The Thakur’s well is a short story by Premchand written in the year 1932. The story talks of caste discrimination through which the people are denied of the basic need i.e. water. The story begins with sick Jhoku nearing the lota to his mouth to drink the water and he finds it stinking. So he spoke a bit harsh to Gangi, his wife. Gangi refills the vessels with water from the well which is far away. As the couple belonged to the so called low caste they are not supposed to drink water from the two nearby well which belonged to Thakur and another to the shopkeeper.
Jhoku asks Gangi to bring the water and he’ll drink it. But Gangi was not ready as the water could worse his health. She was not aware that heating the water will make it safe. So Gangi says she will bring water from Thakur’s well to drink, but Jhoku objects saying that she’ll be back home with broken legs or hands. But she decides to go for the sake of her husband.
When she was out it was nine. Most of the place was calm and some were there talking of Thakur, about how he bribed the police officials and other things he did unlawfully. By this time Gangi was waiting near the well to fetch water. Waiting there she also thinks how they are called as low caste and just wearing the thread around would make one belonging to the upper caste. She thought, they stole, they heated and they lied in court. And suddenly she heard voice of people coming near and that was voice of two women, Gangi hears them talking of their husbands and how badly they treat them also that they doesn’t allow them to take rest.
After the women are gone, Gangi slowly moves towards the well and let her rope which is tied to the bucket slowly to fetch water without any noise. And she was praying the almighty to be her side and do the favour. And when the bucket was reaching up, she was ready to catch it and to place it on the wall of the well. But all of a sudden Thakur’s door was opened, by now the rope escaped from her hand and made a big splashing sound into the wall. Thakur starts to shout who is there and out of the fear Gangi jumped dowm and ran as fast as she could,escaped by whiskers and reached home. When she enters the room she witnesses Jhoku drinking the stinking water from the lota
Daughter of Man -Laithambika Antharjanam -Translated by K. P. K Menon
In the beginning of the story we see a very busy government officer, who doesn’t have enough time for self and tightened with schedule of government works and meetings. He was suffering from heavy headache and he doesn’t have food and didn’t bath that day. He doesn’t have time to spend with the child that was born after a long wait. He has realised that anyone who enjoys serving people must have to suffer these things. He was very much tensed but didn’t show that to the visitors and exchanges smile with them. But after entering into the room he shouts at his secretaries and asks them to come tomorrow. But the secretary knew that after sometime the government officer will call them and talk to them, so he was waiting. So the government officer meets everyone and finally the secretary comes and informs that there is a lady waiting for him and she wished to meet him last so she could meet in private. The officer shouts at the secretary that if you want to kill me why don’t you tell directly and adds I didn’t eat anything from the morning. The secretary says even the women didn’t had anything even water from morning. And also says she will go away soon and will not take much time.
The woman enters and the leader sees her indifferently. The woman was in an attire of 80th century. She covered herself with a dhothi , an umbrella and dangling earring. Behind her was a boy of six or seven holding the woman. The leader was speechless and trying to recollect something, gets up and nears her and enquires her that where she from is and what does she want? The woman stood still planting her eyes on the ground. And then when the woman raises her head, the dhoti slips down. The woman was trembling and eyes filled. She chants like mantra ‘I don’t want to sit Govindankutty, I don’t want. I’ll go away now. And you may not now but, but’ her throat chocked of because of tears and her face has marks of hard work and problems she has to undergo. The leader forgetting him cried, ‘Oh..!My Kunjathalamal’. He finally recognized her.
