short story An Astrologer’s Day

1 ) An Astrologer’s Day

An Astrologer’s Day is a fine short story written by the well known Indian-English writer R.K.Narayan. R.K.Narayan is famous for his works like The Guide, My Days, and My Dateless diary, etc. He has written more than two hundred short stories.

In the present story, he depicts an astrologer with his ironic fate. Here the astrologer is man who had run away from his village and settled with his wife and a child in the town. In the beginning, author depicts in detail his appeance, his style of work, preparations, place where he sat and tricks he used with customers. He had no knowledge of astrology or stars but he succeeded in convincing customers in one or the other way by making common predictions. He sat in a noisy area. He earned moderately every day. He analyzed the troubles of mankind and had a sharp perception which helped him understand the problem of the customer. He had left his village without any prior plan or thought.

Once when it was already night and he was about to pack up, a man came and seized him. He challenged the astrologer to answer his questions. He lured him by saying that he will give him one rupee if his answers were right otherwise the astrologer will give all the earning of that day. The astrologer saw his face in the light, when the customer lit a cheroot. There comes a change in his behaviour. He was afraid and wanted to go but the customer insisted and stopped him.

Astrologer then starts talking about a past incident in the life of the customer. He told him that once someone tried to kill him. The customer asked him where could he get him but astrologer told that the man had already died when he was crushed under a lorry. He convinced the customer guru Nayak to go back and never come there saying that it was a risk to his life. The customer went away.

At the end we come to known that ironically astrologer had left his village thinking that he had killed Guru Nayak. He had started living as an astrologer but the man was alive. He is relieved at the end. He becomes free from the great burden of murder.