Devdas Read online

  Devdas

  By Sarat Chandra Chattopadhya

  Translated by Devjani

  Beautiful and heedless, the youth Devdas attracts the love and compassion of both Parvati and Chandramookhi. In his entitlement, he almost destroys those who love him.

  Dedicated to all my beloved Drama Kings and Queens!

  Chapter I

  It was the summer month of Baishakh, the hour was two in the afternoon, and the sunshine was dazzling.

  Devdas Mukherjee, sitting in a corner of the village schoolroom, gazing thoughtfully at the sunny world outside, decided that he simply had to be outside somewhere.

  Recess was almost over. All the children were playing noisily in the school grounds, yelling, shrieking, chasing one another in and around the giant banyan trees. All , except Devdas, and Parvati. Devdas was not allowed out for recess. Schoolmaster Govind Pandit, had found that once Devdas was let out of the classroom, it was impossible to get him back inside. Devdas’s father, Narayan Mukherjee, had agreed to this imprisonment, he had forbidden Devdas to leave the schoolhouse until classes were over.

  In the schoolroom, Govind Pandit had closed his eyes for a brief rest. On a bench near him, sat Bhulonath, a village lad that helped out in the school and kept an eye on Devdas. Carefully drawing a portrait of the somnolent Govind Pandit , was Parvati. Parvati had begun school a month ago. It was her greatest pleasure to follow her hero, Devdas around. So instead of playing outside, she sat indoors, carefully drawing a likeness of the schoolmaster .

  Suddenly, Devdas stood up, slate in hand, and going up to Bhulo, said,

  “Can’t solve this problem.”

  BhuloNath asked solemnly, “What problem ?”

  “This one.”

  “Let’s see it.”

  Devdas gave him the slate. Bhulo began to write, “One mound of oil is 14 rupees, 9 annas, 3 gondas, then “

  Bhulo never finshed his sentence because – (now, reader, let me explain that behind Bhulo’s bench stood a large tub of powdered lime. Sometime in the past, Govind Pandit had bought it cheap, planning to whitewash his house. When this would occur, no one could say, least of all Govind Pandit, but he kept it, dreaming of that fortunate day when his house would shine forth, sparkling white. No student was allowed near this precious hoard of snowy powder, and Bhulo’s bench stood like a barrier between it and the children.)

  Bhulo was writing, “If one mound of oil is 14 Rupees, 9 annas, 3 gondas, …”

  Then “ Omigod! Help!” and a great deal of noise.

  Parvati was writhing on the floor, screaming with laughter, clapping her hands. Startled out of his sleep, Govind Pandit looked out the window and saw all the children running in one direction, shouting as they ran. Next he saw Bhulo looking like an ash covered volcano, quivering and wailing.

  Govind Pandit shouted “What ? What ? What ?..”

  Parvati was still on the floor, unable to say a word. Bhulo rose from the tank of whitewash looking like a marble statue.

  “You! What are you doing in there ?” shouted Govind Patel.

  “Waah! Wah! Waah!”.

  “Stop that!”

  “That rascal – pushed – waah! Sum! Waah!”

  “That worm!”

  Govind Patel understood everything in a second.

  “So Dev pushed you in and ran away ?”

  Bhulo “ Yes! Waah! Waah! Waah!”

  Govind Pandit brushed the chalk off Bhulo until he looked less like a volcano and more like a ghost. But Bhulo did not stop crying.

  Govind Pandit said “So! Devdas pushed you over and ran away. We shall see about that.”

  Bhulo said “Waah! Waah!”

  Govind Pandit continued “ Where is that ruffian ?”

  The children came trooping in, panting, and red-faced.

  “Couldn’t catch him, Sir! Wow, does he throw stones!”

  “Hmm.”

  Govind Pandit spent the next five minutes rebuking Parvati, then addressing Bhulo,

  he said, “Come. We are going to pay Mr.Mukherjee a visit. The rest of you, stay here.”

  It was almost three o’clock. Narayan Mukherjee was smoking his after –dinner pipe, when Govind Pandit came unexpectedly into view. Mystified, Narayan Mukherjee rose to greet him, “My dear friend !”

