The Tragedy of Unspoken Love

t with a slate in hand and a bored expression written all across his face. He closed his eyes, opened them again, stretched his legs, yawned and pondered over the available options. In a minute

up, slate

nce. He wasn't allowed to go out for lunch because Govinda Master, the teacher, had noticed that Devdas wasn't inclined to come back into the schoolroom if he ever l

were the teacher (who lay with his eyes cl

es at Devdas and Parvati. Parvati had been in the school for a month or so. Perhaps she had grown really attached to the teacher and so she sat there, intently sketching his sleeping figure on

derive great sat

and, and addressed Bhulo. '

e, Bhulo asked ca

hmet

hands on the slate in order to sort the problem out. Devdas handed him the slate and stood close

ovinda Master had procured it for a song at some point in the past with the intention of using it to plaster the walls. When the time would present itself was still unknown. But he took great care of this st

ulo had taken up his se

nd, giggling. Govinda Master, who had just drifted into a sound sleep, roused himself, rubbing his bloodshot eyes. He saw that the boys who had been playing under the tree were now shouting and screaming a

as in no condition to do so, since she was rolling on the ground,

ut of the lime and stood up. The teacher shouted o

h-ah

p th

at bastard-he pu

rt again,

tale. He sat down and spoke in a solemn tone, 'So

mpered an

the white on his dark skin did make the class monitor lo

er said agai

tale. He sat down and spoke in a solemn tone, 'So

mpered an

the white on his dark skin did make the class monitor lo

ain, 'So Devdas pushed

Govinda Master said, 'I won't let him get away with

asked, "Where h

nd red-faced. 'We couldn't catch him.

't catc

epeated, 'Ooh

ut

y, yelled a bit at Parvati to start with; then he took Bholanath

dge a complaint to Narayan Mukherjee,

g on his hubble-bubble, and a servant was fanning him gently. He was taken aback b

his respects. Then he pointed to Bhulo and narrated everything in great detail. Muk

l me what I

n the pipe and asked,

led stones at the.boys

e silent. Finally Mu

edful once he

ressions. He vowed that he wouldn't let Devdas into the schoolroom again, although he was the zamind

did you see wh

, 'It serves

he hurls th

side, 'He will take reven

me to school again. So how w

ay home. She caught hold of one of the boys nearest to her and asked,

id, 'No

away. She hadn

house stood next to the zamindar's huge, palatial mansion. He owned some land, had a few clients in whose homes he di

s, ever since his infancy, Devdas had been looked after by Dharmadas. He was a servant in Devdas's house.

of the day. This was his daily routine; he was on his way to the school

an aw

harmadas said, 'What d

rst into giggles, 'Dhamma, you know, Dev-da-hee hee hee-in

ing. But he shared in her laughter. Then he sobered

to the stack of lime and

and grew really worried. He said,

hould

tell me. Poor thing, he

... but I wo

y n

up. I can go and

ine, you do that then. And mind you

il

her mother and Devdas's mother had bot

eat as much of the stor

d by the zamindar. This one was close to her house; at one end of it lay a bamboo clump. She knew that Devdas had cleared up a space

and smoking like a wise old man. His face looked sombre and bore the traces of much concern. He was deligh

he had bundled up in her anchal. Without saying another word, he untie

plained to

s eyes wide with surprise, and

es

nd

ou go into the sc

want to go

was almost at an end. He looked at Pa

't broug

ve me so

said, 'If you don't have anything, then wh

said, 'I can't go again. Why don

I go th

ning to stay

now. Later, I'

g at this show of apparent disinterest from

th me? Are

er head and sai

and get me

will ru

on'

she continued to sit there. Devdas ord

nnot

bbed her hair and

a hard fist landed on h

into tears, 'I

and walked, till she found herself right in front of Devdas's father. Mukher

has be

re i

s hookah, sitting

dged by the teacher and this fresh piece of news mad

day. He hides his hoo

you neve

he will

ed. If she had spilled the beans today it was only because she was so mad at him. She was

long time before finally drifting off