by Ruth Vanita
Mrs Tandon expressed her helplessness. ‘How can I turn her out? She’ll make life impossible for us. Our fates are in her hand. You’ll witness her skills in a few days’ time. I’m worried about you; I hope you don’t fall into her clutches. Don’t make the mistake of ever speaking to a man in her presence. She has spies all over the place. She finds out secrets from the servants, she gets postmen to show her other people’s letters, she coaxes children into telling her about family matters. The wretch should have been in the secret police! God knows why she came here to harass us.’
Miss Khurshed seemed lost in thought, as if considering how she could solve this problem. After a moment, she said, ‘Fine, I’ll set her right. Wait and see, I’ll get rid of her.’
Mrs Tandon: ‘Just getting rid of her will be no use. Her tongue will keep wagging. In fact, she’ll defame us all even more fearlessly.’
Miss Khurshed said calmly, ‘I’ll shut her up as well, sister! You just wait and see. A worthless woman ruling over everyone! I will not tolerate this.’
After she left, Mrs Tandon called Jugnu and said, ‘Did you see the new Miss Saheb? She is the principal.’
Jugnu said in an envious tone, ‘You see her. I have seen hundreds of such girls. They are utterly shameless.’
Miss Tandon said mildly, ‘She will eat you alive. Watch out for her. She told me she would set you right. I thought I’d better warn you. Be careful what you say in front of her.’
Jugnu said, as if drawing a sword, ‘No need to warn me, you had better warn her. If I don’t stop her coming here, I’m not my father’s daughter. She may have gone round the world, but I have seen the world while sitting at home.’
Mrs Tandon encouraged her. ‘Well, I’ve warned you. Now do as you please.’
Jugnu: ‘You watch, I’ll make her dance to my tune. Why isn’t she married? She must be around thirty?’
Mrs Tandon added fuel to the fire. ‘She says she doesn’t want to get married. Why should she give up her freedom to some man?’
Jugnu pulled a face. ‘No one will have her. I have seen plenty of single women of this type. The cat eats seventy mice, and then goes on pilgrimage.’
Several other ladies came in, and the conversation ended here.
3
The next morning, Jugnu turned up at Miss Khurshed’s bungalow. The cook asked her, ‘Where are you from?’
Jugnu: ‘I live here, Beta. Where has Memsahib come from? You must have been with her a long time.’
Cook: ‘She’s from Nagpur. I’m also from there. I’ve been with her ten years.’
Jugnu: ‘She must be from a rich family. One can tell from her manner.’
Cook: ‘No, the family is not particularly rich. She’s had good luck, though. Her mother works in the mission for thirty rupees. She was a good student, so she got a scholarship and went abroad. That set her up for life. She wants her mother to come and live with her, but the old woman may not agree. Memsahib doesn’t go to church, so the two don’t get along.’
Jugnu: ‘She seems to be hot tempered.’
Cook: ‘No, she’s very nice, but she doesn’t go to church. Are you looking for work? You could work here, perhaps. She is looking for a maid.’
Jugnu: ‘No, Beta, I’m not fit for work now. The memsahib who lived in this bungalow before was very kind to me. So I thought I’d come along and bless the new memsahib.’
Cook: ‘She’s not the kind to accept such blessings. She scolds any beggar who comes here. She says no one has the right to live without working. So it’s best for you to quietly go away.’
Jugnu: ‘So she has no religion, then. Why would she pity the poor?’
Jugnu had obtained sufficient material to start constructing her wall—she’s from a poor family, she doesn’t get on with her mother, she is indifferent to religion. Not bad for a first assault. As she was leaving, she asked the cook, ‘What does her husband do?’
The cook smiled and said, ‘She is not married yet. Where would a husband come from?’
Faking surprise, Jugnu said, ‘Not yet married! In our community, everyone would laugh!’
Cook: ‘Everyone has their own customs. Among them, many women stay unmarried all their lives.’
Jugnu said, in a knowing way, ‘I’ve seen many so-called virgins of this kind. If anyone lived like this in our community, she would be spat upon. Among them, people can do as they like, nobody cares.’
