Indian Antiquary Vol 09

Author(s): Jas Burgess
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 8

2
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
happiness. If God wishes to give a man anything, no one can tell in what way he will give it. 2. Adi's Wife.
In a certain country there lived a gentleman's son named Adi; when his father died he left him a large sum of money, but Adi spent the whole of the money and sold his house. He then said to his wife, "There is nothing more left, what are we to do? I have not a single twoanna piece, I must go and take service in some country far away; as it will be mean service my relations will not see me there, and so I shall not be ashamed. I am now going to look for work, but must first tell you how you are to manage matters while I am away. In the first place you will have to buy back all the gardens, houses, and other things which belonged to my father; and in the next place a son must be born to me." With these words Adi departed.
Now Adi's father had borrowed some money from a man for the expenses of his marriage, so the man came to Adi's wife, and said, "Where is Adi? His father, who is dead, borrowed some money of me for his marriage; produce Adi that he may pay me." Adi's wife answered that he had gone to another country, and she knew nothing about the money. Now she was extremely beautiful, and the man thought if he could get her he would want no more money, so he determined to lay a complaint that very day before the Kotwal, saying that Adi's father had borrowed money of him to marry his son, and that Adi had gone away, so there was no one left but his wife, and as Adi's father had spent the money on the marriage of his son, he was entitled to the son's wife. The Kotwal replied, he was entitled to her, and she should be summoned to appear before him, so he sent a pyada with orders to bring Adi's wife. The pyada went to her, and said, "A complaint has been made against you, and the Kotwal has summoned you." So Adi's wife dressed her hair, and put on her clothes, and went in a palki to the Kotwal's Court, but she ordered the palki to be put down at a little distance from it, and sent word to the Kotwal, that she did not appear in public, and could not come into Court, so she would be obliged by his coming to her, and talking over the case. When the Kotwal received her message, he went to the palki and said, "Open the screen of the palki, and tell me
[JANUARY, 1880.
what you have to say." Then she opened the screen, and when the Kotwal saw Adi's wife, he determined he would drive away the man, and keep her as his own wife. So he said to the man: "Go to the person to whom you lent the money, and get it from him; who ever heard of getting a woman instead of money? go, you scoundrel, you will have nothing here."
So he drove the man away, and came and invited Adi's wife to go home with him. She said, "I have no other friend but you; give me 200 rupees, and when I have paid all my debts, I will come to your house. When I send for you, or you receive any letter from me, you must come to my house." She then took the two hundred rupees from the Kotwal, and went home, and gave orders that her father's ruined house should be rebuilt.
In the meantime the man laid another complaint before the Nazir, and the Nazir summoned Adi's wife. She put on finer clothes than before, and went in a palki to the Nazir's Court, and when the Nazir saw her beauty, he was astonished. She said to him, "Sir, I belong to you since my husband has gone away; you are my only friend." When the Nazir heard this, he went and drove away the man, and then invited Adi's wife to come to his house, but she answered, "My husband has incurred some debts, lend me 500 rupees, and when I have paid everything, I will come; but whenever I send you word, you must come to my house." Then she took the money and went home. After this, the man, thinking it was useless trying again in that place, laid a complaint before the Wazir of the country. The Wazir summoned Adi's wife, and the moment he saw her face he became senseless with wonder. Then he determined to make her his wife, so he first drove away the man, and then told her he wished to marry her. She replied, "My husband has gone to another country leaving some debts unpaid; if you will give me 1000 rupees, I will pay them, and then I can come to your house." So she took the money, and as she was going away, she said, "Come to my house whenever I send you word."
The man finding there was no hope of redress from the Wazir, laid a complaint before the King, who also summoned Adi's wife. She put on her very best clothes, and went to the King, and when he saw her astonishing beauty, he