The Home and the World

Bimala’s Story. VI. Time passes in a blur for Bimala. She loses the sense of shame about herself that she used to have. She feels a pulsing in her blood, especially whenever Sandip looks at her. She sees him not just as a man but as an embodiment of all the minds of a country, and she likes how Sandip consults  her on matters related to the Cause, including with how to reply to letters that come to him from around the country. Nikhil, meanwhile, is excluded, treated like Sandip’s younger brother.

Sandip’s Story. II. Sandip, now narrating, notices how the boundaries between the male and female parts of the house have begun to dissolve and now Bimala, whom Sandip calls Queen Bee or just Bee, comes over from the zenana all the time.

One day, while Sandip is going to see Bimala in the zenana, a man named Nanku who is guarding Bimala’s room tries to stop Sandip. Sandip is offended, particularly after the low-ranking Nanku touches him, and he hits him in return. Bimala comes out and immediately scolds Nanku, inviting Sandip to come in.

Sandip tries to explain to Bimala that Nanku was just following orders and that Sandip lost his temper. But Bimala won’t stand to have anyone insult Sandip and tells Nikhil what Nanku did. Nikhil didn’t order Nanku to watch the door, and eventually they find out from Nanku himself that the orders came from the Bara Rani. Bimala wants to dismiss Nanku, but Sandip senses that Nikhil feels this would be unjust. The next day, Sandip learns that Nanku is still being paid but has been quietly transferred to another part of the house.

Sandip begins to see Bimala more openly, even though this could seem scandalous. He never likes hiding the truth and believes he should have no reason to hide his attraction to Bimala. Still, he feels that Bimala herself is like she’s in a dream, and it wouldn’t be good to awaken her too soon.

One day, Sandip leaves an English book that deals frankly with sex where he knows Bimala will find it. He later catches her looking at it, although when he enters, she hides it by putting a volume of poetry over it. Sandip says he’s glad Bimala didn’t read that book because she might think poorly of him if she had. Sandip wishes Nikhil would read the sex book—he thinks Nikhil doesn’t understand basic parts of human nature. For example, Sandip tells Bimala, he believes that in spite of the belief that women are weak, in fact they are strong and simply smart enough to allow men the illusion of being strong.

III. Sandip fears maybe he was too bold with Bimala and the book. Just then, Chandranath Babu comes into the room and interrupts their conversation. He looks confused, like he can’t remember why he entered the room, but Bimala tries to make him comfortable. Chandranath sits, then goes on a long speech about Swadeshi. Sandip disagrees with it but feels it’s best to just let Chandranath talk himself out.

Eventually Sandip, who is not a patient person, can’t help interrupting the long-winded Chandranath, disagreeing with his ideas about the value of work. After Chandranath leaves, Sandip tells Nikhil that he was talking with Bimala about the English sex book. Nikhil isn’t scandalized and says that such a book is fine for people who think but “poison” to those who don’t and who are too overcome by passion to be rational. Nikhil says he sees no harm in Bimala reading it. Bimala herself stays quiet during the discussion. Nikhil accuses Sandip of trying to provoke him and leaves. Sandip hopes this confrontation hasn’t scared off Bimala from him.