Anandamath

Chapter III

In the newly constructed fort at Padachinha Mohendra, Kalyani, Jivananda, Santi, Nimai, Nimai’s husband and Sukumari all happily met together, Santi had come in the guise of Nabinananda. The night she had brought Kalyani to her cottage, she forbade her to disclose the fact to her husband that Nabinananda was in reality a woman. On a certain day Kalyani sent for her. Nabinananda entered the inner precincts of the house. He did not listen to the dissuasions of the servants.

Santi came to Kalyani and asked, “Why have you called me?”

Kalyani: How long you will remain disguised as a man? I cannot talk with you — we can hardly meet. You must reveal your identity to my husband.

Nabinananda remained buried in deep thought, he did not speak for a long time. He said at last, “Kalyani, there are many difficulties in the way of that.”

Both of them were busy talking about the matter. In the meantime the servants who had failed to dissuade Nabinananda from entering the inner precincts of the house went and reported to Mohendra, that, Nabinananda forced his way to the inner chambers and did not listen to their protests. Mohendra became curious and entered the inner precincts. Going into the bed room of Kalyani he found Nabinananda standing inside, Kalyani was standing near him, touching him and untying the knot of his tiger skin. Mohendra was extremely surprised and very angry indeed.

Seeing him Nabinananda laughed and said. “How is it, Gossain? How can there be so much mistrust between two Santans?”

Mohendra said, “Was Bhavananda Thakur trustworthy?”

Nabinananda rolled his eyes and said, “Did Kalyani ever touch Bhavananda and untie his tiger-skin?” Saying this Santi held back Kalyani’s hands, she did not let her untie the tiger-skin.

Mohendra: What then?

Nabinananda: You may mistrust me, how can you lose faith in Kalyani?

Mohendra now felt nonplussed. He asked, “Why? How did I mistrust her?”

Nabinananda: Why did you then follow me like this into the inner precincts of the house?

Mohendra: I had something to say to Kalyani, so I came.

Nabinananda: Then please go now. I also have got something to say to Kalyani. You go out now, let me talk first. It is your own house, you are free to come whenever you like, I have come once with great difficulty.

Mohendra stood there quite at his wits end. He could non understand anything. They did not at all talk or look like culprits. Kalyani’s behaviour was also strange. She too did not run away like a faithless woman, nor did she seem to be afraid or ashamed, she rather stood there smiling. Besides the same Kalyani who so easily could swallow poison under that tree, could she be faithless? Mohendra was thinking in this strain when unfortunately Santi, seeing Mohendra’s plight smiled and darted at Kalyani a glamourous glance. Suddenly the darkness lifted. Mohendra could clearly recognise the glance to be that of a woman. Taking up courage he pulled at Nabinananda’s beard with both his hands. The false-beard came off. Taking that opportunity Kalyani untied the knot of the tiger-skin, that too came off and fell down. Caught like this Santi hung her head down.

Mohendra then asked her. “Who are you?”

Santi: Sreeman Nabinananda Goswami.

Mohendra: That is all false play. You are a woman.

Santi: Now necessarily so.

Mohendra: Then let me ask you one question, being a woman why do you live with Jivananda Thakur?

Santi: I need not explain that to you.

Mohendra: Does Jivananda Thakur know that you are a woman?

Santi: Yes, he knows it quite well.

Hearing this pure-hearted Mohendra became sad and depressed.

Seeing this Kalyani could not help saying, “She is Santi Devi, the wedded wife of Jivananda Goswami.”

Just for a moment Mohendra’s face cleared. Again it became clouded. Kalyani understood everything and added, “She is a Brahmacharini.”