  Govind Pandit lost no time in informing Mr.Mukherjee of his son’s misdeeds.

  “What shall I do now ? Tell me, “ he ended.

  “Where is he now ?” asked Mr. Mukherjee.

  “Who knows ? The children tried to catch him and he chased them away with stones.”

  For a while the two men sat in silence. Then Narayan Mukherjee said, “I’ll deal with it when he comes home.”

  Taking Bhulo by the hand, Govind Pandit returned to the school. Not one of the students dared to say a word when they saw his grim face. He had decided in his own mind never to let Devdas into the school again. He dismissed the students early.

  As they went home, the children had a lot to say to each other.

  One child said, “Ugh! That Dev throws stones really hard!”

  Another said, “ What a trick to play on poor Bhulo!”

  Yet another, “Bhulo will get his own back!”

  “How will he ? – if Dev never comes to school again ?”

  Parvati , walking with this little group, nudged the child nearest her.

  “I say, Monu, is Devdas truly not coming back ?”

  Monu replied confidently, “Never! Can’t see him coming back!”

  Parvati became quiet, she did not like this news.

  Parvati’s father was Nilkontho Chokrovorty, and he was Narayan Mukherjee’s neighbor, sort of. That’s to say, his brick two storey house stood near Narayan Mukherjee’s mansion, and he owned a couple of acres of land. He was comfortably off, and on visiting terns with the Mukherjees.

  As she neared her home, Parvati met Dharmadas , going in the opposite direction, to the school. Dharma had been employed by Narayan Mukherjee when Devdas was a year old. It was Dharma’s job to look after Devdas. Now Devdas was twelve, and Dharma escorted the boy to school and back every day.

  Seeing Parvati, he asked “Hey, Paru, where’s Dev ?”

  “Run away!”

  “Run away?” Dharma was startled.

  Then, recalling Bhulo’s misfortune, Paru began to giggle. “Look, Dharma, - Dev – hee, hee, hee – right into the chalk box – ha ha ha – flat on his back – hee hee hee “

  Dharma could not make head or tail of this, but Paru laughed so happily, that he laughed along with her.

  After her chuckles subsided, he asked again,”Paru, tell me what happened.”

  “Devda pushed Bhulo into the chalk box – hee hee hee.”

  Dharma understood and grew thoughtful.

  He said, “Paru, where is he now?”

  “How would I know?”

  “You do know. Tell me.”

  “Maybe. But I’m not telling.”

  “He must be hungry by now.”

  “If I tell you where he is, he’ll beat me for sure; but I could take him some food.”

  Dharma had to be satisfied with that.

  “Promise me you’ll get him to come home before dark.”

  “OK.”

  Once home, Parvati found her mother and Devdas’s talking together. They had already heard of the day’s happenings. Still, as solemnly as she could, Parvati regaled them with the day’s adventures, then filling her satchel with popcorn , she sallied forth to a garden that lay between her house and Devdas’. This was a large garden with a mango grove, and a thicket of bamboos. It was in this thicket, that Devdas had constructed a tree-house of sorts. This was his hidden palace where he retired to smoke a pipe now and then. He sat there now, smoking as solemnly as an old p
rofessor might.

  When he saw Parvati approaching he was pleased but did his best not to show it. Parvati sat down and proferred her satchel. After eating a few handfuls, Dev asked,

  “What’s new ?”

  “Sir told your dad.”

  “Told him ?”

  “Yes.”

  “and then ?”

  “You’re not going to school again.”

  “I never wanted to go anyway.”

  Devdas finished the popcorn.

  “Pass the sweets,” he said.

  “Didn’t bring any sweets.”

  “Then hand me the water bottle.”

  “Didn’t bring any.”

  Irritated, Devdas exclaimed “You ninny! Why bother coming here then ? Go get some water.”

  Paru did not like his tone of voice,

  “Come with me then”, she said.

  “I can’t go now.”

  “Will you stay here ?”

  “For a while. Then I’ll leave.”

