Act VII, Scene 1
(4 May 1908. Aurobindo’s residence — 48 Grey Street, Calcutta. Aurobindo is asleep. It is 5 a.m.) Sarojini rushes into Aurobindo’s room.)SAROJINI (waking up Aurobindo): Sejda, Sejda! Police! Police!
(Aurobindo gets up. Enter Police Superintendent Creagan and party.)
CREAGAN: Are you Mr. Aurobindo Ghosh?
AUROBINDO: Yes.
CREAGAN (pointing to the police): Handcuff and tie him up, ransack the whole house. (Turning to Aurobindo.) They say you are a B.A. Is it not beneath your dignity to sleep in such a small, unfurnished room?
AUROBINDO: I am poor, and live a poor life.
CREAGAN (at the top of his voice): Then to become rich you have done all this? Now take the consequences. (To the police.) Wait, I'm coming back.
(Exit Creagan.)
AUROBINDO (to himself): Poor obtuse Englishman, how can you appreciate the values of self-imposed poverty and of self-dedication to the cause of one’s Motherland?
(Enter Krishna Kumar Mitra, Editor of Sanjibani, uncle of Aurobindo, and solicitor Bhupen Bose. His uncle is unable to resist tears. Re-enter Creagan.)
BHUPEN (addressing Creagan): You are not entitled to treat Aurobindo like that. Take off the handcuffs and the rope.
(Creagan orders removal of the handcuffs and the cord.)