There was a vague silence that looked like meeting of a mother and her son after a very long gap. In the look Kunjathalamal had there was no anger, no demand, it showered only affection. The leader in his mind, have the preview of his own past. He realises that she was a Goddess who deserve daily worship but was thrown into dust by him mistaking it for a stone. The leader was feeling very guilt of his own acts. The woman whom he doesn’t want to meet made him to forget all other engagements. He regrets his acts and compares her to a cow which is sacrificed even after pouring love and sympathy. He calls her the Crucified Daughter of Man. Now he recalls his childhood, in a small village where he was playing and enjoying like any other kid. His father passed away and his relatives moved away. He was with his mother, whose only intention is to give him good education and better life. He cleared his primary education in one go but now his mother was worried about his higher studies as she could not afford him food and how is she going to manage his educational expenses. Now our Kunjathalamal plays a vital role by saying that he is an intelligent boy and he will tile his house one day. When Lakshmi, Govindankutty’s mother expresses her worries about lack of money, Kunjathalamal says if the boy could bring flowers from around for puja I can afford him money that he could use it for educational purposes. Govindankutty could give her only the image of a Goddess may be because he always met her in the temple or may be because she had a hand that always feed him food, after long search for flowers and coming back. He was not lucky enough to have his mother’s presence to witness all his success.
Kunjathalamal was his only refugee after his mother’s death. She fed him, and treated him the way she treated her own son. Kunjathalamal fed not only him but a lot people. At night she would stand by the gate and call people who hadn’t had food and fed them. Because of this charity she was felt as a woman born to give. She was treated by everyone as the one born to give. May be because of this charity to everyone Govindankutty doesn’t feel that he should inform his moving out of the village after passing 10th std. After coming out of the village he used well every opportunity her received and grew according to Kunjathalamal’s forecast. He never had thoughts of his childhood in the countryside.
Once Govindankutty crossed the village for a function, then he saw the Mana(from where Kunjathalamal served food )was closed, the tank was filled and gate was ready for topple. The person accompanying him said that the people have lost everything because of charity. For the sake of charity and feeding people, they took loans and after the death of the family head they have fed 500 members during the ceremonies. To pay this they have sell their property. And the elder son is rheumatic and the second son lost hope of getting job and joined a political party and is loafing around. Kunjathalamal moved out with his son Unni and his family to a small house nearby and lives there out of kindness of an old tenant. He wished to meet Kunjathalamal and ask ask about all her affairs. Fasting was not a big thing for Kunjathalamal. She fasts for Pradoksham, Ekadhasi and Monday. She would fast for 20 or 21 days a month. Even on those fasting days she would feed all other people. And the people around calls her the daughter of mountain, and the goddess who lives in the top of the mountain.
The horn sound brings back him to conscious and the secretaries were peeping in and both remained silent and at a moment their eyes met up and Kunjathalamal utters words of pardon for disturbing him and says she is very much happy for him and says ‘ am so happy as Unni himself got some good fortune and says Unni is bedridden for more than eight years and the family is totally destroyed and his brother has lost hope on himself in getting a job and joined apolitical party. Also she has a daughter who is unmarried. And people said me to meet Govindankutty and he could solve all his problems. And she adds up ‘ if you could not do anything about it, at least help in admitting unni’s son in a school so that at least he will get food in the midday, and prays Guruvayurappa to help and save her.
Now Govindankutty asks sorry and states that we are the reason for your present condition. We were very conscious about the food we received during our hunger but never paid attention to the hands that served us. Even after all this you don’t show any anger or don’t even curse us, that is your love Kunjathalamal. I have a request to you, be the same mother who you are, be the mother this motherless Govindankutty. And after bursting out all feelings and tears out, he calls his secretary and asks to get ready the car and to make a seat for Kunjathalamal, and finally says he is the Son of Daughter of Man
Once an Actress – Jayakanthan
