While I was struggling to climb up this high wave of intimacy, my
husband came to the rescue, saying: "Why not come back to us
after you have taken your dinner?"
"But you must give your word," said Sandip Babu, "before we let
you off."
"I will come," said I, with a slight smile.
"Let me tell you," continued Sandip Babu, "why I cannot trust
you. Nikhil has been married these nine years, and all this
while you have eluded me. If you do this again for another nine
years, we shall never meet again."
I took up the spirit of his remark as I dropped my voice to
reply: "Why even then should we not meet?"
"My horoscope tells me I am to die early. None of my forefathers
have survived their thirtieth year. I am now twenty-seven."
He knew this would go home. This time there must have been a
shade of concern in my low voice as I said: "The blessings of the
whole country are sure to avert the evil influence of the stars."
"Then the blessings of the country must be voiced by its goddess.
This is the reason for my anxiety that you should return, so that
my talisman may begin to work from today.
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