Morning. Rajeshwari is leading her cow toward the pasture along a quiet dirt trail surrounded by tall pulse and sugarcane fields. Sabal Singh steps out from the field and confronts her.
Sabal: For the past three days, my stars have been exceptionally bright! Every day I get a glimpse of you. But today I will not be satisfied with merely gazing upon my deity—I must ask for a boon!
(Rajeshwari stands confused, looking around anxiously, then bows her head silently.)
Sabal: Goddess, do not turn away from your worshiper in shyness! A deity comforts her devotees, hears their sorrows, and casts a merciful glance upon them. Rajeshwari, taking God as my witness, I swear that no devotee ever revered their deity with as much love and devotion as I feel for you! From the very day I first saw you, I installed your image in the temple of my heart and began worshiping you. Will you not show me a single drop of mercy?
Rajeshwari: Mercy is for you to bestow, Thakur Sahib; you are our master, and I am merely your humble tenant worker. Now please let me go—my cow will wander into someone's crop field. If anyone sees us together, what will they think?
Sabal: There are dense pulse and sugarcane crops on three sides; no one can see us! I won't let you go so quickly. After months I have found this opportunity, and I won't leave without my boon! Tell me first: how did a swan like you come to land among this flock of crows? What do your parents do?
Rajeshwari: If I start telling that story, it will take too long. If anyone catches me here with you, it will cause immense ruin.
Sabal: Does your father farm as well?
Rajeshwari: He lived on an island for many years, where I was born. When the government seized his land there, he returned here to farm. My mother passed away long ago—I remember her golden complexion and radiant beauty.
Sabal: I understand... (Gazing at her with intense longing) Living among these unrefined peasants must suffocate you! The grueling labor of farm work must be terribly painful for a delicate, beautiful woman like you.
Rajeshwari: (To herself) He seems like a kind, generous man, but his gaze is impure! I must deal with him cleverly. Let me see what his true intentions are. (Aloud) What can I do, Thakur Sahib? One must endure whatever is written in one's destiny.
Sabal: Destiny is a game in our own hands! We can shape it as we wish. Since I am your devoted admirer, you need not worry about anything. If you wish, hire a servant for your household; I will pay his wages! If you don't want to live in the village, come to the city—I will employ Haldhar in my estate, and you can live in comfort. I am prepared to do everything for you; I only ask for your favor and affection. Rajeshwari, I have lived so many years, but God knows I never understood what love was until I saw you! My mind cannot forget your face even for a second. When I walk in the garden, the flowers seem to carry your fragrance; when I hear the songbird, it sounds like your voice; when I look at the moon, it appears as your image! An intense urge overwhelms me to bow my head at your feet. For God's sake, do not think I want to bring dishonor upon you—never! The day such a foul thought enters my mind, I will tear my heart out. I only wish to gaze upon your beauty, to listen to your sweet voice, to be near you as your lover and devotee without any curtain or hesitation between us!
(A wandering mendicant, Chetan Das, passes by singing a hymn, watching the two of them attentively before moving on.)
Rajeshwari: (To herself) I wanted to handle him cleverly, but listening to his passionate words makes my heart quiver! Every word pierces deep into my soul... (Aloud) Thakur Sahib, do not raise the head of a poor working woman to the sky with such words! My life will be destroyed. You are a righteous, noble, and generous landlord—every home in this village sings your praises for abolishing forced labor. But if a single whisper of these words reaches anyone's ears, this very peasantry that longs to touch the dust of your feet will become your bitter enemy! Nothing is ruined yet. Forget me! There are countless beautiful, refined women in the world. I am a simple peasant woman whose lot is hard labor. If I listen to these romantic words, my mind will lose its anchor and get swept away like a raging river! So I beg of you with folded hands: stop right here! I am content in my humble state; let me remain as I am. It is getting late now—please let me pass.
Sabal: Rajeshwari, a man intoxicated by love does not listen to sermons! Do you think I embarked on this path without reflection? For two months I wrestled with conscience, morality, religion, and fear of public disgrace. Finding no peace anywhere, I chose this path. My life's salvation or destruction now rests entirely in your hands! If you show no pity, the end will be that I commit the terrible sin of suicide, because my agony has become unbearable. I will build a house right here in this village, stay near you, and provide wealth, land, and comfort... I only ask for your affection!
Rajeshwari: (To herself) His words make my heart waiver... Yet this is the path to total destruction! I must stop him right now with harsh truth. (Aloud) You are a scholar, a gentleman, and a benefactor, Thakur Sahib! I respected you as a deity until a moment ago. But hearing such proposals from your mouth fills me with deep sorrow! Do you think that because I belong to a humble farming caste, I have no regard for my virtue and virtue can be bought with money? That is your delusion! Had I not held you in such high esteem, I would have raised a single shout and the entire village would have assembled here to show you how village peasants protect the honor of their women! I am content in my poverty and crave no riches. Keep your wealth to yourself! Your safety lies in leaving this place immediately. If a rumor of this reaches the villagers, they may kill me, but they will not spare your life either—all your past charity and kindness will not save you from their fury!
(Rajeshwari walks away resolutely.)
Sabal: (To himself) Her stern rejection pulls my heart toward her with even greater force! I never knew village women possessed such fierce pride and unshakeable virtue... But my mind has become like an obstinate child that insists on doing precisely what it is forbidden to do!
(He departs in frustration.)
Significance & Themes
- The Peasant Woman's Moral Triumph: Rajeshwari's fearless rejection of Sabal Singh's wealthy advances highlights Premchand's core belief that true moral nobility resides among the working peasantry, not the landed aristocracy.
- The Delusion of Feudal Entitlement: Sabal Singh tries to romanticize his lust as "pure spiritual worship," but Rajeshwari exposes it as a predatory assault on her honor and marriage.