain, fertile, fresh after a breeze, prosperous and cool is our Bengal." "No." "Why?" "Our lovely Bengal, that's the land for me." "Good night!" "But what do I tell Mr. Mitter?" "Ask for time!" "A week?" "A month?" "What makes you laugh?" "That's how he is, didn't I tell you?" "He wants a thing but he won't admit it." "You don't understand." "This is a rare opportunity." "Don't worry." "Do what he says." "Ask for time." "And in a few days he'll come sneaking back and say yes." "Don't I know your brother?" "Come here." "Tell me." "No, come here." "What?" "Come closer." "I am near." "Nearer." "Look at me." "I'm looking." "You have not been getting up to anything, have you?" "What if I have?" "You drink on the sly, don't you?" "Is my Manda a good girl?" "With a bad husband?" "Why should you say bad?" "Why?" "Am I not bad?" "No." "Then who's bad?" "It's our luck that's bad." "Why should we have to leave home otherwise." "Don't you like it here?" "How can I like it?" "Besides..." "Besides?" "No, nothing." "Only 2 months more." "What then?" "The work will last for 2 months." "And then?" "What are you plotting this time?" "Could you tell a lie for my sake?" "Tell me how much you love me." "What lie?" "All right." "I'll tell the lie, and you'll back me up." "My God, what are you up to?" "When Fate kicks you in the teeth, hit back at those he favours." ""I know you, I know you," ""O, Mademoiselle, O, Fair one from afar."" ""O, Fair one from afar..." "So my betel's not to be eaten?" "So you won't take it?" ""I saw you on an autumn day," ""And then again in May." ""Thoughts of you my heart can never dispel" ""O Fair One from afar." ""I turn my ear to the sky" ""and catch your song go soaring by" ""My love for you I can't deny" ""O, Fair One from afar!" ""I've roamed about on earth and sea" ""and come to a place where I've longed to be" ""I seek your hospitality" ""O, Fair One from afar!" "Letter for you." "I've been listening to your song." "Manda, Sororuha has accepted my essay!" " Really?" " Look!" "Didn't I tell you?" "Charu!" "Sororuha has accepted my essay." "Stop that banging!" "I'm busy." "Sororuha has accepted my essay!" " "Night of the Moonless Light?"" " No, "Darkness of the Sun."" "Good." "Didn't I tell you to stop banging?" "Just a moment!" "What happened?" "What are you doing?" "A cockroach." "A cockroach?" "Where is it?" "Under the bed perhaps..." "Oh, in this case..." "There's news today." "There is going to be an election in England..." "We're all very excited." "The party in power now is the Tory." "They'll never do India any good." "So we all want... the other party, the Liberals, to win." "Bepin says he'll pray to Mother Kalifor for their victory." "Here, take the magazine." "Smell it." "It's hot off the Press!" "Tell me, who'll win?" "Disraeli or Gladstone?" "What do you say?" "I've bet with Nishikanta 50 rupees." "Good." "Liberals!" "Gladstone!" "Charu, have an ice cream?" "Why not?" "Have one!" "Manda, ice cream?" "There's one extra." "Why not?" "Gives me a toothache!" "Ice cream?" "Look!" "Charu, it was wrong of you to think I'd write something good... just to stay in your note book..." "And not for anyone to see, wasn't it?" "Indeed." "Your must admit you were wrong to criticize my writing." " Actually, I write very well, don't I?" " Sure." "This is something that deserves respect, don't you think?" "Sure." "So may I hope for a little more respect in the future?" "BISHAKANDHU" "The cry of the cuckoo." "The lament of the cuckoo." "My village." "What is it?" "Look!" "Something by you?" "Published in Bishwabandhu?" "You put so much spice in Amal's betel that it burns his mouth." "I'll do it from now on." "Charu, you!" "What are you doing?" "What's come over you?" "Don't you realize how well you write?" "When I had asked you to write," "I had no idea you'd write so well." "It's true, believe me." "You've made me feel so small." "So simple, so flowing." "You mustn't stop there, Charu." "You must write more." "Otherwise such a gift..." "I won't write anymore!" "Why are you crying, Charu?" "Don't cry." "You're right." "How stupid of me." "Now your shirt is all wet." "To the Liberals!" "Bhupati has won his bet, and with that money we're celebrating." "But I'm the one who lost." "Which means that the money was originally mine." "So who's the actual host?" "Bhupati Dutt or Nishikanta Chowdhury?" "Why should you be the host?" "The money was originally your father's." "Bhupati, the musicians are all waiting." "Why waste time talking?" "Perfectly right!" "We'll have our music." "But first I want to say something." "It's because the Liberals have won... that we're celebrating." "In the present political circumstances... there's every reason to do so." "In my opinion, on an occasion like this we must always remember one man." "Behind our celebration today, behind our Sentinel newspaper, behind our political consciousness, stands one man:" "Raja Rammohan Roy." "If it hadn't been