Krishna Kanta's Will

In the village of Haridrâ dwelt a great Zemindâr. His name was Krishna Kanta Râi, and he was a very wealthy man. The profit from his Zemindâri amounted to nearly two lakhs of rupees. This wealth had been accumulated by himself and by his brother, Râm Kânta Râi, working together. The brothers were warmly attached, and at no time had it entered into the mind of either that the other could deceive him. The estates had all been bought in the name of the elder brother, Krishna Kanta Râi. The brothers messed together. Râm Kânta Râi had one son named Gobind Lâl. After the birth of this son it came into Râm Kânta's mind that the brothers' joint possessions stood in one name, and that for the security of his son proper legal documents should be drawn out. For, though he knew Krishna Kanta incapable of deceiving him, or of acting unjustly towards him, yet what certainty had he as to what Krishna Kanta's sons might do after their father's death? Yet he could not bring himself to propose having legal papers made out, so he put it off from day to day. Necessity called him away to the estates, and there, suddenly, he died.

If Krishna Kanta had ever desired to cheat his brother's son, and appropriate the entire property, there was now no obstacle in his way. But he had no such evil intention. He placed Gobind Lâl with his own family, and treated him in all respects like his own sons; he determined to draw up a will bequeathing to Gobind Lâl the half-share justly belonging to Râm Kânta Râi.

Krishna Kanta Râi had two sons and a daughter. The eldest son was named Hara Lâl, the younger Binod Lâl, the daughter Shoilobati. In his will Krishna Kanta bequeathed to Gobind Lâl half the estate, to Hara Lâl and to Binod Lâl, each three-sixteenths, to the widow and to the daughter each one-sixteenth. Hara Lâl was very unruly; disobedient to his father, and evil-tongued. The provisions of a Bengali will seldom remain secret, and Hara Lâl, becoming acquainted with this disposition of the property, said to his father, his eyes inflamed with anger—

"What is this you have done? Half the estate to go to Gobind Lâl, and to me only three-sixteenths?"

"It is quite just," returned Krishna Kanta; "I have given to Gobind Lâl his father's half-share."

"Gobind's father's share! What is that? Who is he to take from us our ancestral property? And the mother and sister, we will look after them. Why give a sixteenth to each of them? Say only that they are to be fed and clothed."

Somewhat angered, Krishna Kanta said, "Hara Lâl, the property is mine not yours, I shall dispose of it as I choose."

"You must have lost your senses! I will not permit you to please yourself in the matter."

Yet more angry, Krishna Kanta returned, "Hara Lâl, if you were a child I should call in the Guruand get him to give you a caning."

"When I was a child I set theGuru'sbeard on fire. Now I will serve that will in the same way."

Krishna Kanta made no further reply; he tore up his will, and had another drawn out, in which he gave half to Gobind Lâl, five-sixteenths to Binod Lâl, one-sixteenth each to the widow, to the daughter, and to Hara Lâl.

Enraged at this, Hara Lâl left home for Calcutta, whence he wrote to his father to this effect—

"The Calcutta Pandits say that widow marriage is allowed by the Shâstras. I have resolved to marry a widow. If you choose to change your will, giving me half the estate, and will have the new will registered at once, I will give up this design. Otherwise I shall marry a widow very soon."

Hara Lâl thought that his father, becoming alarmed, would change the will, and assign him a larger portion, but the answer he received destroyed this expectation. Krishna Kanta wrote—

"I no longer recognise you as my son. You may marry whom you will. I shall leave the property to whomsoever I choose. If you effect this marriage, I shall change my will, certainly, but it will not be to your advantage."

Some time later Hara Lâl sent word that he had married a widow. Again Krishna Kanta destroyed his will, intending to make a fresh one.

In the village lived a good, contented man, named Brahmânanda Ghosh. He addressed Krishna Kanta as Uncle, and was much favoured and supported by him.

Brahmânanda wrote an excellent hand. All these legal documents were written by him. So when Hara Lâl's news came, Krishna Kanta sent for Brahmânanda, and told him to come up to the house after his meal to write a new will. Binod Lâl, who was present at this moment, asked, "Why do you again change your will?"

Krishna Kanta said, "This time nothing will be left to your elder brother."

Binod. "That is not well. Even supposing him to be in fault, still, he has a son. The child is innocent. What will he have to depend on."

Krishna. "I will bequeath him a sixty-fourth share."

Binod. "In the division of the property what will that represent?"

Krishna. "My income is two lakhs of rupees. A sixty-fourth share will come to more than three thousand rupees. With that sum agrihastha can easily get on in the way of food and clothing. I will not give more."

Binod Lâl urged the matter long, but in vain. The Kartâcould not be persuaded to change his purpose.