Stories of Bengalee Life/Swift Retribution/Chapter 1
SWIFT RETRIBUTION
I
IT was evening. Sitting inside the Telegraph Office at Sirajpur Railway Station, Dr. Hara Govind Chatterjee, addressing the young operator, said—"You needn't feel anxious. Send somebody with me and I will give him a powder and a mixture for your little boy, to be taken once in two hours. It is nothing serious."
"Thanks very much indeed,"—replied the telegraph-operator—"Your assurance is a great relief to me, Sir. That's our only child you know, and my wife is greatly distressed over it. We really have passed some very anxious hours." Saying this, the telegraphist offered to pay the Doctor a couple of rupees, being the latter's usual fee for a visit and eight annas as his gharry hire.
The Doctor looked up smiling and said—"What's that? Oh no, no,—never mind, never mind. Keep your money, please."
"Thank you for your kindness, sir, all the same.—But—but—it would be extremely unfair to you if I did not pay for your trouble,"—the young man pleaded.
"Unfair to me? Why should it? Just wait,—let me cure your boy completely—and then you may treat me to a dinner on the full-moon day following and I promise to come. There is great merit in feasting a Brahmin on a full-moon' day—there is, indeed,"—and the good Doctor burst into a genial laughter. It was a rule with him never to accept fees from poor people.
As soon as the laugh subsided, a cheer of "Bande Mataram" was heard on the platform outside, joined in by numerous voices. The Doctor looking surprised, said—"What is that?"
"There was a Swadeshi preacher come from Calcutta,"—explained the telegraphist—"and I think, people have come to see him off."
Both walked out into the platform. The preacher was no other than the well-known editor of the Bir Bharata (Heroic India) newspaper,—Srijut Benoy Krishna Sen.
Though a Government servant, the Doctor Babu, in common with other Indian servants of the Government, was a true Swadeshi at heart. It was whispered that under cover of night, he frequently visited the Swadeshi shops of the town and brought home loads of forbidden, that is to say, country-made goods. He could not resist the temptation of going and speaking to Benoy Babu. After a few minutes' conversation, however, the train steamed into the Station.
The Swadeshi preacher, accompanied by Pleaders, Mukhtears, students and others who had come to see him off, hurried towards the train. He held a second class return ticket. Just as he opened the door of a compartment, a European passenger who was inside, shouted out—"Oh you,—this is not for kala admis."
"You don't suppose my rupees were black too, do you? I also happen to hold a second class ticket,"—retorted the Swadeshi preacher and stepped inside.
Now this was too much for the Badshah-ka-dost.[1] He got up in a fury and gave a violent push to the disloyalty incarnate—clad in a dhoti kurta and silk chudder. Although Benoy Babu was the worthy editor of the "Heroic India," he was not much of an athlete. His health and his strength he had sacrificed at the shrine of the Calcutta University and had received a few pieces of paper by way of blessing. He had obtained, besides, a pair of gold-rimmed spectacles elsewhere, for which he had to pay extra. He fell flat on the platform and his glasses went to pieces.
The next moment, a tremendous shout of Bande Mataram rose from the assembly who had come to see Benoy Babu off. Two or three of them unceremoniously dragged the European out into the platform and began to belabour him mercilessly. Hearing the uproar the Eurasian guard was approaching there to see what the matter was. As soon as the real state of affairs became apparent to him, he ran breathlessly back to his brake-van and waved the green light as signal for the engine-driver to start.
The bystanders, with great difficulty, extricated the poor European from the uncomfortable situation he was in. By this time the Doctor Babu too arrived there. Seeing the Sahib's condition—he was bleeding profusely—he offered to take him to the Government Hospital and bandage his wounds. The Sahib readily consented.
In the meanwhile Benoy Babu had got up and quietly seated himself in an Intermediate class compartment. The next day he arrived at Calcutta without further adventure and published a furious article in his paper about the insolence of Europeans in this country.
- ↑ The allusion here is to the military officer who wantonly assaulted a respectable Punjabi Pleader on the Kalka-Simla road some years back and at the same time boasted that he was Badshah-ka-dost (a friend of the Emperor himself).—God save the Emperor from such friends.—Translator.