Just then, Miss Khurshed arrived. It was a mild winter. She was wearing an overcoat over her sari. She had an umbrella in one hand and the leash of a puppy in the other. Exercise in the cold morning air had turned her cheeks fresh and rosy. Jugnu bowed low and saluted her, but she barely glanced at her. When she went in, she called the cook and asked, ‘What does this woman want?’
Untying his shoelaces, the cook said, ‘She’s a beggar, Memsahib! But she’s quite clever. When I asked if she wanted to work here, she refused. She asked what your husband does. When I explained, she was very surprised—that’s natural. Among Hindus, babies are married off while they are still at the breast.’
Khurshed enquired further, ‘What else did she say?’
‘Nothing else, Memsahib.’
‘All right, send her to me.’
4
As soon as Jugnu set foot in the room, Miss Khurshed rose from her chair to greet her. ‘Come in, Maji! I had just gone for a walk. Is all well at the Home?’
Standing with her hand on the cushion of a chair, Jugnu said, ‘All’s well, Miss Sahib! I just thought I’d come and give you my blessing. I am at your command. Call me any time you need anything done. You must feel quite lonely, living on your own here.’
Miss: ‘I am very happy with the girls at my school. They all are my own daughters.’
Jugnu shook her head with maternal wisdom and said, ‘That’s all very well, Miss Sahib, but one’s own are one’s own. If others become one’s own, why would anyone care about their own?’
Suddenly, a handsome and elegant youth wearing a silk suit walked in, his shoes announcing his arrival. Miss Khurshed ran and greeted him with great love, as if she could barely contain herself. Jugnu shrank into a corner when she saw him.
Khurshed embraced the youth and cried, ‘Dearest! I’ve been waiting so long for you. (To Jugnu) Maji, you can go now, come some other time. This is my great friend, William King. He and I studied together for many years.’
Jugnu quietly went outside. The cook was standing there. She asked him, ‘Who is this boy?’
The cook shook his head. ‘I’ve never seen him before. Perhaps she is tired of the single life! He’s a stylish fellow.’
Jugnu: ‘The two fell on each other’s necks in front of me, and I didn’t know which way to look! Not even husband and wife kiss in public like that. They were inseparable. The boy was a bit embarrassed when he saw me, but your Miss Sahib seemed to have gone mad.’
The cook said, as if foreseeing unpleasantness, ‘It seems to me something very odd is going on.’
Jugnu went straight to Mrs Tandon’s house. Meanwhile, Miss Khurshed and the young man were talking.
Miss Khurshed burst out laughing and said, ‘You played your part very well, Leela! The old woman was really startled.’
Leela: ‘I was afraid she might catch on.’
Miss Khurshed: ‘I was sure she would come today. From a distance, I saw her in the veranda and informed you. Today, there’ll be great fun at the Home. I wish I could hear the scandal-mongering among the women there! You wait and see, all of them will believe what she says.’
Leela: ‘You are walking into a swamp with open eyes.’
Miss Khurshed: ‘I love acting, sister! It’ll be a big joke. The old woman has oppressed everyone for quite long enough. I want to teach her a lesson. Come tomorrow at the same time, dressed the same way. She’s sure to come tomorrow too. She won’t be able to digest even water until she comes here again! Or wait, let’s do it this way. I’ll inform you as soon as she arrives, and you come ri
ght away, as a fine young fellow!’
5
That day, at the Home, Jugnu had not a moment’s rest. First, she told the entire story to Mrs Tandon. Mrs Tandon rushed to the Home and gave the news to the other women. Jugnu was called to confirm the details. Every lady who came in wanted to hear Jugnu tell the story. The story became more colourful with each telling. By afternoon, the news was reverberating in every corner of civilized society throughout the town.
One lady asked, ‘Who is this young man?’
Mrs Tandon: ‘It’s said that they studied together. They must have had a relationship for a while. That’s what I said—how could she be single at this age? Now the cat’s out of the bag.’
Jugnu: ‘Whatever else he may be, he’s very handsome.’
Mrs Tandon: ‘This is how our educated sisters behave!’
Jugnu: ‘I sensed it as soon as I saw her face. She’s no innocent!’
Tandon: ‘Go again tomorrow.’
Jugnu: ‘Not tomorrow—I’ll go tonight!’
