Sushital is inspecting the work in his area with the labor sardar, Birwa. In Birwa’s ward, there are only female laborers. They are plucking two leaves and a bud from the tea plants at a steady pace and putting them in the baskets on their backs. There is a rhythm to plucking the leaves from the tea plants and putting them in the basket. Sushital’s simple mind does not want to break this strange rhythm. But for the sake of showing off, he sometimes has to break it. If he doesn’t supervise, then what kind of supervision is it! How would it be if the babu just kept watching silently? He has to scold, he has to reprimand. Otherwise, the babu’s babu-ness is lost. The laborers are not afraid and respectful. So, to establish himself as a proper babu, Sushital goes to Rupmatiya once and then to Ruchli. He tries to find fault with their work for no reason. But he can’t.
Now Sushital went and stood near Mungli. Mungli snatched Sushital away from the confines of his duty. Because as soon as he saw Mungli, Sushital forgot that he had come to supervise. He is only thinking about Mungli. Mungli had sung a Tusu song at Birwa’s house that night. The laborers had gathered at Birwa’s house. It is against the dictionary of the garden society for a babu to move around in the laborers’ houses. Sushital sometimes breaks the rules. He had gone to Birwa’s house to listen to the Tusu song. Mungli had sung very well. The sound of Mungli’s Tusu song is now echoing in Sushital’s mind. Sushital can hear -
“Tusu of the yellow forest, why don’t you wear turmeric? It is not proper to wear turmeric in the house of the mother-in-law and sister-in-law.”
That night, after listening to the song and walking to his quarters through the deep darkness, Sushital was thinking - were mothers-in-law and sisters-in-law really so oppressive to the newly married in all societies? Sushital was very amused thinking about this. The saying “a sister-in-law is a black snake” also came to Sushital’s mind and he had a hearty laugh. In the end, Mungli’s singing style and sweet voice had sunk deep into Sushital’s mind. He was only seeing the foolish newly married women of the past being oppressed by the hands of their mothers-in-law and sisters-in-law.
The siren has sounded. The signal for the end of work. The female laborers are all leaving with their baskets hanging on their backs. Mungli is also leaving. Sushital realized that he had come to supervise but had not done it completely. Sushital is leaving, to his own quarters. He walked under the Shirish trees. The Shirish trees are actually the life of the tea garden. They give shade, their leaves rot and provide manure. Sushital is walking and fully appreciating the calm, silent state of the garden. He is walking forward. In the distance, water is trickling down from the hill through a stream. Last winter, near this stream, Mr. Ligun had killed a tiger with one shot. It was here that Rupmatiya was flirting with Kanhaiya. Birwa’s sharp eyes had fallen there. Birwa had immediately gone to whip Kanhaiya. Rupmatiya’s desperate cry was echoing in the distant hills, piercing the silence of the garden. Her cry had made Birwa drop the whip from his hand.
Sushital is walking past the stream, through the Bansathi hill on the left. He has come in front of Manua’s house. Manua’s house is now quiet. Manua’s wife, Sundara, has not been at home for a few days. Guthura has run away with Manua’s wife. Manua has sought justice from the panchayat! The panchayat, Birwa, will judge it. When Manua was a labor sardar, Sundara used to go to his house and sing Tusu songs to him. They used to sit under the Mahua tree, finding leisure in the midst of work. At that time, Manua could not even imagine that one day Sundara would leave him. Sushital is afraid that maybe one day Mungli will also leave Birwa. Birwa will then seek justice from some other labor sardar. Is this the religion of this society? The traditional rule? Yes. This custom has been going on here for ages. Is this society a reflection of all societies? No, no, that is never possible. The laborers are uneducated. The light of education has not touched them. That is why they cannot respect love. Those who have studied in schools and colleges - those who have been imbued with modern education can never disrespect love. Thinking about all this, Sushital is walking forward. He is thinking of going away if he gets a job somewhere in the city. He doesn’t want to stay in this social vortex.
Sushital has come to his quarters. The servant brought him a letter along with his tea. Sushital is reading the letter quickly. But, as he reads, his joy and enthusiasm are gradually turning into sadness. His conscious body is becoming numb and is about to turn into a clay statue. Because Urmila has written that she has married EAC Subhashish Gupta last month. Sushital is standing like a statue. He sees his boat sinking in the flowing river. He is sinking deep into the water. Urmila is mocking him. She is not coming forward to save him. Sushital can see Urmila in the letter. Urmila is saying sarcastically - “Sushital, you should stand as a candidate for the post of secretary of the college students’ union. You will be elected. I will help you. - Your opinion and my opinion are the same. You go ahead. I will support you. Sushital, strengthen the student movement to protest against the price rise. I will be by your side and help you. I will be by your side for the rest of my life. Our love is genuine. Sushital, what does it matter if you don’t get a government job! I will also give you… per month…..”
Sushital feels that he is drowning in the water. He is struggling. He can no longer hear Urmila’s words in the roar of the waves. Sushital is vaguely seeing Urmila in front of his eyes. Urmila has changed. Mungli is changing. All Sundaras. In this helpless state, Sushital is trying to shout, - “Manua, I am yours. Manua…”
Sachitra Bharat, November 1965