great sin to take it from you", no one knows how much beating she has had to bear at his hands. And yet she has been feeding him and supplying him with money for his ganja by collecting fuel, and making cow-dung cakes and selling them; and still he is never satisfied. I shall not be happy until I make him over to the police. If I don't he will kill her. He might easily commit murder.'
Shahji shivered at these words, raised his face for an instant, and then looked down again. I can still remember the deep shadow of fear that I saw cross his face.
When Didi opened her eyes and sat up, it was about midnight. She took almost an hour to come fully to herself. Then, when I had told her the whole story of the evening, she went up slowly to Shahji, untied his hands, and said, 'Now go; go to bed.'
After he had gone, she called Indra to her and placing his right hand on her head, said, 'Swear, Indra, my brother, by my head, that never again will you set foot in this house. Whatever may happen to us, do not have anything to do with us in future.'
Indra remained speechless with surprise for a few moments. Then he suddenly blazed out indignantly, 'Indeed, and it's nothing to you that he attempted to murder me? You turn sullen and angry because I kept him tied up. That's all the thanks that I get from you! Ungrateful wretches, both of you! Come, Srikanta, we won't stay any more.'
Didi sat silent, without protesting against a single charge of his. Why she did not, I came to understand later, though I could not understand it then. I put down the five rupees near a post, unseen and in silence, and followed
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