for him, we'd never have bothered about who won the Election." "Today, our first duty is to pay homage to the memory of the greatest liberal... of the early XIX century." "Joydev will now oblige us with a song by Roy." "I agree with everything that Bhupati has said." "But I would like to add something." "After the first song, if we want to be just a bit more liberal, we'll listen to one Nidhu's love songs." "Let's ask Shashanka to sing it." "Oh, no!" "Surely somebody else." "Joydev, let's have the song now." "Turn your thougts to the fearsome final day" "When you'll hear all speak, but find no words to say" "The sight of the dear ones, the loved ones and near ones" "will fill your aching heart with dark dismay" "You'll hear the lamentations of your friends and relations while your mortal powers keep ebbing away" "So beware, Humanity!" "Forsake all vanity!" "While your mortal powers keep ebbing away" "So beware, Humanity!" "Forsake all vanity!" "In truth and Renunciation lies the way." "What's on your mind," "Mr. Dreamer?" "England?" "Why should a great man like Roy have to die in England?" "Thousands of miles away, in Bristol?" "So few Bengalis can see his grave there." "But you will." "Not now, I can't." "Yes, you can." "First Burdwan and then England." "That's right, isn't it?" "First Burdwan, then marriage... and then England." "And then?" "Then Bristol." "Then barrister." "And then?" "Then back to Bengal!" "Black native..." "Tail between my legs!" "Bengal?" "Nothing else?" "And Bankim?" "Sir Bankim Chandra." "Byron to Bankim!" "And Charu?" "Charu's a nobody?" "Not important?" "Here you go!" "Why weren't you singing at the party?" "You've got such a good voice." " Charu!" "We're off tomorrow." " Where?" "Father-in-law is sick." "Manda got a wire today." "Here's the money I owed you." "Does Bhupati know?" "Yes, I have told him." "Besides, I'll be back in a few days." "Do help him a little while I'm away." "Well, we must start packing." "It's the early morning train." "You'll send me your article, won't you?" "At least I could read your name." "Poor Bhupati will have to manage all by himself." "Why?" "You're not going away." "You don't expect me to be the manager of the Sentinel, do you?" "Yes, I do!" "You stay as long as the paper stays." "Before the party breaks up," "I have a proposal - sorry, a complaint to make." "And that complaint is directed... against our host, the editor of the Sentinel," "Mr. Bhupati Dutt." "Mr. Bhupati is acting as if... he had no idea... what the reason for the complaint may be." "May I first enquire whether you are aware of the existence of this magazine?" "Or whether, perhaps, you even read it?" "Do you mean to asses that?" "You haven' read the contribution... on page 22 of the May issue?" "No." " Would you take an oath on that?" " Yes!" "What's all this mystery?" "Tell us what it's all about!" "Has your wife been contributing to Bishwabandhu magazine... and you kept it a secret?" "What does this say?" "Mrs. Charulata Dutt?" "Something by Charu!" "Girish Gosh had better watch out!" "He'll have a rival on the stage!" " It must be something she wrote long ago." " Long ago?" "Prehistoric?" "Just sign here." "You'll get your order on Wednesday." "Thank you, have a good trip." "Come in, sir." "Well, Mr. Dutt, what can I do for you?" "What's the meaning of this letter?" "Oh, this is our letter." "Indeed." "What about the meaning?" "Is the English wrong?" "You know very well what I mean." "We owed you 2700 Rupees for the paper." "3 months ago, in February, my manager paid you the sum in full." "So what is the meaning of this Solicitor's letter?" "So your manager says he paid the money?" "Certainly." "All 2700?" "There must be some mistake!" "Where is your manager?" "He's not here just now." "Cleared out?" "Well, I'm here now." "Tell me what you had to say to him." "What could I have to say?" "As if he didn't know how much he'd paid... 300 Rupees in all." "And that only after 3 reminders." "Here are the copies of the correspondence." "Everything's perfectly clear." "We only send solicitor's letter as a last resort." "It does us no good to offend customers." "Where would we be without them?" "But we have to look... at the business side as well" "The relationships that we have..." "All right, I'll see about it." "Sir, don't forget your..." "So, by the end of this month." "That stick alone is worth a 100 Rupees." "Amal!" "Bhupati, so late!" "Isn't he coming up?" "I'll go and see." "Promise me one thing." "Whatever happens, you won't go away." "What could happen?" "Promise!" "What are you afraid of?" "Promise, please!" "You won't go whatever happens." "Bhupati's come." "Let me go and see what happened." "Promise me, why won't you promise?" "Say you won't go." "Promise!" "Promise!" "Let me go, Charu." "You've seen dead soldiers in the theatre..." "Well, there is another one." "But this one won't get up... when the curtains come down." "My favourite smell, the