A month passed. At first, Gopinath spent several days sightseeing around Calcutta, but within four or five days he became so tired of the place that he began longing to go home. In the end, Jalpa thought it best to send him back. Here, he would secretly weep from time to time.
Jalpa went to Ramanath's bungalow several times. She knew that Rama had not yet returned. Even so, she felt a strange satisfaction simply from making a round of the place. Whenever Jalpa grew tired from reading or lying down, she would stand for a moment before the window. One evening, when she came to the window, she saw a line of motorcars on the road. She became curious: where were so many motorcars going? She looked carefully. There were six motorcars. Police officers were sitting in them. One of them was filled with constables. When her eyes fell upon the last motorcar, it was as though a wave of electricity passed through her entire body. She became so absorbed that she ran from the window toward the stairs, as though she wanted to stop the motorcar, but in that very moment she realized that by the time she reached the bottom, the motorcars would have passed. She came back to the window, and Rama was now directly in front of her. His eyes were fixed upon the window. Jalpa wanted to say something through a gesture, but shyness stopped her. It seemed that Rama's motorcar had slowed down a little. Devidin's voice could also be heard, but the motorcar did not stop. In a single moment it moved ahead, yet Rama continued to glance toward the window again and again.
Jalpa came to the stairs and called, "Dada!"
Devidin came forward and said, "Bhaiya has arrived! There—did you see that motorcar going by?"
Saying this, he came upstairs. Suppressing her eagerness with shyness, Jalpa asked, "Did he say anything to you?"
Devidin—"What else could he say? He merely said 'Ram-Ram.' I asked how he was. He went on giving me reassurance with a gesture of his hand. Did you see him or not?"
Jalpa lowered her head and said, "Why wouldn't I have seen him? I was standing at the window."
"He must have seen you too?"
"He was looking toward the window."
"He must have been quite puzzled about who you were!"
"Did you find out when the case will be presented?"
"Tomorrow."
"Tomorrow! So soon? Then whatever has to be done must be done today. If somehow my letter could reach him, the matter would be settled."
Devidin looked at her in a way that seemed to say that the matter was not as easy as she imagined.
Reading his thoughts, Jalpa said, "Do you doubt that he will agree to change his testimony?"
Devidin now saw no other way but to admit it. He said, "Yes, Bahuji, I have a strong fear of that. And, to tell you the truth, it is risky. Even if he changes his testimony, he cannot escape from the police's clutches. They will arrest him on some other charge and bring a new case against him."
Jalpa looked at him as though she was not at all frightened by this. Then she said, "Dada, I am not taking responsibility for saving him from the police's clutches. I only want, if possible, to save him from disgrace. I cannot bear to see so many households ruined through his hands. Even if he had really taken part in the dacoities, I would still want him to remain with his companions to the end and willingly endure whatever came upon him. I would never have approved of his betraying others and becoming an informer, but this case is entirely false. I cannot tolerate his giving false testimony for his own selfish interests. If he does not change his testimony himself, I will go to the court and reveal the whole truth, whatever the consequence may be. Even if he were to abandon me forever and never look at my face again, I would accept that; but I cannot allow him to carry such a great stain upon his forehead. I have written everything in my letter."
Devidin looked at her with respect and said, "You will do everything, Bahu. Now I believe it. When you have made your heart this strong, you can do anything."
"Then shall we leave here at nine?"
"Yes, I am ready."