Real Time by Amit Chaudhuri

Real Time
Amit Chaudhuri

Amit Chaudhuri is a well-known Indian writer in English. Most of his stories are
situated in Kolkata in 1980’s. He presents the life style of upper middles class
families in Kolkata. This particular short story portrays how even death of a
person is seen in a light hearted manner. Even though the name of the city is not
mentioned in the story it is understood from the reading it as Kolkata.

The story revolves around a memorial service for a young woman, Anjali Poddar,
who committed suicide by jumping off the third-story balcony of her parents’
apartment building. The story is narrated in the third-person from the point of
view of the main character, MrMitra, middle-aged, professional man who, with
his wife, is attending the shraddh ceremony for Anjali. The story opens with Mr
and MrsMitra in their Ambassador car on their way to the shraddh – the
memorial ceremony for Anjali. His botheration about his white cotton dress and
sandals on the way to buy flowers indicate his visit as a formal one. They reach
the apartment building and MrMitra hands over the tuberoses without saying
anything that is no words of condolence are given. Then he walks around the
rooms aimlessly, his mind resting on one object or another briefly. Mrs. Mitra sits
with Anjali’s mother quietly. Later men discuss about business and women discuss
about dress shops and so no. Everyone’s presence indicate it as a formal visit and
no one bothered much about Anjali.
The pain of loss and grief remain completely avoided and every one becomes
conscious to avoid discussion regarding Anjali. MrMitra eats a sandesh, drinks a
Fanta, and has a chat with an acquaintance. At the end he catches his wife’s eye
to indicate that it was time to leave and felt that it had all been a waste of time.
No sympathy, no condolences, no real concern about the tragic loss suffered by
the Taluktars is portrayed in the story. In the case of Mr. MItra, hecomes there as
a duty and he does not feel any sympathy for what the family is going through. He
is keen that this duty to be over soon so that he can return home, back to the
routines (going to the club, buying cookies for tea on the way home, visiting New
Market, lunch of daal, rice and fish).The story satirizes the society which looks at
everything in a mechanical manner.