Act VI, Scene 9
(Dighiriya Hill, Jesidih. Five crack revolutionaries: Barindra Kumar Ghosh, Ullaskar Dutt, Nolini Kanta Gupta, Prafulla Kumar Chakravarti and Bibhuti Bhusan Sarkar. Nolini Kanta, who has carried a live bomb all the way in a handkerchief, passes it to Prafulla. The latter takes his position behind a steep rock facing a slope. Ullaskar stands at his side. Barin and Bibhuti take their positions on two sides. Nolini is some way afar on a tree to command a full view. From Prafulla’s hands the missile flies towards the slope. It was expected to explode after touching the ground. But its passage through the air causes a deafening explosion scattering splinters. A cheerful voice comes from the tree: “Successful! Successful!” Next moment there is sombre silence. The bright faces darken. All assemble round the prostrate figure of Prafulla. His skull is broken, issuing grey matter.)BARIN: All’s over. No hope left.
(Any form of cremation, burial or covering up the body is quite out of the question.)
BARIN: The first casualty in our first battle. Let it remain as it is. Our next step is our immediate return.
(Young Nolini’s grief breaks the silence.)
NOLINI: Five we came. Four we go.
BARIN (snapping back at Nolini): Nolini, no sentimentality, please.
Chinmoy Kumar Ghose, The Descent of the Blue, Sri Chinmoy Lighthouse, 1972
