Advisory Office: Page 5

The play began after half-an-hour. The disappointed Babu Sahib made his way to the venue and sank into a chair. The curtain came up. Shakuntala and two of her companions with pitchers balanced on their heads were seen watering the plants. The scene pleased the audience, and it was welcomed with applause. The performer, portraying the role of Shakuntala, had brought the character alive - the beloved's candour, the charming staidness, the elegant gait, and the bashful eyes! Akshay Babu recognized her at once; she was Hemvati.

Babu Akshay Kumar's face turned crimson in anger. She had promised not to act in the play; I spent hours explaining to her and she was even ready to write a letter to the organizers about her inability to attend. But here she is. Just to placate others and to cast the spell of her beauty and elegance and to make other women envious of her, she ignored my advice and her promise; she did not even for once think of my displeasure!

Hemvati also threw a glance at him. She was not all surprised to see him so smartly attired. But, at least, she did not smile.

The audience was wholly immersed in the show, but Akshay Babu could not pay attention. He left his seat often to go out and look around. But every time he returned feeling affronted. When it was past midnight, he felt crestfallen and reproached himself: I am a fool to have fallen victim to a frivolous woman's pranks. It must certainly be one of these scoundrels present here who played the prank; how they sniggered at me when I arrived! Oh, I spent hundreds of rupees for nothing and brought this shame upon myself! I dropped a few cases just to be here and, now, have fallen in Hemvati's esteem all because of these people! Who can be a greater fool than me!

Consumed by self-reproach he made his way back to his seat when he suddenly saw the woman in green standing under a tree and beckoning him. He was overcome by a great surge of happiness and felt as if he were in a trance. He was light on his feet and was with the woman in a trice. "Oh, you queen of beauty! I am sincerely grateful to you for this privilege. The eyes of this half-dead admirer of yours had turned stony while craving to see you; if these eyes had been deprived of your sight even a little while longer, you would have had to shed tears over my dead body. I cannot describe in words the agony I have been experiencing since last evening. My dear I did not attend court yesterday and, so, had to forgo a number of cases. But I can lay down even my life for the happiness that I am now experiencing in your presence. The fire of love has burned my patience to ashes; it is not proper on your part to keep yourself veiled from this admirer. Oh, you soul of beauty, your words of love have raised a storm of desires in my heart; now this heart is all yours and I lay it at your feet."

Babu Akshay Kumar followed up the speech by moving closer to the woman with the boldness of a lover and lifted the veil off her face. "You!" the word escaped his lips and he could say no more for a while. Standing before him was Hemvati, and the scales fell from his eyes. "So, this is your doing!" he said.

Hemvati smiled and was about to reply, but Babu Akshay Kumar felt it was not the right moment for questions and answers. "Hemvati, don't speak a word now; you have won and I have lost. I will never forget this defeat ever in my life," he said feeling very ashamed of himself.

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