1. MahamayaReporter:Joy Marie D. BlascoBEED-ENGLISH III

2. A g l i m p s eo f I n d i a 3. s u t t eeThe word suttee, derived from the Sanskrit sati,literally means a true wife, and the term was properly appliedto a woman whose faithful devotion to her husband, during hislifetime, earned for her this well-deserved title of praise; but itcame early to be used as the special designation of the wifewhose love for her lord and master led her to sacrifice herselfin the flames of his funeral pyre.Wives even contend with each other to die in the flameswith their beloved, and feel it a shame not to be permitted todie, while those who are successful, offer their bosoms to thefire and press their burning lips upon those of their lords. 4. Kulin Brahmin is a strata of upper casteKulinSahibBrahmins in Indias caste system.A polite title or form of address for a man. 5. Point of view:Omniscient Point ofViewA variant of the third person point of view,where the author is all-knowing. The principle isselectivity takes the upper hand here as the authorcan peer into the mind and sensations of any onecharacter or he can merely be recording the events.The writer can also maintain an objective distanceor he may directly address the reader. 6. Characters-lover or Mahamaya-works for SahibRajibMahamaya-lover of Rajib-kulins daughter, twenty four years old-inthe full bloom of her youth and beauty.-an orphan.-Sister of Bhavanicharan Chattopadhyay 7. BhavanicharanChattopadhyay-Feared by most, though for unexplainablereason-Taciturn-Brother of Mahamaya 8. SettingP l a c eT ime ruined temple inon the river bankBurning PlaceRajibs HouseRajibs NewHouseMiddayNightNightNight, Tenth dayof the new moon 9. IdiomaticExpressions:Though the god who ties the marriage-knot hadso long been ignoring this young couple, the godwho forms the bond of love had not been idle allthe time.While old Prajapati was dozing, young Kandarpawas very much awake.Prajapati- lord ofcreations 10. They met together in a ruined temple on the river bank:Mahamaya and Rajib. This look of hers thoroughly upset him.He once gave up the conceived plan of making a set ofspeech to her. 11. I say, let us run away from this place and marry.Come, let us go and marryNo, it cant be.I am leaving these parts tomorrow.Why?My Sahib has been transferred from here to the Sonapurfactory, and he is taking me with him.Our lives are moving in two contrary directions. I cannothope to keep a man a prisoner of my eyes forever. 12. Your brother!Rajib, fearing to place Mahamaya in a false position, tried toescape by jumping out of the hole in the temple wall; butMahamaya seized his arm and kept him back by main force.Mahamaya looked at Rajib and said with an unruffled voice,Yes, I will go to your house, Rajib. Do you wait for me? 13. Bhavanicharan gave a crimson silk sari to Mahamaya.Follow me.In a hut for sheltering dying men..A Brahmin priest was present in one corner of theroom.In the dim room, faintly lit up by the glare of the twofuneral pyres hard by, the muttered sacred texts mingled withthe groans of the dying as Mahamayas marriage wascelebrated. 14. The day following hermarriage, she became awidowMahamayawas going toburn herself withher husbandscorpse. 15. Just as Rajib was about to commit suicide, a deluge ofrain came down.A woman entered the room, clad in a wet garment, witha long veil covering her entire face.Mahamaya, have you come away from the funeral pyre?Yes, I have you promised you to come to yourhouse. Here I am, to keep my word. But Rajib, I am notexactly the same person. I am Mahamaya of old in my mindonly. But if you swear never to draw my veil aside, never tolook on my face, then I shall live in your house. 16. Mahamaya had been bound hand and foot and placedon the funeral pyre, to which fire was applied at theappointed time. The flames had shot up from the pile, whena violent storm and rainshower beganTrue, Mahamaya now lived in Rajibs house, but therewas no joy in his life. The veil was eternal like death, butmore agonizing than death itself; because despair in timedeadens the pang of deaths separation, while a living hopewas being daily and hourly crushed by the separation whichthat veil caused. 17. One night, on the tenth day of the new moon, Rajibentered Mahamayas bedroom. He stood by her side andstooped down to gaze at her. The flame of the funeral pyrehad licked away a part of the beauty from the left check ofMahamaya.Mahamaya woke up with a start. She walked out of the roomand never came back. The silent fire of her anger at thatunforgiving eternal parting left all the remaining days ofRajibs life branded with a long scar.