  Tears pricked Parvati’s eyes. “Devda, I’ll go too!”

  “Go where, you ninny ? You can’t.”

  Parvati gave a shake with her head. “Can too!”

  “Never mind that! How about getting some water?”

  “I won’t! You’ll run away!”

  “No, no I won’t.”

  But Parvati didn’t trust Devdas one bit. She sat stolidly and stared at him.

  Dev reiterated “Go, I tell you!”

  “I won’t.”

  Furious, Devdas yanked her hair, hard. “Go, will you!”

  Parvati didn’t move, though it had hurt.

  A fist smacked her sharply on the back, and she cried out, ”Never! I won’t go!”

  Devdas turned and fled. Wailing, in anger and hurt, Parvati started walking towards the garden gate and came face to face with Devdas’ father, Narayan Mukherjee. Narayan Mukherjee was fond of Pavati, and distressed to find her crying.

  “Why, Paru,” he exclaimed. “ What’s the matter, my dear ?”

  “Devdas hit me!”

  “Where is he ?”

  “In the bamboo house, smoking.

  ”As it was, Narayan Mukherjee was displeased with his son, now with this news, he was furious.

  “Smokes, does he ?”

  “Yes, every day ! Hiding in the bamboo house!”

  “Why didn’t you tell me ?”

  “Because he said he’d beat me.”

  This was not strictly true. She had not told, out of loyalty. Now, hurt pride, and anger overcame her scruples. She wanted revenge. After all, she was only eight years old, you understand. An intelligent eight year old, but still – only eight! She went home and cried herself to sleep. So angry was she, that she couldn’t eat a bite before going to bed.

  Chapter 2

  The next day, Devdas got a terrible beating, - and he was kept locked up in his room. Later, after his mother had wept profusely, he was set free. Early the next morning, he was standing below Parvati’s window, calling softly, “Paru! Parooo!” Parvati’s window opened a crack. “Devda!”

  Devdas beckoned impatiently, “Come quick.”

  In a minute, Parvati was standing next to him.

  “Why did you tell Dad I smoked ?”

  “Why did you beat me ?”

  “Why didn’t you fetch the water when I asked you ?”

  Parvati did not answer.

  Devdas eexclaimed, “ You really are a great idiot! Don’t snitch on me again, ok ?”

  Parvati shook her head “No , I never will.”

  “All right, then. Come on. You can help me cut a couple of rods. We’ll catch some fish today.”

  There were young canes growing in the bamboo thicket, and that’s where they went. Devdas pulled one of the bamboos down to the ground. Telling Parvati to hold it down, he climbed on it, and began cutting a young shoot of cane.Parvati hung on to the bamboo with all her strength.

  She asked, “Devda, aren’t you going to school?”

  “No.”

  “Your dad will make you.”

  “My dad is getting me a tutor, to teach me at home.”

  Parvati thought this over. Then she said, We changed to summer hours for school yesterday. That means classes start at seven instead of ten. I have to go soon.”

  Devdas glared at her. “You don’t have to go .” he announced.

  Parvati had been finding it harder and harder to hold the bamboo down. Now it slipped out of her hands, and swung upright, spilling Devdas onto the ground.

  It was not a hard fall, but he was grazed in many places, and his dignity was lost.

  Turning a furious face on Parvati, he lashed at her with the cane he was still clutching.

  The blows fell on her back and her face.

  “Get away from me, you ninny!”

  At first, Parvati was thoroughly ashamed , at having let go the bamboo and causing Devdas to fall.

  Now she felt most unjustly used.

  “I’m going to tell you Dad!”

  “Go on then, do that, you sneak!”

  Parvati ran off. She had not gone far, when Devdas called “Paru! Come back!”

  Parvati did not answer or look back.

  Devdas called again “Paru! Listen! Come back!”

  Parvati pretended not to hear.

  Irritated, Devdas muttered “Go then, I don’t care.”

  He cut the cane into a fishing rod, but he did not want to go fishing anymore. He wished he hadn’t lost his temper with Parvati.

