Aparichita by rabindranath tagore biography

What could be better? My uncle was thoroughly convinced that this was the man he was looking for. So far so good. But there was one worrying factor. The girl was fifteen. Why had she been kept unwed for so long? Was there some flaw in the family?

Aparichita by rabindranath tagore biography: "Aparichita" was written by

The father was very picky. Mama was persuaded to look into the proposal. Mama considered any place outside Kolkata to be as alien and exotic as the islands of the Andaman. The furthest he had travelled in his life was to Konnagar. If he had been Manu [4]he aparichita by rabindranath tagore biography have forbidden the crossing of Howrah Bridge, in his Samhita [5]for who knew what dangerous territory lay beyond it?

There was no question of his leaving Kolkata, so my cousin Binu was sent to Kanpur to conduct the negotiations and, if all went well, seal the new relationship by a ritualistic blessing of the bride. He tended to speak in monosyllables and was extremely reticent in his praise. It was clear to all of us that Fate had smiled on me. Prajapati, the God of marriage, had given the nod.

As was to be expected, Mama decided that the wedding would be held in Kolkata. Shombhunath Babu was a handsome man of about forty. There were traces of silver in his whiskers though not in his hair which was black and plentiful. He had the kind of good looks that compels attention even in a crowd. The immense trust that he reposed in Harish was evident from the fact that he agreed to the marriage without seeing me.

He set eyes on the one who was to be his son-in-law only three days before the ceremony. I fervently hoped that he liked what he saw. It was difficult to tell. I squirmed with embarrassment under that gentle, probing gaze. He went on and on. The thought must have filled him with glee for, in fathers of brides, this quality was deemed a virtue.

He remained seated when his guest rose to take his leave. The cash component of the dowry had been agreed upon already. Polite but pointed questions elicited the response he desired. Enough would be given to satisfy the most determined of blood suckers. I had no idea of what was going on between the two guardians. Financial affairs were not my business.

Besides I was confident that, in any battle of wits, Mama would emerge the winner. I was proud of Mama as were we all. The turmeric ceremony was conducted with a lot of fanfare. The wedding day arrived. It was a battle of prestige and I rushed headlong to win it. Mama was not impressed by the wedding venue. He found it strange.

Rather cold and distant. That he was in charge of the logistics was obvious from the greasy sheet he had wrapped around his middle and the cracked voice that was clearly the result of having shouted orders all day. He smiled and swayed his heavy head at everybody and addressed strings of flattering words to each, from the cymbal player in the band to the most distinguished of the wedding guests.

Shortly after our arrival Mama took our host aside and whispered something in his ear. The two walked out of the room. Please come with me. The problem was a simple one. Some persons, not all, are ruled by a single compulsion. Mama was one of them. He had a goal before his eyes of which he was determined never to lose sight. This goal, he would never forgive himself if he failed to reach it even in the tiniest degree, was that he would never allow anyone to get the better of him.

He had a horror of being cheated. But could he be trusted to keep his word? The man seemed somewhat tight-fisted judging from the tips and return gifts the servants, carrying the turmeric, had brought back with them. Who knew if the bridal ornaments were of the weight and purity of gold promised?

Aparichita by rabindranath tagore biography: Aparichita. Rabindranath Tagore, Translated

The sensible thing to do was to have their worth assessed before the rituals commenced. To wait till after the ceremony would be an exercise in futility. Thus, with due caution and good sense, he had included our family goldsmith in the wedding party. My future father-in-law led me to a small room. It was empty, except for Mama who was seated on a chowki [7]and the goldsmith who sat on the floor with his scales, weights and touchstones spread out before him.

Not knowing how to respond I tilted my head expressing assent. Financial affairs were handled by guardians. What right did I have to interfere? The bridal toilette is complete, and my daughter is wearing them already. Had I known…. Go back to the hall, Anupam, and join the others. He left the room and returned after half-an-hour with a bundle wrapped in a gamchha [8].

Spreading out its contents on the chowkihe invited the goldsmith to begin his examination. Not a trace of alloy. A tiny dent appeared. Nothing like this is fashioned anymore. The moment he heard this Mama whipped a notebook out of his pocket and started listing the ornaments one by one. He had to make sure that everything he had been shown would find its way into the family vault.

