Bepin Choudhary’s Lapse of Memory

Bepin Choudhary’s Lapse of Memory

                                                      By Satyajit Ray

 

Analysis: 

·      The Story ‘Bepin Choudhary’s Lapse of Memory’ is written by Satyajit Ray, a great film director, story writer and Dada Saheb Phalke Award winner for having made enormous contribution to Indian film industry.

·      This story is about Bipin Choudhary who is known for his sharp memory and love for reading books. But he fails to prove his friendship and suffers as its consequence.

·      The story is quite humorous and interesting. It keeps the readers glued till the end of the story.

·      The story teaches us that friendship is very important in our life and we should help our friends in need as a friend in need is friend, indeed.

 

Summary / Synopsis:

It is a humorous story in which the main character, Bepin Chaudhary is made to believe that he has lost his memory. Bepin Choudhury was a regular visitor at Kalicharan’s book shop in the New Market as he is fond of reading books. That day, when he was browsing books in the library, a meek looking person was staring at him with a smile. Bepin Babu did not recognise him. He was surprised at this and told Bepin Babu that his name is Parimal Ghosh and he had been with him for a week at his trip to Ranchi in 1958. Bepin Babu said that the man was mistaken as he had never been to Ranchi and he had never met him.

But Ghosh looked at him in disbelief and narrated the incidents of the journey such as Bepin Babu had injured his knee in Hudroo and he had come to his help and Mr. Dinesh Mukerji was also in Ranchi at that time. He also told that Mr. Choudhury had stayed in a hired bungalow while Mukerji remained with his sister. He also told that he always carried a bag with his books on his trips, his wife is dead and his only brother died insane. When he told that the trip was made in the month of October, Bepin Babu said that in October, 1958, he was with his friend at Kanpur.

Bepin Babu asked his driver Sitaram to drive by the Ganga. He regretted having paid attention to Ghosh. Yet the incident haunted his mind. The man knew a great deal about him. Now, he was doubtful. Suddenly he thought of writing to Haridas Bagchi, his host at Kanpur but he had left for Japan a few weeks before.

Bepin Babu rolled up his trousers and took a look at his right knee and he found a cut mark, there. Then he thought of going to Dinesh Mukerji and enquire about the incident but hesitated as Dinesh was never his well-wisher.

Next day Bepin Babu decided to ring up Dinesh. To his surprise, Dinesh confirmed that he went to Ranchi in 1958. He had lost his appetite and was worried.

Bepin Babu had been in that firm for twenty five years. For the first time he was feeling sick. He came home early after lunch.

In the evening Chunilal had come. Chunilal was his school friend but was having a rough time. He wanted Bepin Babu’s help about a job. Bepin Babu knew he could not do anything so he sent word that he could not meet Chunilal for few weeks. Then suddenly, he hurried down to see him. He asked Chunilal if he remembered anything about his visit to Ranchi in 1958. Chunilal looked at his face with concern and asked if he had taken drugs otherwise, how a man with such sharp a memory could forget it. Chunilal had himself booked his tickets as he was working in a travel agency and went to the station to see him off.

Bepin Babu decided to consult a specialist. He went to Dr. Paresh Chandra and explained everything. The doctor was puzzled at this unusual case. He remembered everything except his trip to Ranchi. So, the doctor suggested that he should go to Ranchi again. The sight of the place might remind him of the trip.

Following his doctor’s advice, Bepin Babu went to Ranchi. But at the railway station itself, he felt certain that he had never been there before. He went round the city and had the same feeling. He also went to Hudroo Falls. But there, two Gujarati gentlemen found him unconscious beside a boulder. On regaining consciousness he felt he was finished and there’s no hope left because he could not remember anything about the trip.

Next morning, he was back in Calcutta. He worried if he would never get his memory back and he was going to end up in an asylum. He rang up Dr. Chandra and asked him to come over. That day he went to bed with an ice bag clamped on his head. Then he received a letter. It was from Chunilal. In his letter Chunilal had first expressed his bitterness for getting no help from Bepin Babu. Then he frankly told Bepin Babu that his memory was alright. It was his plan in retribution against his unconcerned and unsympathetic behaviour. In fact, he had played a practical joke upon him with the help of Mr Ghosh and Dinesh Mukerji. Now, it was clear to Bepin Babu that he had not really lost his memory.

When Dr. Chandra came, Bepin Babu told a lie that he had remembered everything on reaching Ranchi Railway station. He asked him to prescribe a pain-killer for the pain in his hip due to a fall in Ranchi.

Important Question Answers

Q1. Write a small paragraph about Bepin Choudhary.

Ans. Bepin Choudhury was known for having a sharp memory. He was a regular visitor at Kalicharan’s book shop in the New Market and always carried a bag of books on his trips as he was fond of reading books. His wife had been dead for years and his only brother died insane. Bepin Babu had been working daily in his office for 25 years. It was a big firm, and he was doing a responsible job and since then he had never forgotten any work or important detail. He wasn’t aware of anything ever going seriously wrong. That day itself he spoke for half an hour at an important meeting. For the first time he was told that he forgot an important incident of his life. But, he failed to prove himself as a good friend as he neglected his school friend, Chunni Lal’s financial problems and didn’t help him in his need.

Q2. Mention any three things Parimal Gosh knew about Bepin Cuoudhary.

Ans. Parimal Ghosh met Bepin Choudhary at Kalicharan’s Book shop in New market and told three important things about him in order to convince Bepin that he knew him very well. Parimal told him that Bepin was a regular visitor at Kalicharan’s book shop and always carried a bag of books on his sight seeing trips as he was fond of reading books. The second thing he told was that his wife had been dead for ten years. Thirdly, his only brother died insane and that’s why he didn’t visit mental hospital in Ranchi.