My Mother — Page 77
Dreams and Portents 77 In 1934 I was appointed to succeed Sir Fazal-i-Husain in the Governor-General’s Executive Council on the expiry of his term in the spring of 1935. My wife getting tired of my frequent absences from home had at one time suggested to Mother that she should advise me to decline invitations to go abroad. Mother turned down her sugges- tion, remarking, ‘He knows best what he should do. I do not wish him to feel that I have any desire to act as a brake on his activities. ’ During these absences of mine she stayed with my wife to keep her company. In 1933, one afternoon when she was in the inner courtyard, happening to raise her eyes towards a neighbouring house which was under construction she noticed that one of the builders was pointing towards the inner courtyard of our house while a labourer stood next to him. She imagined for a moment that possibly the builder was suggesting to the labourer that it would be easy to enter the house at night by scaling the wall of the inner courtyard, and then was remorseful that she had been guilty of thinking ill of two poor honest workers. At once she occupied herself with humble supplications seeking forgiveness for her default. The same night while she was asleep in the verandah opening on the inner courtyard, she felt that someone had sat down gently on the edge of her bed. The side of her mosquito net was raised and a hand began to fumble for one of the heavy gold bangles she was wearing. She sat up and queried, ‘Who are you?’ and called for lights to be switched on. Hearing her call the intruder stood up, and as the lights came on he slipped into the courtyard. She followed him rebuking him severely for his impudence in trespassing into the women’s part of the house. He seemed