But she needed a pretext to go that night. Mrs Tandon sent for a book for the Home. Jugnu reached Miss Khurshed’s bungalow at nine p.m. Leelavati happened to be there at the time. She said, ‘The old woman won’t leave us alone!’
Miss Khurshed: ‘I told you she wouldn’t be able to digest even water. Go and get dressed. I’ll keep her occupied. Start babbling like a drunk. Say you want to elope with me. Just behave as if you are not in your senses.’
Leela was a doctor in the mission. She had a bungalow close by. When she left, Miss Khurshed called Jugnu in.
Jugnu gave her a note and said, ‘Mrs Tandon has asked for this book. It got late. I wouldn’t have troubled you at this hour, but she’ll ask for it early in the morning. Miss Sahib, she has an income of thousands, but she’s a penny pincher. Beggars are turned away from her door.’
Miss Khurshed looked at the note and said, ‘I can’t get this book out now, come and take it in the morning. But I want to talk to you. Sit down, I’ll be back.’
She went into the next room, drew the curtain, and returned after about fifteen minutes, wearing a beautiful silk sari, perfume, and powder on her face. Jugnu looked at her, wide-eyed. Oh my! Such ornamentation! That young man must be on his way. That’s why she’s making these preparations. Otherwise, why would a single woman need to dress and decorate herself to go to bed? In Jugnu’s view, there was only one reason for women to dress up—to entice a husband. So dressing up was forbidden to all but married women. Khurshed was about to sit down when the squeaking of shoes was heard, and in a moment William King came into the room. His eyes seemed turned back in his head, and his clothes reeked of liquor. He unhesitatingly caught Miss Khurshed to his breast, and showered kisses on her cheeks.
Trying to free herself from his arms, Miss Khurshed said, ‘Go along with you, you are drunk.’
King held her even closer and said, ‘Today I’ll make you drink too, beloved! You will have to drink. Then we both will sleep, wrapped up in each other. Love becomes very lively when you’re drunk—try it and see.’
Miss Khurshed gestured towards Jugnu, to indicate to him that she was there, but he was too drunk to care. He didn’t even look at Jugnu.
Miss Khurshed angrily freed herself, and said, ‘You are not in your senses right now. Why are you so overeager? I am not running away anywhere.’
King: ‘I’ve been coming here secretly, like a thief, all these days; now I’ll come openly.’
Khurshed: ‘You are crazy. Don’t you see who’s sitting in the room?’
King looked perturbed when he saw Jugnu, and said irritably, ‘When did this old woman come? Why did you come, old woman? You daughter of Satan, do you come here to uncover our secrets? You want to defame us? I’ll wring your neck. Wait, where are you going? I won’t let you escape alive.’
Jugnu slipped out of the room, softly as a cat, and ran off as fast as she could. Behind her, the room rocked with laughter.
Jugnu went straight to Mrs Tandon’s house again. She could not contain herself, but Mrs Tandon had gone to sleep. Disappointed, she knocked at several other doors but none of them opened and the unfortunate woman had to spend the night as if in the company of a crying baby. Early in the morning, she rushed to the Home.
In about half an hour, Mrs Tandon too arrived. Jugnu turned away.
Mrs Tandon asked, ‘Did you come to my house last night? The cook just told me.’
Jugnu said coldly, ‘The thirsty go to the well. The well doesn’t go to the thirsty. You pushed me into the fire and stayed at a safe distance. God protected me otherwise I would have died last night.’
Mrs Tandon asked eagerly, ‘What happened? Tell me. Why didn’t you wake me up? You know it’s my habit to go to sleep early.’
‘The cook wouldn’t let me into the house. How could I wake you? You should have realized that I would be on my way. It wouldn’t have mattered if you had gone to bed a little later, would it? But you don’t care about anyone else.’
‘So what happened? Did Miss Khurshed try to beat you up?’
‘Not she but that lover of hers did. His eyes were red and he told me to get out. Before I could leave, he ran at me with his whip. If I hadn’t fled like the wind he would have flayed me alive. And that whore sat there, watching the show. It was a plan the two of them had made. It’s a sin to even look at such fallen women. Even prostitutes are not so shameless.’
