रबीन्द्र नाथ की कुछ कहानी

“The Postmaster”   

Q. What do you think is the chief elements of the story – The  Postmaster? 

This  is a touching story of a city-bred young man working as a

postmaster in a remote village to earn his bread and butter. He lives

here more out of compulsion rather than a choice. Rabindranath’s

finely crafted poetic narrative brings out the haunting home-sickness

of the educated young man at a place where he finds no suitable

companion as well as the mellow natural greenery and serenity that

encompasses him here. On the other hand, the despair and agony ऑफ़

Ratan, the young orphan girl who foolishly identified her kind master

as her elder brother as he took a personal interest in her, has also

been worded very artistically in this moving story. This the

postmaster did partly to pass his long leisure which hung heavy in his

hand and partly not to be distracted by the memories of his near and

dear ones who were in Calcutta. When the moment of parting finally

came, and when the postmaster, having felt a bit of compassion for the

servant-girl, offered her recommendations and money, Ratan was

rendered heart-broken. Having believed that she was going to find

genuine love and a home sooner or later, the offer of money burned the

very core of her being. Bursting into tears, she ran away refusing all

the help. 

        The postmaster despite his not so little feelings for Ratan realised

with a heavy heart that no lasting relationship was possible with her.

Finally, as his boat begins sailing swiftly and the village of Ulapur

recedes further in the distance, he tries to find comfort in the

thought that “there are so many separations and deaths” in the world.