Once an actress is a novel by Jayakanthan, which was actually written in Tamil in the name ‘Oru Nadigai Naadagam Paarkiral’ in the year 1971 which was translated by Dr.K.S Subramanian. The novel is the complete story of happenings between Kalyani, a stage performer and Ranga, a news reporter. Kalyani is our Protagonist and Ranga@ Rangaswamy is our hero. The story starts with Kalyani waiting for Ranga for an interview. She has also called Annasamy, the guardian of Kalyani. Annasamy have known Kalyani from her childhood, he have also been guardian for her mother also. Annasamy has also known a lot of things about Kalyani than Kalyani know about herself. Kalyani have never known that her mother was one devoted to temple but Annasamy knows all these details. The novel starts with Ranga visiting Kalyani’s house for an interview and Kalyani feels that the presence of Annasamy would make it better. So she also calls Annasamy without informing anything about the interview. She expects and wishes Annasamy to arrive before Ranga. Kalyani was very simple during the interview both in her attire and her behaviour. There were totally four persons present in the scene Ranga, Kalyani, Annasamy and here we have Pattu, she is Kalyani’s cousin. She was sent here by her by Pattu’s mother to be with Kalyani after the death of Kalyani’s mother. So when the interview was going on many questions were posted to Kalyani and she replied very openly to the questions. There was a very important question posed to Kalyani from Ranga about entering the cine field and whether she is using this as a step to cinema for which she replies she has no intention of getting into cinema and she was to be drama actress forever and to serve the art. Also when kalyani was inquired about her age she openly said her true age for which Annasamy was not happy. He says when every actress hides their age that is the reason for her to explicitly say her age. And it was not interview for Kalyani alone but for Ranga too. Kalyani via this interview learned a lot about Ranga. She found that he was married and has a child who is growing with his wife’s sister. They have snacks and tea prepared by Pattu. And while going he took a photo ok Kalyani from the album he has seen during the interview. The photo was very simple and kalyani looks beautiful. This meeting was the result of anonymous letter written by Kalyani to Ranga after their first meet up in the theatre. Their first meeting begins with quarrel between Ranga and Annasamy, where Ranga criticises Annasamy and their troop for the dramas they perform and writes them in magazine. After that the voice was raising when the other reporters started supporting Ranga and few started supporting Annasamy. Later Annasamy compromises Ranga and takes him into the makeup room where the stage performers were getting ready. There happens the meeting between them. Annasamy introduces to each other and Kalyani enters the stage and before that she stands at a dark place near stage turns and sees Ranga and then enters the stage. After her scene is over she comes back and makes a conversation with him. She says he have heard a lot about him but never seen him. He feels a bit embarrassing as he doesn’t want to remember those days of writing short stories. And after that Kalyani writes a letter stating if u could guess who the writer of letter is, come and meet me. For which he replies stating that he would like to meet her for an interview.
After the interview while he was returning to his home he was occupied with the thoughts of Kalyani her smile her simple attitude. He goes to a hotel and orders food and even there he has thought of Kalyani. Late night he goes to his house. He lives in a small street which was named after Ranga’s grandfather. His grandfather has done a lot of good things to the people over there and they have named the street so. And Ranga has a special respect in the street and among the people one because of his grandfather and another reason is he was educated and also he has been guiding the youngsters of the area and an advisor to them. He said to Kalyani that the interview will be published in the Sunday’s paper. That night spends just to make ready the interview and next morning he goes to meet Kalyani with a reason of showing the interview before it gets published. And they meet each other several times and the meetings have become very common between them. Ranga have put that picture of Kalyani in a frame and kept it on the table. In between this we could see Annasamy expressing feelings for Kalyani for which Kalyani don’t feel worried or angry but she calmly responds that there is nothing wrong about Annasamy having such a feeling for her. But she says that she has feelings for Ranga and Annasamy was happy about her decisions and stood by her side on all happenings of her life.
In the house where Ranga lives, every morning he gets tea from the nearby teashop and a small girl comes to clean his house. And the girl asks him, who is the lady for which he replies that she is the lady whom he is going to marry. And the girl takes the photo out and shows to everyone and repeats what Ranga has said. A boy from the crowd says ‘I know her, she is a drama actress and her name is kalyani’. And everyone mute him. They asked Ranga about the picture when he comes out and he accepts the things said were true and he is going to marry her, and people were disappointed about it. Chinna naina above whose house Ranga lives, advices him not to get into a serious relationship with an actress and to breakup with her. He also advices Ranga to get married to Sumathi, his sister-in-law who is waiting for Ranga to accept her hand in marriage. And even Chinna Naina’s wife advices the same. Then He stops visiting his own house and started staying with Kalyani.
And after all these Ranga was firm in his decision and gets married to Kalyani.
