"An Astrologer's Day" by R.K. Narayan

 "An Astrologer's Day" by R.K. Narayan is a short story that presents a simple yet profound tale with a surprising twist. 

Summary:

The story opens with a vivid description of the astrologer and his daily routine. He sets up his "business" on a busy street under a tamarind tree, with a small cloth spread out in front of him, which contains cowrie shells, charts, and a mystic look that helps attract customers. His profession is not based on any formal astrological knowledge but on keen observation and an intuitive understanding of human psychology. He can easily read his clients' emotions and make them believe he possesses the power to predict their futures.

Narayan describes the astrologer's life as a struggle for survival. He didn't choose this career out of interest but rather necessity, having fled from his village under dire circumstances, which we later learn are crucial to the plot.

 

The astrologer operates in a crowded and chaotic environment, but he is a calm and composed figure, carefully studying his clients before offering advice. His predictions are general and non-specific, but they resonate with the concerns of the people who come to him. He impresses his clients by mixing clever, philosophical statements with common observations.

Despite not being a genuine astrologer, he succeeds in his work because people are eager to believe that their futures can be predicted. This interaction between the astrologer and his customers emphasizes the human tendency to seek comfort in belief and assurance, even if it's based on illusion.

The real action begins when a stranger approaches the astrologer late in the day. The astrologer is ready to close shop, but the man insists on having his fortune told. His appearance is described as bold and somewhat menacing, which unnerves the astrologer. The man dares him to predict his future accurately, offering to pay a handsome fee if the astrologer succeeds.

This stranger, unlike the astrologer's usual clients, does not seem easy to deceive. He challenges the astrologer, telling him to provide genuine insights into his past and future rather than vague predictions. At first, the astrologer hesitates, but realizing he has no choice, he agrees to tell the man’s fortune.

As the astrologer begins to speak, trying to gauge the man, he suddenly recognizes him as Guru Nayak, a man from his past. Guru Nayak was the victim of a violent encounter that occurred years ago in the astrologer's village, when the astrologer, in a fit of rage during a drunken altercation, attacked him and left him for dead. Believing he had committed murder, the astrologer had fled his village in terror and assumed a new identity as an astrologer in the town to escape his past.

This moment of recognition is critical for the astrologer. He realizes that the stranger standing before him is the man he had thought he killed, and this shocks him deeply. However, he conceals his emotions and decides to manipulate the situation to protect himself.

Thinking quickly, the astrologer uses his knowledge of Guru Nayak's past to fabricate a convincing "prediction." He tells Guru Nayak that the man who had attacked him many years ago is dead, crushed under a lorry. He advises Guru Nayak to return to his village and stop his futile quest for revenge. Guru Nayak, not realizing that the astrologer is in fact the very man he’s been searching for, is satisfied with this explanation. Relieved, Guru Nayak pays the astrologer and leaves, believing that his quest for justice has come to an end.

After the stranger leaves, the astrologer returns home to his wife. He confesses to her that years ago, he had fled his village because he thought he had murdered a man during a drunken fight. It turns out that the man did not die after all. This revelation lifts a heavy burden from the astrologer's conscience, and he is now free from the guilt that had haunted him for years.

Themes:

• Fate and Free Will: The story explores how much of life is governed by fate and how much by individual actions. The astrologer's life was dramatically altered by one incident, yet he unknowingly shapes the destiny of Guru Nayak by his clever words.

• Deception and Self-Delusion: The astrologer deceives others through his profession, but he also deceives himself by avoiding the reality of his past. In the end, the deception leads to a kind of resolution for both him and Guru Nayak.

• Irony: The irony in the story is that the astrologer, who is supposed to reveal the future to others, is confronted with his own hidden past. The twist, where the astrologer meets the man he thought he had killed, provides a clever and unexpected conclusion.

The main characters in R.K. Narayan’s short story "An Astrologer's Day":

1. The Astrologer: Protagonist of the story.

 The astrologer is a clever, resourceful man who works in a marketplace, pretending to have mystical knowledge of astrology. He dresses in a way that gives him the appearance of being a wise, spiritual man, with sacred ash and a turban, though he has no formal knowledge of astrology. His real skill lies in his keen observation of human nature and his ability to read people's emotions. 

 The astrologer once lived in a village where, in his youth, he was involved in a violent incident. During a drunken brawl, he attacked a man named Guru Nayak and left him for dead. Believing he had committed murder, the astrologer fled his village in fear and settled in the town, taking up the occupation of an astrologer to escape his past.

 The astrologer is pragmatic, sharp, and resourceful. His survival instincts drive him to manipulate people by giving them vague but plausible "predictions." When faced with a life-threatening situation in the form of Guru Nayak, he uses his wits to outsmart him and ensure his own safety.

 Throughout the story, the astrologer appears as a man driven by his need for survival. By the end, he experiences a sense of relief when he realizes that Guru Nayak, whom he thought he killed, is alive, thus freeing him from the guilt of believing he was a murderer.

2. Guru Nayak: The stranger who challenges the astrologer; antagonist of the story.

 Guru Nayak is a tough, aggressive man who has spent years searching for the man who once tried to kill him. He is described as bold and confrontational, with a direct and challenging attitude. When he encounters the astrologer, he does not show any trust or respect for him and demands that the astrologer prove his worth by providing accurate predictions.

 Guru Nayak is the victim of the astrologer's past violent act. He was attacked by the astrologer years ago in a village brawl and was left for dead. However, he survived the attack and has since been searching for his assailant, seeking revenge.

 Guru Nayak is vengeful and determined. His quest to find and kill the man who tried to murder him shows his persistence and inability to let go of the past. However, he is also somewhat gullible, as he is easily convinced by the astrologer’s story that his attacker is dead, which ends his pursuit for revenge.

Guru Nayak serves as a key figure in the astrologer's past, the reason why the astrologer fled his village and began a new life. His appearance in the story acts as a catalyst for the astrologer’s confrontation with his past and eventual release from his guilt.

3. The Astrologer’s Wife: A minor character, the astrologer’s wife is mentioned briefly towards the end of the story.

 The astrologer’s wife is a simple, loving woman who takes care of her husband and their household. She appears at the end of the story when the astrologer comes home after his encounter with Guru Nayak.

 She is kind, concerned, and practical, showing typical qualities of a supportive spouse. She is curious about her husband's work and occasionally complains about financial matters, asking why he doesn’t bring home more money.

 Though she has a minor role, her presence highlights the astrologer’s personal life and contrasts with the dramatic tension of the story. She also serves as a sounding board for the astrologer’s confession at the end of the story, where he reveals the truth about his past to her.

4. The Customers and Passersby:

 These are minor, unnamed characters who visit the astrologer for guidance or simply pass by his stall in the marketplace.

These characters represent the general populace who believe in astrology and rely on people like the astrologer for direction in their lives. They add to the bustling, vibrant atmosphere of the marketplace.

While they are not central to the plot, these minor characters help create the setting of the story and emphasize the astrologer’s skill in manipulating human psychology, as he can easily deceive them into thinking he possesses genuine mystical powers.