The Home and the World

Bimala wonders why she suddenly feels so shameless. She begins to overdress with the specific intent of pleasing Sandip. For his part, Sandip praises her appearance in front of others, even Nikhil. Bimala compares herself to a small river whose waters have suddenly burst their shores, turning into a churning sea of waves. Sandip consults her on all small matters regarding what she calls “the Cause.” At first, this shocks her, but he flatters her intelligence, and she begins to look forward to every small conversation. Sandip excludes Nikhil from their talks, and Bimala is sad that her husband allows Sandip to treat him as if he is merely a little brother.

One day, Sandip goes down the hall to visit Bimala, whom he now thinks of as “Bee,” and finds a guard there. The guard, Nanku, says that it is forbidden for him to visit her inappropriately. He has orders. Sandip strikes him. Bimala comes out and tells Nanku to leave. After he goes, Nikhil appears. Bimala tells him that Nanku insulted Sandip. When Nikhil questions Nanku, he says the orders came from Bara Rani, Nikhil’s sister. When Nanku leaves them, Bimala says that he must go, meaning that he must be expelled from the house.

Afterwards, Bimala begins sending for Sandip for private meetings, with no excuses or pretenses about why it is happening. She simply wants to see him. Sandip, having experience, is more aware that she is developing an appetite for him than she is. He does not point this out to her, but allows the situation to develop. He leaves out a book containing several explicit sexual passages. Shortly after, he discovers Bimala reading it.

Chandranath surprises Bimala and Sandip while they talk. Sandip does not like men like Chandranath, who want to turn the whole world into a school. But Bimala encourages him to stay and sit. He begins to talk about Swadeshi. After he leaves, Nikhil enters. Sandip tells him that they have been discussing a book about political ideas, and that he wants to lend it to Bimala. Nikhil encourages it, saying that intellectual ideas matter more than strength. They argue about the semantics of morality and Nikhil leaves. Sandip is confused. He believes Nikhil must understand that his world is unraveling, that his wife is in danger of betraying him, and yet, he does not make Sandip leave. Sandip puts a small portrait of himself in a double frame next to a portrait of Nikhil.