A pleased smile appeared on his face. They were far more in number and of greater weight than he had expected. Now, Shombhunath Babu picked up a pair of earrings from the pile. The goldsmith turned them over in his hands. They were the earrings he had sent with Binu da for the bridal blessing. Let me take you there. Why wait till then? Mama rose meekly and followed him out of the room.

The meal, though not ostentatious, was well-cooked, neatly served and plentiful in quantity. The guests ate to satiety and were well content. Shombhunath Babu invited me to join them, but Mama was aghast at the suggestion. Shombhunath Babu ignored the outburst. As though he expected a reaction. Any reaction. But I remained silent.

Aparichita by rabindranath tagore biography: Written in by Rabindranath Tagore, 'Aparichita'

What could I say? How could I go against the express wishes of my uncle and guardian? Please forgive me. I do not wish to trouble you any further. What sort of people are you? I am sorry but I cannot give my daughter in marriage to a family like yours. He seemed to have made up his mind that I was nothing. What happened after that? The band that had pronounced its entry into the wedding venue with such a cacophony of sounds now slinked along the streets in funereal silence.

The lamps had burned out and the only light that guided the mournful procession came from the stars. The rest of the family was wild with fury. Had anyone even dreamed, let alone seen or heard, anything like this? What did the man think of himself? Wait and watch. Which was all very well. But what was the point of cursing a man with the eternal spinsterhood of his daughter if he was prepared to keep her unwed all her life?

Aparichita by rabindranath tagore biography: Aparichita, Aparichita (The Unknown Woman;

In the whole of Bengal, I was the only bridegroom with the distinction of being turned away from the wedding venue. I, who was so eligible! Such an excellent catch! And to think that the stigma stamped on my brow had followed such a jingoistic display of wealth and status from our side! Everyone was laughing at us. The thought that stung him most cruelly was that the wily father of the bride had outwitted him.

How cleverly he had managed to feed him and his party, keeping them in his debt forever, before sending them packing! The insult was not to be borne. At this point some of his well-wishers stepped in. If he tried anything of the sort, they warned, he would lose the few shreds of dignity he had left. The farce would be complete. Needless to say, I was fuming too.

I lined up all kinds of possibilities tugging at my whiskers in nervous anticipation. Yet, running parallel to this dark stream of hate and malice, was another. Irradiated with light. My thoughts had been submerged in its waters all these months and would not be dismissed. Her face had possessed me entirely and continued to do so. I saw a brow adorned with sandal paste.

Cheeks flushed a deep rose in shy expectancy. A form draped in red silk, glittering with jewels. In the fantasy world I inhabited she was a golden creeper, ready and waiting to shower her wealth of spring blossoms at my feet. One moment, another step, and I could have claimed her. Jump to ratings and reviews. Want to read. Buy on Amazon. Rate this book.

We are make an ebook with three short stories of Rabindranath Tegor. The stories are "Aparichita""Aanmol Bhent""Anath". Genres Fiction Classics Short Stories. Loading aparichita by rabindranath tagore biography About the author. Awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in "because of his profoundly sensitive, fresh and beautiful verse, by which, with consummate skill, he has made his poetic thought, expressed in his own English words, a part of the literature of the West.

His novels, stories, songs, dance-dramas, and essays spoke to topics political and personal. Gitanjali Song OfferingsGora Fair-Facedand Ghare-Baire The Home and the World are his best-known works, and his verse, short stories, and novels were acclaimed—or panned—for their lyricism, colloquialism, naturalism, and unnatural contemplation. Write a Review.

Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book! Community Reviews. Search review text. Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews. Why shorten the life? It's unknown; waiting for you with its own mystery. Aishu Rehman. Afifa Habib. Short, refreshing, and heart-touching. Both stories had a similar concept of a self-created image of the person and attraction.

Often, people fall in love with the idea of the person created in their own mind but not with the person in actuality. He was also the author of lyrics and music for many popular songs. Tagore's publication of "Gitanjali" The Offering in English in was followed by a lecture tour in the United States — and England His remarkable talent, extraordinary personality, and striking appearance made a strong impression.

Inhe was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature, and inhe was knighted. Despite being a fervent patriot, Tagore did not show much interest in politics, and his refusal to support M. Gandhi disappointed many of his admirers in India. Tagore believed that the rejuvenation of the people was more important than a change in governance and that it was possible to unite the best of Eastern and Western cultures.

With this goal in mind, he founded a school for boys in Shantiniketan Bolpur in and an international university, Visva-Bharati, in