1.1. An Astrologer’s Day
- R. K. Narayan
- About the Author:Rasipuram Krishnaswami Iyer Narayanaswami is one of the best known novelists among Indian English writers. He is the author of fourteen novels, five volumes of short stories, and a number of travelogues, and has a collection of nonfiction to his credit. He also has written his memoir ‘My Days’ (1975). Narayan has created the fictional town, Malgudi, where realistic characters in a typically Indian setting lived amid unpredictable events. His stories are grounded in compassionate humanism and celebrate the humor and energy of ordinary life. His stories are characterized by a simple style and subtle spirit.
Notable Works:
‘Swami and Friends’, ‘The Bachelor of Arts’ (1937), ‘The Dark Room’ (1938), ‘An Astrologer’s Day and Other Stories’(1947), ‘Mr Sampath ‘(1949), ‘The Financial Expert’ (1954), ‘Waiting for the Mahatma’ (1955), ‘The Guide’ (1958), etc.
He received The Sahitya Akademi Award in 1961 for his novel, ‘The Guide’. Humor irony these are the characteristics of his writings. Narayan typically explores the peculiarities of human relationships and the paradoxes of Indian daily life. His style of writing is graceful, marked by genial humor, elegance and simplicity
About the Story:
The story is about revenge, the past, and the reasons why we take various decisions in our life. An astrologer is the main character in the story. Writer cast a light on a single day incident which occurs in the life of an astrologer. There is a twist which is revealed at the end part of the story by the astrologer himself.
An Astrologer’s Day Summary:This story opens at mid-day. An Astrologer, sitting under the boughs of a spreading tamarind tree in a busy street every day, has spread out his professional equipment which consisted of which consisted of a dozen cowrie shells, a square piece of cloth with obscure mystic charts on it, a notebook, and a bundle of Palmyra writing. He has applied sacred ash on his forehead; there is a gleam in his eyes. Again we see saffron color turban around his head and his dark whiskers which streamed down his cheeks, a perfect look of an astrologer. Due to his appearance the customers used to attract towards him to know their future. The place where he is sitting is very remarkable because the whole day he see a surging crowd. At this place there are other traders and auctioneers selling different kinds of goods.
At this place, municipal lighting is not available; the traders carry their own light to transact their business. But this astrologer is not carrying his own light. He carries out his business by the light of a flare which crackled and smoked up above the groundnut heap nearby. However the astrologer does not about the stars and about this profession, yet he is able to tell the future of his customers. It has become possible for him due to his shrewd guess work and working analysis of mankind’s troubles such as marriage, money, and the tangles of human ties. He charges three pies per question. He never opens up his mouth till the customer speaks at least ten minutes, which provides him lot of information. And on this information provided by the customer he is able to tell the future of that customer who is sitting in front of him. He predicts that he is reading his hand. He also tends to tell them things which please them.
One night, as he is packing up his equipment he sensed a stranger standing in front of him and challenging astrologer’s abilities. He is ready to give an Anna but if the astrologer’s answer is unsatisfactory, the astrologer must pay him back the Anna back with interest. Both of them negotiate for a while, and the stranger agrees to pay the astrologer eight Annas if he gives him satisfactory answers, but the astrologer must give the stranger double amount if he fails to prove his talents. But as the astrologer sees his face in the match light he is taken aback. He tells to the stranger that he is getting late and anyhow he has to get home. He tells that tomorrow he will tell his future. But the stranger doesn’t allow him to leave this place. Somehow this astrologer becomes ready to answer the stranger.
The astrologer correctly identifies that the man was stabbed and then thrown into a well, where he was left for dead. He also tells the man his name, Guru Nayak. When Nayak asks the astrologer when he will meet the man who tried to kill him so he can take revenge, the astrologer replies that the man died four months ago in a far-off town.
The astrologer then tells Guru Nayak to return to his village and never travel to south direction again. If he does this, he will live to be a hundred. Guru Nayak is only too happy to agree to this, revealing that he only left his village to try to find out the man who almost killed him. Now he knows the man is no more in the world, he is satisfied.
Late night, the astrologer arrives home to his wife. His wife demands an explanation for his late. There is a twist. It turns out that he was the man who stabbed Guru Nayak and left him for dead. This is how he knew the man’s name. This information is shared with his wife.
Very nice