An
Astrologer’s day - by R K Narayan
In the story “An Astrologer’s day”
there is an astrologer who punctually starts his business at mid-day. He sits
under the boughs of a tamarind tree which stood on the side of a path running
through the Town Hall Park. His professional equipment consists of dozen cowrie
shells, a square piece of cloth with obscure mystic charts on it, a note book
and a bundle of Palmyra writing .His forehead is resplendent with sacred ash
and vermilion and the dark whiskers which streamed down his cheeks. He wound a
saffron colored turban around his head. This colour scheme never failed. He
attracts the people as bees are attracted to dahlia stalks.
The astrologer transacts his business
by the light and flare of a groundnut heap nearby and manages without lights of
his own. He had left his village without any previous thought or plan. If he
had been there, he would be in a good position. He had to leave home without
telling anyone. He knew nothing about astrology but he had a working analysis
of the troubles of mankind. He pleases others with his shrewd guesswork. He
charges three pies per question and never opened his mouth till others revealed
their problems which provide him enough stuff for a dozen answers and advices.
When the astrologer was ready to go
home, a man came there . The stranger flung an Anna at him and challenged him
to answer his question. If the astrologer fails to tell the right answer, he
has to give all his coins. After some haggling, the stranger agreed to pay a
rupee if he is satisfied with the answer. The astrologer said the Stanger was
left for dead, when he was stabbed and pushed into a well nearby his village
and told stranger name. The stranger said that he was saved by some passer-by.
He came to the city to take revenge against the person who tried to kill him.
The astrologer said that person who
tried to kill the stanger dies in a lorry accident. The Stanger felt happy and
gave a handful of coins to astrologer and went to his village. The astrologer
reached his house in the midnight and gave the money to his wife. He said that
he was relieved from the guilty of killing a person.
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