Taking the approval of the girl to leave her alone for a while he gazed around for somebody in the vicinity, but there was no sign of life on the glistening waste of sand. He called each of his friends by name, shouting at the top of his voice, but there was no response. They sat together in darkness with Ramesh holding girl's tender little hands chilled by fear and drew her gently towards him. She offered no resistance, fear having deprived her of all instincts except the desire for human companionship. It was no time for bashfulness and she nestled confidently into the embrace of his enfolding arms.Ramesh lay in a deep sleep on the sand, while the young bride lay buried in slumber beside him with her head pillowed on his arm. When the morning sun fell lightly on their eyes both started up out of sleep. For a moment they stared around them in amazement, then suddenly they realised that they were cast-aways and that home was a long way off.
Ramesh found some fishing-boats at a distance in the river and hailed for a crfat. With fishermen's help he engaged a large rowing -boat for the journey home. Before starting he gave the police instructions to search for his luckless companions. By the time they reached his village he learned that the police had recoverd the bodies of his father and mother-in-law and several of his kin; a few of the boatmen might have survived, but every one else had been given up for lost.
Ramesh's old grandmother had been left at home. She greeted the advent of her grandson and his bride with loud lamentation, and there was weeping in all the households which had been represented in the wedding party.
Ramesh decided to leave the place with his wife as soon as the funeral ceremonies were over, after he put his father's affairs in order. The bereaved ladies of his family had besought him to let them go on piligrimage, and for this , too, arrangements had to be made.It took him nearly three months to settle his father's affairs and to make all preparations for the old ladies' piligrimage.The loose knot of affection of the young bride that bound to Ramesh tightened gradually as the days passed.
Ramesh now allowed himself familiarities; he would pounce on the girl from behind, press his hands over her eyes, and draw her head on to his breast: When she fell asleep early in the evening before supper he would startle her into wakefulness and earn himself a scolding
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