The Spoilt Child/Chapter 19
CHAPTER XIX.
DEATH OF BABURAM BABU.
Having just come in from his morning walk, Beni Babu was sitting in his garden-house. He was gazing about him, and had just caught up a refrain of Ram Prasad's
"Swift to its goal life ebbs away."
--when suddenly from a bower of creepers to the west of him, he heard a voice: "Ha! friend Beni! True indeed it is that 'swift to its goal life ebbs away.'" Starting up from his seat, Beni Babu saw Becharam Babu of Bow Bazar hurrying towards him, and going to meet him, said: "Becharam, my dear friend, what has happened?" Becharam Babu replied: "Throw your shawl over your shoulders and come with me at once: Baburam Babu is very ill: you must see him just once."
The two friends soon reached Vaidyabati, and saw that Baburam Babu had a very severe attack of fever: his temperature was very high, and he was suffering from intense thirst, tossing restlessly about on his bed. Some slices of cucumber and a cloth steeped in rose-water lay beside him, but he could retain no nourishment. The villagers all thronged around, loudly discussing the nature of his illness: one of them was saying: "Our pulse is the pulse of vegetarians and fish-eaters: nothing but harm can arise from the use of leeches, purgatives, and blisters. The best kind of treatment for us is that of the old village doctor; and then, if no relief is obtained, and grave symptoms occur, a doctor using the English methods might be called in." Another remarked: "It would be a good thing to have the opinion of a Mahomedan hakim: they often effect wonderful cures, and their drugs are all as pleasant to take as that delicious sweetmeat the mohanbhog." Another said: "You may say what you will, but doctors who treat on English methods give instantaneous relief in all such cases of sickness, as if by the repetition of a mantra: a cure will be very difficult without proper medical treatment." The sick man kept repeatedly asking for water. Brojonath Raya, the old kabiraj, who was sitting by him at the time, said: "The case is a very serious one: it is not a good thing to be constantly giving him water: we must give him a little of the juice of the bael. We are none of us his enemies, I should imagine, that we should be giving him just now as much water as he wants." All this wrangling was going on by Baburam Babu's bedside. The next room was filled with a number of pandits, who, of course, regarded as of chief importance the performance of sacrifices to Shiva, the worship of the sun, the offering of a million of hibiscus flowers at Kali's shrine at Kalighat, and all such religious ceremonials. Beni Babu had been standing listening to the discussion going on round Baburam Babu, but everybody was talking at once and nobody listening to anybody else. "Many sages many opinions" says the old proverb, and each man thought his words as infallible as the mystic mantra possessed by Druva. Though Beni Babu attempted once or twice to express his own opinion, his words were lost almost before he had opened his lips[36], and being unable to get a word in edgewise, he took Becharam Babu outside with him.
Just then Thakchacha approached them, limping painfully along: he was exceedingly anxious on account of Baburam Babu's illness, reflecting that all his chances of gain had slipped away. Beni Babu, seeing him, said: "Thakchacha, what is the matter with your leg?" Becharam burst in with the remark: "What, my friend, have you never heard of the affair of Barnagore? The pain he is suffering is only the punishment for his evil advice: have you forgotten what I said in the boat?" Thakchacha tried to slip away when he heard this, but Beni Babu caught him by the arm and said: "Never mind that now! is anything being devised for the recovery of the master? There is great confusion in the house." Thakchacha replied: "When the fever commenced, I took Ekramaddi the hakim with me: by the administration of purgatives and other drugs he reduced the fever, and allowed his patient to eat spiced rice; but the fever returned again the other day, and since then Brojonath the kabiraj has been looking after the case. The fever seems to me to be steadily increasing: I cannot imagine what to do." Beni Babu said: "Thakchacha, do not be angry at what I am going to say: you should have sent us news of this before. However, that cannot be helped now: we must call in a skilled English doctor at once."
At this moment, Ramlall and Barada Prasad Babu approached. Ramlall's face was quite worn from night-watching, from the labour and toil of nursing, and from anxiety of mind; his daily anxiety was to devise means for restoring his father to convalescence and health. Seeing Beni Babu he said to him: "Sir, I am in grievous trouble: with all this confusion in the house no good advice is to be had from any one. Barada Babu comes every morning and evening to look after my father, but none of the people here will allow me to carry out his instructions. Your arrival is most opportune: please adopt any steps you think necessary."
