Azad agreed to the man’s proposal. He along with some of his comrades went with him to rob the rich man. There was no problem in getting into the house. The revolutionary youth started collecting the loot. Just then Azad noticed that the man who had brought them there was trying to fondle a particularly pretty young woman who was frightened out of her wits. When Azad objected to his conduct the man replied that he was merely holding her hand to take off her gold bangles and necklace for revolution fund.
Suddenly Azad knew the game. The man already had an evil eye on that particular woman. By suggesting the robbery he had merely created an opportunity for himself to molest the young woman. It infuriated Azad. Now it was clear that their meeting was not a coincidence. It was planned by that man and perhaps he knew the plight of the young revolutionaries.
Azad warned the man. When he persisted with his evil act Azad shot him dead. This botched up another robbery bid of the revolutionary youngmen. They had to flee again leaving behind the collected loot and their own weapons.
Sometimes principles of a person becomes a great disadvantage. Other people take advantage of it. His principled touchiness sometimes created comic situations. Once the group struck at another house. The youngmen collected the loot and exited. Just as they were to flee Bismil noticed that Azad was missing. He went back into the house and saw an old woman holding the hand of Azad. He couldn’t free his hand by pushing the woman or yanking his hand off her feeble grip because it would’ve meant disrespect to the motherly lady. He just stood embarrassed and confused. An angry Bismil grabbed Azad and dragged him out cursing, “Ass! You will get us in trouble some day!”
Azad dons saffron robes
There was a colony in Benaras named Laksha. A house there displayed the board ‘Kalyan Ashram’. The inhabitants of this house were strangers to the locals. Most of the locals thought that it was home of some loafer young fellows. Peeping Toms found inside musical instruments like tabla, harmonium, sarangi etc. scattered around. The house had a room on the backside too. It was the den of young revolutionaries. The front room was a facade. The revolutionaries held a meeting and the matter of the finance again came up. The party was crippled without funds. A member Ramkrishan Khatri revealed, “Friends! There is a Mahant in Gazipur. He is plush with money. His monastery is stinking rich. He is sick and set to die very soon. He is likely to pass on his throne to his favourite disciple. It one of us becomes his disciple and becomes his favourite then all the money and the monastery will come into our hands. Then, money will be no problem for us and a huge monastery will be ours to make the headquarter of the party.”
Mr. Khatri was an ascetic and a revolutionary rolled in one. For many years he had been a shadhu. His description was tempting. The members thought that Azad would make an ideal disciple and win the confidence of the Mahant, the high priest of the monastery. Azad didn’t like to become disciple of some seedy priest. But he had to accept it as a duty assigned by the party. He went to the Mahant and paid obeisance.
Mahant asked, “What brings you here, child?”
“Your Holiness! I came hoping to be accepted in your fold and made a disciple.”
Mahant sized up Azad. The youngman’s magnetic personality fascinated him. And his age like talk was a winner. Mahant thought that at last he had found the gem he was looking for. He made Azad his principal disciple right away. It appeared so easy.
But it was tough on Azad. The regulated life of the monastery was a torture. And all the time putting on an act of being dedicated disciple of a loathsome fat phoney priest was revoking. From the very day on Azad felt very bad and suffocated. Azad was a man of action and direct dealings. Here, it was just the opposite. Azad had been trapped in a situation. He was no more Azad but a man doing the role of slave in an endless drama. Only in a few days he got thoroughly bored. Every second hung heavy for him. One day he decided to flee. But before departing he wrote a letter to the party—
‘I am fed up with living here. Can’t stay here any longer. It looks purposeless. The main thing is that Mahant fellow has fully recovered from illness. He is golfing down milk and fruits and things. Instead of dying he is getting fat and healthy. His health shows that he is not likely to leave for his heavenly abode any sooner. Please give me release from this place!’
The letter brought Manmathnath and Govind Prakash to Gazipur in the guise of Sadhus. They contacted the Mahant and began surveying the area around.
Manmanthnath said to his companion, “This place would prove a great asset to us. If it comes to our party it can serve as a fortress. Besides we shall have all the money required by the party. We won’t find a place like this.”
And then they cam across Azad. They requested him to stay there of some more time to give them time to think about it. After persuading Azad they went back to Benaras. Soon after their departure depression again seized him. He thought, ‘Why should I be wasting my time here instead of doing some useful work to serve the country? The Mahant is not going to die for a long time.’
Azad could not tolerate it any more. He departed from the monastery without talking anyone. Thus, another of the plans of the revolutionaries had come unstuck. The monastery and the Mahant’s money never came into their hands.
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