Master of the Moon: Chapter 47

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September 8th

Mr Frank,
You are very bad. Sabitha says you wrote to her that you felt electricity when you were near her at the French Institute! Maybe Mrs Lopchan gives you electricity too. So you did not like the film 'Je t'aime! Je t'aime!' Ha! Ha! Moi, je ne vous aime pas. I do not think you are a good person. Goodbye.
Yours,
Miss S. Pradhan

Frank suddenly felt weary and depressed. So, a moment's stupidity and it was all over. It was true. He had indeed sent Sabitha a note reporting the phenomenon referred to by Sunita: ‘a moment of madness’ as such ill-advised behaviour has come to be known these days. He had mistaken Sabitha’s friendliness for a personal interest in him. It was the way she fixed him with her eyes when she talked. Surely it was natural for a young man to feel a certain… electricity? But there again, anyone with any sense would have steered clear of his girl-friend’s sister. He lay on his bed in a comatose state until it grew dark when he got up and made himself a comforting Bournvita. Then he went outside and yelled 'fuck!' at the top of his lungs. He felt a little better after that, and ate some cake in lieu of supper, and went to bed. The bugler in the nearby barracks blew the last post.

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