R.K Narayan has always emerged as one of the most refined short story writer presenting the realities of life of the people living around. He displays the different facets of ordinary people’s life and shows what it is to be a middle class people and the efforts to make towards establishing the identity. The present story depicts the writer’s concept of a mentally retarded man and his life around normal ordinary people. It is in the context that Narayan’s deep and profound relationship with society analyzed.
“An Astrologer’s Day and other stories”is a collection of short stories written by R.K Narayan. “Dasi the Bridegroom” is one of the story from the book. It is a tragic-comic story of a simple and retarded man who falls prey to the prank of his neighbours is driven to complete madness.
As the title suggests the story surrounds around the protagonist Dasi who is portrayed as an strange fellow with narrow tapering head, bulging eyes and fat neck; below the neck he had muscular body. His speech was not clear. His age ‘might be anything between twenty and fifty.’ Probably he had been a foundling and was brought up the owner of the house where he lived. He served the family in his own way, he drew water from the well, chopped wood and dug the garden. In return he was given food and protection.
‘He never seemed to long for anything or interfere in anybody’s business; never spoke to others except when spoken to, never so much as thought he was being joked at; he treated everyone sincerely… he had no doubt the strength of an ox, but he had also the forbearance of the mother earth.’ But it was not true about other people living in Malgudi. The children , hawkers and passerby always cracked joke on him. He was instrument of fun for them.
The Mantapam was a group of old men who gathered in the front porch of the house. ‘They were ever ready on the look out for some excitement. To them Dasi was a source of great joy’. They always taunt him asking him when his bride will come. Dasi was infused the desire for a beautiful wife and family.
One day a film star from Madras called Bamini Bai with her mother arrived in Malgudi. They took shelter in the little cottage in the third street. Soon the old men knew all about her. Now the prank upon Dasi reached to a different level. At the Mantapam, the old Folk informs Dasi that the famous celebrity had arrived in town to marry him. He believed their words.
Dasi starts following her and finally expresses his feelings for her. He tells Bamini ‘ you are my wife’. In return he gets a slap from her and even reach to the police station. Here Mantapam uses their influence and have him release. This event brings lots of change in him. He becomes silent than ever. He stops working. His owner warns him not to go out of house. But on the following day he steps out of the threshold.
The children of the elementary school again tries to crack joke on his condition. A boy comments ‘Oh the bridegroom is still crying; his wife beat him yesterday ‘. On hearing this Dasi becomes aggressive, he lifts the boy and throws him. He breaks benches of the school and starts howling and running after the people. He tries to hurt everyone. The police once again arrives and puts him behind the bar. The very next day he is sent to to the mental hospital. After his few days stay in mental hospital he spends standing in ‘the main gate for hours looking down the road for coming of the bride’
R.K Narayan portrayed Dasi as victim of the society where human feeling are meant for fun. Though retarded but he too had some dreams to be fulfilled. The writer has clearly expressed that wishes, hopes and dreams are not conditional to normal ordinary people. Dasi is shown as that part of the society where they are neglected but are utilized for own benefits. They are kept at home to serve not to be part of family. Mantapam represent the group of intellectual people who thinks people like Dasi should be treated as a subject of joke. The end of the story shows that though Dasi was dragged out of the normal society to mental hospital still hopes that his wife will return. He longs for her.