BENGALI WRITINGS

20Bengali Writingsplaymate, and must not ask for liberation. Are you readyto accept it?” Harimohon replied, “Well, Keshta, you havehypnotised me! I intensely feel like taking you on my lapand caressing you, as if I had no other desire in this life!”The boy laughed and asked, “Did you follow what Isaid, Harimohon?” “Yes, I did,” he replied, then thoughtfor a while and said, “O Keshta, again you are deceivingme. You never gave the reason why you created evil!” Sosaying, he caught hold of the boy's hand. But the boy, settinghimself free, rebuked Harimohon, “Be off! Do you wantto get out of me all my secrets in an hour's time?” Suddenlythe boy blew out the lamp and said with a chuckle, “Well,Harimohon, you have forgotten all about lashing me! Outof that fear I did not even sit on your lap, lest, angry withyour outward miseries, you should teach me a lesson! I donot trust you any more.” Harimohon stretched his armsforward, but the boy moved farther and said, “No Harimohon,I reserve that bliss for your next birth. Good-bye.” Sosaying, the boy disappeared into the dark night. Listeningto the chime of Sri Krishna's musical anklets, Harimohonwoke up gently. Then he began thinking, “What sort of dreamis this! I saw hell, I saw heaven, I called the Divine rudenames, taking him to be a mere stripling, I even scoldedhim. How awful! But now I am feeling very peaceful.” ThenHarimohon began recollecting the charming image of thedusky-complexioned boy, and went on murmuring from timeto time, “How beautiful! How beautiful!”