Scene 8
(Rohini, Rula and Dayal come to visit the Master and Ratan in prison. Rula runs toward her father, stretching out her little arms to him.)RULA: Father, Father, when will you come back home? Everybody says that you are innocent. Everybody says it is Master who has done wrong and got you into trouble.
RATAN: Hold your tongue, Rula. He is my Master; he is my all. One more word against him and I shall thrash you. I am sure your mother has told you all this nonsense.
ROHINI (bursting into tears): No, no, my Lord, I have not. I told her nothing. She has been hearing about our Master from our neighbours and friends. (Bows to the Master with folded hands and addresses him.) Master, I do not know anything. I am an insignificant human being. I do not know what is best for us. We gave you our total surrender, and this is the result. My husband is here in jail suffering with you, and we are outside suffering for you. But I wish to keep my surrender unwavering. I am sure that what you have done is best for us. If this had not happened, perhaps something else infinitely worse would have happened. So I am grateful to you that only this has happened. But I do not know how to console Dayal, poor boy. He has lost both his parents. His loss is really severe.
DAYAL: No, no, Mother Rohini. Master, last night I had a dream. My parents came to me and told me that you had done the right thing in poisoning them. They said that they were already dead, that their inner beings had already been poisoned by their money. They had thousands of rupees but did not give you anything. Their minds were corrupted; their hearts were corrupted. They loved their money more than they loved you. So, Master, they feel that you saved them from wasting many years in ignorance and bondage. In their next incarnation, they feel that you will give them more spiritual wealth and less physical wealth so that they will be able to dedicate themselves wholeheartedly to the service of God. Master, they feel that you have done the right thing, and for that they are most grateful to you. And I, too, am grateful. My parents say that they are very happy in the other world, and that makes me happy, even though I still miss them. I know that they will come to me from time to time and bless me inwardly. That will be enough. Meanwhile, my aunt Rohini will be my mother now. She is all kindness, all affection, all love. I get everything I need from her. And when my uncle comes back, he will be my father. So I shall still have a father and a mother who are your disciples.
