The morning sun and gentle breeze blessed the midsummer season of Banshigram as the villagers started their mundane life. Soft dew water sparkled on grasses which were getting stamped under the feet of young women who were going in circles to collect water. Indrani too, joined her best friend Sharmila for the water collection purpose. She was hugging a clay pot against her waist and balanced another one perfectly on her head.

"When's your marriage ?" she asked curiously.

"After a week," she replied with a long sigh.

"It's good that you're staying here," Indrani said with a soft smile.

"But you can't expect me to roam in the wilds with you," she chuckled.

"Very funny, I will miss my victim of entertainment too," she said rolling her eyes. "You know I have received the honour to show the revenue collectors our land."

"Oh my! Don't pull any tricks on them for the love of God," she said dipping her vessel in the river to collect water.

I dipped mine and parted ways from her. As I reached my house, I saw a young British officer standing near our stable. 

"Morning babusaheb, are you here to see the land?"

He just nodded in response. He was nearly 6 feet tall, making Indrani look like a baby dear infront of him. He had short, neat black hair, cut to the perfect length around his ears and neck. His face had intense, deep set eyes, with thin, high set arching eyebrows. His sharp jawline and slim nose combined with his clean shaven jaw gave him a distinctly proper and handsome look.

"Mind if you stop staring? Then we shall proceed with the work. I don't have time to let naïve girls like you stare at me," he commented rudely and Indrani quickly ran to the house. After keeping her pots safely in the open kitchen she came back to the stable where he was still standing.

"This way, please," Indrani guided him to their fields.

"This is house no. 17," he mumbled to himself, nothing in his green covered pocket notebook and followed Indrani.

"These two fields aren't owned by us.  They belong to Chakraborty babu. This field where rice grain is still there is ours. The condition of this field isn't very good so it harms our cultivation too. I hope you will keep this thing in mind while collecting the tax," Indrani said.

"You don't have to doubt my taxing skills," he said stepping foot on their fields to carefully examine them.

Suddenly he yelled. "The hell!"

Indrani quickly ran to his rescue. "Are you okay, babusaheb?" She held his hand to make him stand.

"Stupid woman! Did you purposefully put some oily substance on the field?" he hissed.

"Rice paddies are partially flooded with water, so you have to be careful," Indrani explained calmly.

"You dare to lecture an officer," his eyes turned bloodshot, anger mixed in his deep horse voice.

"I apologise," she said but there was no feeling of guilt attached in his voice.

"I hate this," he said with annoyance. "I will try to deliver the bill by tomorrow morning. I will come to collect the payment," he said, dusting the mud from his clothes.

"Did you grow up here?" she asked curiously.

"Why are you so curious?" he rolled his eyes.

"Can't I ask?" Indrani chuckled.

"Listen you blank headed woman, my background, roots, favourites are none of your concerns."

"Can I know your name please?" she requested politely.

"Edward Stewart. Fulfilled your blank mind? I have many houses to visit," he scoffed and walked away towards Sengupta's house.

*******

"Indrani, did any officer come? What did he say about the harvest and land? You didn't try to act smart, did you?" her father, Sekhar Das, a hardworking farmer bombarded her with questions.

"He came and I showed him the fields. He fell in the rice paddy," she laughed.

"You didn't try anything funny, did you?" he asked gulping a handful of rice.

"No, don't worry. I didn't do anything funny. When is maa returning, baba?"

"I don't care when she returns. Now quickly serve me dal," he ordered.

All at once there was a knock at the door. Indrani quickly fixed the pallu of her saree and went to open the door.

"Your bill," Edward handed her a piece of paper. "I know you cannot read," he chuckled.

Indrani rolled her replies. "You are so full of yourself."

"You dare to talk like that to an officer!" Edward snapped back.

"I am sorry for her behaviour, saheb," Indrani's father came, pulling her ear. "Please pardon us. My daughter is silly."

"I do but from next time I won't be tolerating rascals like her," Edward said, fixing his collar.

*******

"I HATE THOSE WHITE PEOPLE!" yelled Indrani sitting near the bank of river Ganga.

"Be thankful that babusaheb was in a good mood today. He could have punished you," Trisha said cleaning her dishes in the water.

"I will not spare him," Indrani said, gritting her teeth.

"What's the new trouble your mind is cooking?" Trisha said and abruptly stood up as she watched her friend hurtled towards the woodland.

Knowing the mischievous personality of Indrani she followed her. She ran around for a while and found her holding a non-venomous snake. It was big enough to scare anyone at the first sight.

"What are you going to do with it? Don't try anything funny please Indrani," Trisha requested but Banshigram's mini tornado ran off and stood near the stream.

Curiosity kills the cat, Trisha followed her and saw Indrani putting the snake a little far from some white horses. Soon some officers of the East India Company came with a dead dear on their backs and rode the horse. 

"AHHH!" yelled Edward as he fell off the horse. The poor animal got frightened by the snake and ran away into the woods. His colleagues, calmed their horses, getting off their backs and helping the young soul to stand up on his foot.

Indrani and Trisha hid behind the bushes. Indrani laughing and Trisha shocked. However, our mini-tornado wasn't aware of the fact that Edward heard her laughter.

The victim went behind the bush and pulled Indrani by her arm. "I knew it," he hissed making the young ladies flinch.

"I beg your forgiveness babusaheb. My friend will regret her prank, I will make sure of that," Trisha quickly bowed to apologize but Edward silenced her.

"Are you regretful?" Edward asked, his grip on Indrani's wrist tightened.

"As if it was my fault," Indrani rolled back her eyes in response.

"It was purposeful. I am not stupid, you blank minded woman!"

Indrani glanced at Trisha. "Leave us alone Trisha and do not inform anyone about this," she said and Trisha left.

"We are not done yet.... what is your name?"

"They call me Indrani Das," she showed him her proud smile.

"There is nothing to be proud off after the stunt you have pulled. Aren't you afraid of me? I can ruin your life and punish your family harshly. I can beat your father mercilessly and make him beg death."

"You will not do something big over so trivial. Plus, what are you going to say to your seniors? That I ruined a poor villager's family just because their daughter had left a snake on my horse's way leading me to fall from it's back?" she smirked.

Edward left out an angry sigh. "Listen Indrani, I am warning you, if you cannot control yourself, severe consequences are on the way," he left her hand and walked away to where his colleagues were standing, collecting water from the stream.

"Idiotic witch," he grumbled, kicking off the dust with his short black boots.