A SUPERSTITIOUS ASTROLOGER

Man is born in the human society. That may be urban, may be rural or may be tribal society. When a baby gradually begins to grow it amalgamates itself with many odd and normal human natures whereby it develops its psychological arena accordingly. Let us come to the topic.

Near about hundred years ago while our countrymen were being sensitized an adverse situation due to British Rule. In the course of deplomatic process of administration of the Britishers some people were enjoying extraordinary privileges who were doing every thing as per their whims and caprice. Male domination in Indian society was touching the sky wherefore a large number of women were succumbed to undue torture and tyranny which was jeopardized their lives in course of transition.

There was a village in a certain province where a renowned astrologer used to spend his domestic life with his only son, wife, a younger sister. Astrology was his hereditary profession as most of the persons were adopting during that time. He was also awarded by many kings and jamindars for his accurate and infallible astrological forecast. Many times he was awarded with golden crowns for his deep culture and talents. God has created man with positive and negative qualities both. If any one has got ninety percent positive qualities,we call one a good person. On the other hand if one has got ninety percent of negative qualities we may call one bad person. Likewise that reputed Astrologer has a two number of inhuman qualities : one was over suspicion on his wife, another was to consider a woman like a doll at his beck and call exercising his male -dominating behavior.

So one morning the Jamindar ( land lord ) of his village came on with some attendants to discuss about his son's marriage to his house. His wife after finishing her daily routine works engazed herself in preparing the breakfast for the important guests. The kitchen room was the adjacent to the dining room. While she was cooking by using various types of spices while frying for making curry to be eaten with rotis ( Indian bread made of wheat flour )whereby a pungent odour was created whereby the Zamindar and his fellow men felt excessively uneasy and started sneezing continuously in the dining room. Moreover some of them began to cough due to suffocation created by the dense smoke of the wooden fuel packed inside the hearthstone.

After matrimonial discussion and intake of break fast the Zamindar along with his attendants returned from the astrologer's house. Then the gold medalist astrologer entered the kitchen and rebuked his wife, " You rascal bitch you have no at all a commonsense. Today I lost my prestige in front of the gentlemen only for you. You should have been conscious while making the curry. So you are liable to be punished. Today is the Sankranti ( solstice ) you only do fasting without a drop of water intake and put on your new Saree, Saya and blouse ( Indian woman's costume ), put also sindur ( vermilion ) on your glabela and suntha ( parting line of the hair of a woman ) and chant Mahamantra ( Hare krisna.Hare Ram ) and tonight you have to sleep in the worshipping room. That much is the atonements for your mischief i. e. Humiliation given to me who is your living God in the form of husband".

Then his wife took such rude behaviour of her husband lightly as usual as she was very innocent Odia lady. So she did accordinly and after serving dinner to her husband she slept inside the worship room happily in good faith. But her husband, the noted Jyotish ( astrologer,) was not so as she considered. It was 1 am. All the neighbours were asleep in the wintery night. The astrologer brought a long bamboo and kept on the throat of his sleeping wife and pressed by applying force of two legs on either sides. He murdered his life partner instantly without tears. Next day before sunrise he ran up to the house of the Zamindar sahab and shedding crocodile tears told everything frankly about his unforgivable crime last night. Due to the kind interference of the Zamindar Baboo keeping in view his exceptional talent, he escaped from the eyes of Court of Law and crime did pay for his cruelty by the Zamindar Sahib's powerful influence.

( An story based on only rumour as I heard from my college friend who is no more )

                     ************