smell of printing ink." "Let's go up." "Such a man, so near to me." "A relation." "No, more than that, a friend!" "To think a man like that would betray you." "It's not only that he didn't pay the dues, but he's been taking loans in my name." "I can't tell you how shamelessly he's been exploiting my name." "And I put all my trust in him!" "I got such a shock, my head started reeling." "I told Abdul just to drive anywhere." "I just needed to get some fresh air." "The money doesn't matter so much..." "I will pay the debts." "But... for a man to behave like this, a man I put so much trust in to show no appreciation..." "It makes you lose all faith in men." "Why continue living?" "Trust, faith, integrity..." "Are all these just empty words?" "Isn't there any honesty at all?" "When you can't even trust a man so close to you... how can people go on living together?" "How can people go on living together?" "It's been a terrible blow, Amal." "My whole world seems to be crumbling." "What can I do to help you, Bhupati?" "You don't have to do anything, Amal." "Just stay as you are." "I had to talk about these things to somebody." "I couldn't tell Charu." " Have you had dinner?" " Yes." "How about going away for a few days by the sea?" "Just the 3 of us?" "I mean it, think it over." "You know what's happened?" "Yes." "Charu, you wrote such a nice piece in that magazine and you never told me anything." "When Nishikanta came out with it in front of everybody," "I felt so embarrassed, and hurt." "When could I tell you?" "You're always so busy." "I won't be busy anymore." "I've got rid of your rival." "Now I can give all my time to you." "Dear Bhupati," "I feel that after what has happened, my staying here is only an extra burden on you." "I've heard about a job out of town and I'm going to see about it." "I'll write when I arrive." "Best wishes to both of you." "P.S. Charu mustn't give up her writing." "Do you know what's happened?" "He's gone away." "Your dear friend Amal." "Packed up all his things in the middle of the night." "Left a letter saying he didn't want to be an extra burden." "As if Amal could be a burden!" " What are you saying?" " That's true." "Where are you going?" "The room's empty!" "Amal has some of my proof sheets... so I thought I'd come and take them from him" "And I found him gone!" "Yes, he's gone." "How odd." "Are you deaf?" "But I said I was..." "Go and put away his bedding." " Whose bedding?" " Amal's bedding!" "Who else?" "You stupid old..." "Charu, I know you're angry and you have a reason to be." "But just think of Amal's sense of responsibility" "Think how he's matured." "To go away for my sake!" "But he's still a bit of a child." "He forgot to say where he was going." "As if we don't know where he's gone!" "There is only one place, Burdwan." "Just enquire and see if I'm right." "Burdwan?" "What a notion!" "What?" "No, I can't say these things properly." "Perhaps it would be easier if I read Bankim." "My first grey hair." "Aren't you going to write anymore?" "Do you know why I like your writing so much?" "Because I can understand it all." "The others I can't." "Why don't you write?" "I will." "You start a new paper, then I'll write." "You'll write in my paper?" "Politics?" "Why only politics?" "What else?" "Must a paper be full of politics?" "Why not have both, politics in English and other things in Bengali?" "You'll look after one, I'll look after the other!" "But that's a wonderful suggestion!" "Brilliant!" "I never thought of such a thing before!" "Can you do it?" "There is always Nishikanta to help." "There'll be 2 of us!" "Three of us!" "Yes, three of us!" "Listen, we won't stay here anymore." "They talk about the roar of the waves but there is nothing like the sound of a printing press." "Come!" "I made a mistake." "I should have asked Nishikanta to come to the station." "We could have discussed things right there." "Put these down here, Brojo." "Where is my bag?" "Would you like some tea or anything else?" " Now?" " You don't want anything?" "I was thinking of having that talk with Nishikanta straight away." "You want to go now?" "I won't be long." "I'll talk to him before he gets started on something else." "Moti!" "Tell Brojo to send up the Englishman." "I haven't seen a paper for so many days..." "God knows what's happening." "How hot is it today!" "Moti!" "Coming." "Bring some water, I'll take a bath." "Did you call?" "Amal's in Madras, with a friend..." "Good news, read it and see." "Take it!" "I'm going now." "Amal, why did you go away?" "What did I do?" "Why didn't you tell me, Amal?" "I brought your water." "Good." "Dear Bhupati!" "I am in Madras, staying with a friend." "I am all right, but that Mediterranean tanpura keeps streaming in my ears." "You might just drop a line to Burdwan." "Have you found a magic potion to revive that dead soldier of yours?" "Best wishes to you both." "Yours truly, Amal." "Bring me the lamp." "Come in." "Come in!"