In the mean time we have a subplot that of Pattu and Damu. Damu is part of Kalyani’s drama troupe. He is a tabala player. They fall in love with each other. And Pattu was very adamant to marry Damu. Kalyani was against this love whereas Ranga supported them. So Kalyani wrote a letter to her Thotha i.e. Pattu’s mother to discuss this issues. Her mother was against her love but foe which Pattu replies that she will commit suicide if she is not getting married to Damu. Ranga was happy about their love and feels that Pattu’s love is do true and great as she is ready to sacrifice her own life for the sake of love. Pattu gets married and goes with Damu. Now Ranga and Kalyani decides that they could move to a new house, neither Ranga’s nor Kalyani’s as she will not be accepted in Ranga’s place and he also didn’t want to feel inferior. So they move to a new house leaving this house for rent. While moving to a new house, Ranga left his house and moved to new house, but Kalyani carries all her plants and shrubs. This creates their first misunderstanding. Ranga feels that when he was ready to sacrifice everything the street, his house, the people, she was not ready to sacrifice even the plants. Then in every conversation they have this misunderstanding grows. Once Ranga says that growing Crotons and plants are habits of western people for which she objects and counter talks. And when they talk of love, both have contrasting ideas. Ranga says that the Pattu’s kind of love is true as she was ready to sacrifice her own life. But Kalyani’s views were different. She said that if Pattu was not married to Damu she would not have died and she also says one who dies for love is a fool. This hurts him more. And because of these misunderstanding Ranga starts getting away from her. Mean whilst Kalyani complains about having back pain. Then we see He first stops coming home for lunch, then for breakfast. Later he avoid coming to the home and comes rarely when he wanted to see her. One day he asks her will you feel bad when am not coming home, for which she replies, ‘I am happy when you come home. But I am not sad when you don’t. I feel happy thinking about our past and happy days we had’. This kind of thing was very new to Ranga. This increases the no. of days he is absent to the house. But when he comes home Kalyani takes so much care of him. She never questions asks anything about those days he didn’t come.
At this time he started going back to his own house, in the street he used to live. And now again Chinna Naina advices Ranga to get married to Sumathi, Ranga’s sister-in-law, but he was not ready. He also says to Ranga to give some money to Kalyani and to make settlement. Meanwhile we see Pattu coming to Kalyani’s home and we could see that she is not happy with Damu. And Pattu is pregnant too. And after few days Ranga comes to Kalyani and says let us get divorced. And we could see Kalyani doesn’t have any objection towards it, as her only intention was Ranga’s happiness. So they plan to meet one of Ranga’s friends who is a lawyer to discuss about their divorce. And on a fine evening, Kalyani and Ranga visit his friend. And they talk to him about it and he replies that they should need a valid reason for their divorce. So he questions whether either of one have an incurable disease, or affair with anyone else or they could not conceive baby. They said they don’t have any such reason the only reason they want to get divorced is they don’t like each other. But the lawyer says that would be void before law. And it’s not even a year they got married. So the lawyer advices them to stay away for a year. So with that they may get divorced.
Ranga and Kalyani plans to get separated and live for a year. And they do so. Kalyani stays in the house that is newly rented and Ranga in his own old house. Ranga lives a very normal life and Kalyani tries. Later one day Annasamy visits Ranga in the morning. Ranga was a bit shocked and tries to find out reason for his visit. Annasamy asks Ranga to come with him and Ranga goes. They do visit a hospital, where Kalyani was admitted. Later Ranga comes to know she was paralysed because of some problem is backbone and gets bedridden. Ranga gets so emotional and cries. And later doctor says she will not be able to walk and it will take time and she should take enough rest. Now Kalyani says to Ranga that with this as a reason he could get divorced. But he says he doesn’t want to do that. Instead Ranga decides to be with her and to care her. And they now live in the house they have rented and Ranga takes care of her. Every morning after waking up he takes her out in the wheel chair to the rose plants and crotons she grows. This helps Kalyani to heal. And she tries herself to wake up and walk. And in the last scene we could see Kalyani is taken to a drama which is being performed by her troop but the heroine was replaced by another actress, which hurts her the most. She cries and weeps seeing her role being swapped. And with this the Novel ends.
Moonlight 