"You! Why are you here?" Mrinalini exclaimed. She expected Vikram to knock, but it was Charu, Charulatha, the temple priest's daughter. She knew of Charulatha's affection for Vikram, and Charulatha was equally aware that the proud daughter of the Zamindar made pilgrimages every two or three days to his small one-room apartment—and knew its purpose.
"Why are you here?" Charu countered, answering Mrinalini's question with her own. How could she accept another woman entering her fiancé's house? His aunt herself had asked him to marry her and had also approached her father for her hand in marriage to his nephew. Didn't that make him her fiancé? How could any other woman linger around him?
Like Charu, the other woman's identity was also complex. She was the daughter of a Zamindar, one of the 563 royal families that ruled the country. After the War of Independence in 1857, all Indian kings united, forming a union and deciding to elect one of them as emperor every seven years. Mrinalini's family was one of these royal families, and they also held a seat in the country's upper house, making them part of the elite.
Mrinalini was also aware of Charu's status. She was the daughter of the chief priest of the Kalighat Temple, a position akin to spiritual leader of the entire Bengali-speaking world.
Both women represented two of Kolkata's great families, veritable crown jewels of the city. These complex identities, inherited at birth, profoundly impacted their lives. They were accustomed to getting whatever they desired and were always welcomed with utmost respect.
"You! You are the daughter of the rulers of Kolkata. How can you act like a servant to a man of unknown origin and come to this small, shabby place? Princess, please leave. Why disgrace yourself with such foolishness?" Charu said after a moment, her expression serious.
Mrinalini looked at her with a playful smile and replied, "Thank you, Charulatha, for your concern. But I think you should also consider your own situation. How can you, the proud daughter of the chief priest, come to this lowly abode? What would people think? You would be disgraced if it were known. Please go away."
They exchanged complicated glances.
"You!" Charu said, "How can you be so shameless?"
"What does shame have to do with me? I am in love and know only love," Mrinalini said. "But you must understand how difficult this journey is."
"Yes, it's difficult, but when has the path of love been easy? I am ready to endure a thousand seas of suffering with him. How can I be worried about this small disgrace?"
Then she looked at Princess Mrinalini and said, "Princess, please let us two lovers live and die in this small abode, sharing our love. Wouldn't it be too much for a ruler to interfere in the lives of her subjects and take away my most valuable possession?"
Mrinalini was furious. "How can he be your possession? Don't make this harder than it needs to be. He is the reason for my life, and there is no way I will let him be your possession. He is mine, and mine only. Please, give up."
The two women continued their verbal sparring at the door. Unaware of the confrontation, a young man was about to ascend the stairs when he was stopped by a little girl's voice.
"Master, can you teach me this song today?"
He smiled, turned, and saw the girl. She was about fifteen years old and quite pretty, wearing a long black skirt and a top. She lived in the building and was one of his music students.
He smiled and took the paper she offered. It contained song lyrics. He glanced at them and asked, "Are you sure? There's another Rabindra Sangeet song that starts with the same lines. Do you want to learn this one or that one?"
She looked at him pleadingly.
"Okay, singing this song has another purpose, too," he said gently, smiling. "Don't worry, I'll teach you. Come to me when you're free."
She was delighted and ran off.
He looked at the paper again.
"Kali kali mandlaye bhanwara
Kahin bhi chain na paye
Sabhi se nain milaye paagala
Harjaayi kehlaye"
Meaning:
"The black bumblebee hovers around,
Finding no peace anywhere.
It meets everyone's gaze, this mad one,
And is called a philanderer."
A famous song by Khurshid Anwar. He studied the lyrics and wondered what "bee" tormented this sweet girl. He walked up the stairs, humming the song:
"Kali kali mandlaye bhanwara
Kahin bhi chain na paye
(The black bumblebee hovers around,
Finding no peace anywhere.)"
When he reached the door, he saw the two women with angry faces. His melody evoked mixed emotions in them. They were glad he was back and recognized the song... But when they heard the lyrics about the bumblebee flitting around, they couldn't help but see a parallel to their own situation. They grew angrier and glared at him. He and the song froze. The women's angry gazes gave him a bad feeling.
"Vikram, tell her to go away. How can she come to your place?" Charu said first.
"Husband, who is this girl calling herself your fiancé? Tell her to leave," Mrinalini retorted.
"How could he be your husband?" Charu demanded angrily.
Mrinalini smiled at Vikram and said, "He touched me and gave me cloth. He is my husband."
"You!" Charu was speechless with anger.
Suddenly, Mrinalini looked at Vikram and said, "How can you marry another woman? You are cheating on me."
Vikram was at a loss for words. He didn't know how to respond. She called herself his wife after he'd saved her life, but he was also engaged to Charu in the temple. He was trapped.
Mrinalini, furious, looked at him and sang softly, as if speaking the words:
"Naye nawaile pyaar ke mele
Uske man ko bhaye
Hum dukhiyare, brah ke maare
Chup chup neer bhaye
Humein rulaata jaye bhanwara
Aap naye sukh paye"
Meaning:
"New and alluring love affairs
Have captivated his heart.
I am heartbroken, consumed by grief,
Silently shedding tears.
He continues to make me cry, this butterfly,
While he finds new happiness."
As she sang, even Charu felt sympathy for her. She also looked at Vikram with a tempest in her eyes. He was caught in a whirlwind of emotions—anger and deep sadness—and was utterly confused about what to do.