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the fire and Sagaraka and Sukumarika held each other by the hand as part of the wedding ceremony.
When Sägaraka held the hand of the young bride, he felt as if he was holding the blade of a sword in his hand, even burning coal, nothing could be more disagreeable than the touch of her hand which Sagaraka had to hold for quite a while, even against his desire. When all the guests had left, after their meals etc., and flowers and garments were given to them, the young couple were ushered into their bed-room. When he lay down on the bed with her, he experienced the same unpleasant sensation as he touched her body, probably she was as sharp as a sword all over. He felt quite dismayed but could do nothing. He felt helpless but waited till Sukumārikā fell asleep. He left the bed and came to his own bed. After some time when she woke up and found that her husband was not by her side, she went to his bed and slept by his side there. Sāgaraka experienced the same unpleasant sensation at the touch of her body but he continued to put up with it till his bride fell asleep. He got out of the bed, opened the door of the bed-room and ran away towards his father's house feeling relieved "like a bull freed from a slaughter house". When Sukumarika woke up in the morning, she looked every where for her husband and when she saw the door of the bed-room open, she knew her husband had left. She felt terribly dejected and sat brooding. A little while later, her mother sent the maid servant to the bed-room of the young couple with the washing material, the maid servant was shocked to see the pathetic condition of the young bride and asked her what the matter was and young Sukumarikā told her that her husband had left her and gone to his parents' place. The servant duly reported the matter to the master of the house who in his fury rushed to the house of Jinadatta to demand explanation, from the father about the son's behaviour. He asserted that his daughter was devoted to her husband and no one could possibly detect any fault in her. Jinadatta, who listened to all the scathing and insulting words of Sagardatta asked his son why he had done such a despicable thing and suggested that he should quickly go back to his wife. The son said to the father, "I am even prepared to undertake a fall from a mountain precipice, or from a tree; even I am prepared to accept
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