An Astrologer's Day by R.K.Narayan

 ‘An Astrologer’s Day’ is a story about a man who runs away from home and pretends to be an astrologer after imagining that he has committed a murder. But ironically, he runs into the same man he was running away from.

The author has used a simple language to throw light upon the life of lower class Indians. It shows how fate changes the life of a man dramatically. The incredible twist in the end when the ‘murdered man’ meets its ‘murderer’ ensures that the reader keeps turning the pages. When the end arrives there is not just a sense of relief alone but also a sense of simple astonishment that is breathtaking. All the elements of the suspense have been linked properly. There is a sense of appreciation for the astrologer as he got rid of his enemy cunningly. This is a fine suspense story. 

Summary:

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 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 packup, 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 him all the earnings 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 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 know that ironically astrologer had left his village thinking that 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.

Religion and blind faith:

The story throws light upon the fact that how people are blindly attracted to an astrologer if he takes up a religious and majestic look. The person who ignorant about his own future could successfully carry out his profession of an astrologer.

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“His forehead was resplendent with sacred ash and vermilion and his eyes sparkled with a sharp abnormal gleam which his simple clients took to be prophetic light and felt comforted.”

“To crown the effect he wound a saffron-coloured turban around his head. This colour scheme never failed. People were attracted to him as bees are attracted to cosmos or dahlia stalks.”

 Irony of fate:

  The life of an ordinary man, when touched by fate, had altered dramatically. Astrologer in past was quarrelsome by nature. Once he had passed a knife through a stranger and taking him as death, he pushed him in a well. In the fear of being caught, he left his village and settled in the city as an astrologer.

He encounters the person, whom he had thought was dead. He could divert him from his search of him. The sense of relief that this unexpected series of event brought to him.

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After dinner, sitting on the pyol, he told her: “Do you know a great load is gone from me today? I thought I had the blood of a man on my hands all these years. That was the reason why I ran from home, settled here, and married you. He is alive.” 

Conclusion:

Thus, it is a great irony that astrologer had a burden on his mind for years but when he faced Guru Nayak as his client, he was relieved. The ending of the story is sudden and the twist is very interesting. R.K.Narayan proves himself to be a great story writer with this twist and irony in the story. He has depicted the character of Astrologer with keen interest. Astrologer saves himself because of his presence of mind. The character of the Astrologer has been depicted in a perfect manner with all the minute details of his personality and nature. He is clever, decisive and intelligent enough to handle the difficult situation of life.