Becharam Babu gazed steadily at Barada Babu for some time, and then with tears in his eyes caught hold of his hand and cried: "Ah, Barada Babu, why is it that everybody does you reverence, except on account of the many good qualities you possess? Why, it was Thakchacha here who advised Baburam Babu to have that charge of illegal confinement and assault brought against you, and all kinds of violence and knavery have been practised on you without rhyme or reason, at their instigation; and yet, when Thakchacha fell sick, you cured him, treating him and even nursing him yourself, and now too, when Baburam is ill, you spare no effort to give good advice, and to look after his welfare. Now generally speaking, if one man but speaks harshly against another, enmity at once springs up between them, and though a thousand apologies may be made, the feeling does not pass away; but though you have been grievously insulted and injured, you have no difficulty in forgetting the insult and injuries you have suffered. No feeling towards another but brotherly kindness arises in your mind. Ah, Barada Babu, many may talk of virtue, but never have I found any possessing such as you possess. Men are naturally base and corrupt; how then can they judge of your qualities? But as day and night are true, your qualities will be judged above."
Somewhat vexed by these remarks of Becharam Babu, Barada Babu bowed his head and said humbly: "Sir, pray do not address me like this. I am but a very insignificant person: what is my knowledge or what my virtue after all?"
"We had better postpone this conversation" Beni Babu said, "tell me now what to devise for the master's illness."
Barada Babu replied: "If you gentlemen think the idea a good one, I can go to Calcutta and bring a doctor back with me by the evening: no further confidence, I think, should be placed in Brojonath Raya."
Premnarayan Mozoomdar, who was standing near, remarked: "Doctors do not properly understand the pulse, and they let their patients die in their houses. We ought not to dismiss the kabiraj altogether: on the contrary, let the kabiraj and the doctor each take up a special feature of the case."
"We can take that matter into consideration afterwards" Beni Babu said, "go now, Barada Babu, and fetch a doctor."
Barada Babu started off for Calcutta at once, without taking either his bath or his food, though they all remonstrated: "Sir, you have the whole day before you, take a mouthful of food before you start." He only replied: "If I stop to do that there will be delay, and all my trouble may go for nought."
Baburam Babu, as he lay on his bed, kept asking where Matilall was, but it was hard to get a glimpse of even the top tuft of his hair: he was always out on picnics with his boon companions, and paid no heed to his father's illness. Beni Babu observing this conduct sent a servant out to Matilall in the garden, but he only sent back some feigned excuse; he had a very bad headache, and would come home later on. As the fever left Baburam Babu about two o'clock in the afternoon, his pulse became exceedingly weak: the kabiraj examining it, said: "The master must be removed from the house at once. He is a man of long experience, an old man, and a man highly respected; and we ought certainly to ensure that his end be a happy one." On hearing this the whole household broke out into loud lamentations, and all his kinsmen and neighbours assisted in carrying him into the great hall of the house. Just then Barada Babu arrived with the English doctor. The latter, observing the state of his pulse, remarked. "You have called me in at the last moment: how can a doctor possibly be of any use if you only summon him just before taking a patient to the Ganges[30]?" With these words he departed.
All the inhabitants of Vaidyabati stood round Baburam Babu, each asking some question or other, such as: "Honoured sir, can you recognise me?" "Come, sir, say who I am?" Beni Babu remonstrated: "Please do not vex the sick man in this way? What is the good of all this questioning[37]?" The officiating priests had now completed their sacrifices, and approached with the sacred flowers of blessing; but they saw at once that their ceremonial had all been in vain. Seeing that Baburam Babu's breathing was becoming heavier, they all took him to the Vaidyabati Ghât. After tasting of the Ganges water and breathing the fresher air, he revived a little: the crowd too had diminished in numbers. Ramlall sat beside his father while Barada Prasad Babu came and stood in front of him. After a short pause, the latter said very quietly: "Pray meditate for this once with all your mind upon the Supreme God: without His favour we are utterly helpless." Baburam Babu hearing these words, gazed intently for a few seconds at Barada Prasad Babu, and began to shed tears. Ramlall wiped away his tears and gave him a few drops of milk to drink. Baburam Babu then grew more composed and said in a low tone: "Ah, my friend Barada Babu, I now know that I have no other friend in the world but you! Through the evil counsel of a certain individual, I have committed many and grievous crimes: these are continually recurring to my memory, and my soul seems to be on fire. I am a grievous sinner: how shall I make answer for it? Can you possibly forgive me?" As he uttered these words Baburam Babu took hold of the hand of Barada Babu, and closed his eyes. His friends and neighbours who were near began repeating the name of God. Thus, in full possession of his faculties[38] Baburam Babu passed away.