  Still weeping, Parvati returned home. By this time the welts from the cane were raised and red. The first person to see Paru was her grandmother who cried out in horror.

  “Oh my God! Who has done this to you ?”

  Parvati replied “Schoolmaster Sir.”

  Her grandmother pulled her onto her lap. “Come with me ! We’re going to see the Squire! Let him see what kind of man the schoolmaster is! Why, he’s practically beaten you to death!”

  At Narayan Mukherjee’s, Parvati’s grandmother described at length what kind of untalented subhuman the schoolmaster was. She also described his unfortunate and deceased ancestors and their impious desserts in the other world.

  Finally she said “ Do you see how that Govind has got above himself ? Calls himself a Pandit! Why, the upstart! Look how he dared to raise his hand on my little girl!”

  Narayan Mukherjee asked, “Paru, who hit you?”

  Parvati did not answer.

  Her grandmother cried out, “Who else but that wretched so-called schoolteacher!”

  “Who hit you?”

  Still Parvati remained silent.

  Narayan Mukherjee understood that she must have done something to deserve a beating, but the injury was far too much for a punishment, and he said so. Looking at the welts on her cheek and back, Narayan Mukherjee was furious. He decided to summon Govind Pandit and hear what the man had to say for himself. Such a man did not deserve any students. Paru’s grandmother was contented with this verdict; taking Paru’s hand she returned home.

  When they got home, however, Paru’s mother began to quiz her.

  “Why did he hit you ?”

  “For no reason.”

  Paru’s mother knew her daughter well. The girl was definitely lying. Why?

  She boxed Paru’s ears. “No one punishes for no reason!”

  Paru’s grandmother came running back.

  “Daughter-in-law! If you can hit the child for no reason, what ‘s to say that idiot teacher didn’t ?”

  “He wouldn’t have struck without a reason, and she is a quiet child, he wouldn’t have punished her for talking, - she must have done something!”

  Paru’s grandmother was irritated.

  “Whatever! But we’re not sending her back to that school!”

  “Is she to grow up ignorant, then?”

  “What’s the big deal ? She can read and write. What more does she need ? She’s not going to become a judge or a lawyer, is she!”

&nb
sp; Paru’s mother did not argue further.

  Devdas returned home late that day, fearfully. He fully expected to be punished. Surely, by now Parvati would have told everything. Much to his surprise, he was not rebuked in the least. Moreover, his mother informed him that Govind Pandit had beaten Parvati, and Parvati was not going back to school. Devdas ran to Paru’s house as soon as he could.

  “Is true you’re not going back to school ?”

  “It’s true.”

  “How did this happen ?”

  “I told them Sir hit me.”

  Delighted, Devdas laughed uproariously, and expressed his opinion that Parvati was the most knowing and intelligent creature on earth. Then, looking at the marks on her, he sighed, "oh, dear."

  “Oh dear, what ?”

  “Must have hurt terribly, Paru!”

  “It did.”

  “Ah, Paru, if only you wouldn’t be so provking, I get so mad, and then I hit you.”

  Tears crept into Parvati’s eyes. She wanted to ask, “Well then, what should I do ?”, but couldn’t.

  Devdas rested his hand tenderly on her head.

  “Don’t be like that again, ok ?”

  Parvati shook her head, “I won’t be.”

  Devdas said, “Then I never will beat you again.”

  Chapter 3

  The days ran into each other, as Devdas and Paru played and fished and roamed the countryside. Sometimes, when they came home dirty and torn, they were scolded severely, but for the most part they led a life of unfettered freedom. One day they went fishing , and caught fifteen little fish, but Paru was so muddy and wet when she returned that she was sent to her room for the rest of the day. She sulked angrily in a corner of the room, refusing to answer even when Devdas came and called from under her window. But her anger only lasted the day. The next morning she waited eagerly for Devdas, but he did not come. He had gone visiting with his father to a neighboring village. Paru grew bored and restless. All the nearby children were at school. She decided to visit her friend Monoroma whom she had not seen for a while. Monoroma lived further away than most of the children that Paru knew, it took Paru a while to get to her house. Monoroma’s aunt answered the door.