In a little while, the other ladies arrived. All of them were very eager to hear the new episode. Jugnu’s tongue moved ceaselessly like a pair of scissors. The ladies thoroughly enjoyed the narrative. They kept asking searching questions about each detail. They forgot about their housework, and even forgot to be hungry or thirsty. They were not satisfied with hearing the story once; they listened to it again and again, with renewed enthusiasm each time.
Finally, Mrs Tandon said, ‘It’s not proper for us to bring such women into the Home. All of you consider this question.’
Mrs Pandya endorsed her opinion. ‘We don’t want the Home to fall from its ideals. I say that such a woman is not fit to be the principal of any institution.’
Mrs Bangda piped up, ‘Jugnubai was right in saying that it is a sin to look at such a woman’s face. We should plainly tell her that she should not trouble herself to come here.’
The pot was just beginning to boil when a car came and stopped in front of the Home. The ladies craned their necks and saw that Miss Khurshed and William King were sitting in the car.
Jugnu indicated with her face and hands that this was the same young man. The whole group of women crowded behind the cane curtain to get a glimpse of him.
Miss Khurshed got out of the car, closed the hood, and came towards the gate of the Home. The ladies all ran back to their seats.
Miss Khurshed came into the room. No one welcomed her. Miss Khurshed gave Jugnu an unabashed look, and said, smiling, ‘Well, Baiji, I hope you didn’t get injured last night?’
Jugnu had seen many insolent women, but even she was surprised by this brazenness. The thief, stolen goods in hand, was challenging the honest person!
Jugnu drew herself up and said, ‘If you’re not satisfied, get me beaten up now. He’s right here, isn’t he?’
Khurshed: ‘He’s come to apologize to you. He was drunk last night.’
Jugnu retorted, one eye on Mrs Tandon, ‘And you were no less drunk.’
Understanding the sarcasm, Khurshed replied, ‘I have never touched liquor in my life. Don’t accuse me falsely.’
Jugnu brought out the big guns. ‘There is something more intoxicating than liquor; perhaps you were affected by that. Why have you kept the gentleman behind the veil? Let these ladies see his face.’
Miss Khurshed said mischievously, ‘His face is one in millions.’
Mrs Tandon said anxiously, ‘No, there’s no need to bring him here. We don’t want to give the Home a bad name.’
Miss Khurshed insisted, ‘He must come before you, to clear up this
matter. Why do you make a one-sided judgement?’
Mrs Tandon said, to deflect her, ‘This is not a lawsuit in court!’
Miss Khurshed: ‘My honour is being stained, and you say it’s not a lawsuit? Mr King will appear, and you will have to listen to his testimony.’
Apart from Mrs Tandon, all the ladies were eager to see King. No one opposed the proposition.
Khurshed went to the door and called out, ‘Come in, please.’
The hood opened, and Leelavati emerged, smiling, clad in a silk sari.
There was a stunned silence. The ladies looked at Leelavati with dismay.
Jugnu said, her eyes sparkling, ‘Where have you concealed him?’
Khurshed: ‘He’s vanished into thin air. Go and look in the car.’
Jugnu leapt forward and went to the car, examined it thoroughly, and returned with a hangdog expression.
Miss Khurshed asked, ‘What happened? Did you find anyone?’
Jugnu: ‘What do I know of these womanly tricks? (Looking closely at Leelavati) You are deceiving us by putting a man in a sari. This is that drunken fellow!’
Khurshed: ‘Are you sure you recognize him?’
Jugnu: ‘Yes, of course. Am I blind?’
Mrs Tandon: ‘What nonsense are you talking, Jugnu. This is Dr Leelavati.’
Jugnu (gesturing with her fingers): ‘Go on with you, saying you are Leelavati. Don’t you feel ashamed to wear a sari and pretend to be a woman? Weren’t you at her house last night?’
Leelavati said, amused, ‘When did I deny it? I am Leelavati now. At night, I become William King. What’s surprising about that?’
Now, the ladies began to see the light. Laughter erupted on all sides. Some clapped their hands, some embraced Dr Leelavati, others clapped Miss Khurshed on the back. Commotion reigned for several minutes. Jugnu’s face fell and she was completely silenced. Never had she been made such a fool of, and so humiliated.
Mrs Mehra reproved her, ‘Well, Dai, aren’t you ashamed of yourself?’
