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The Astrologer started his day like any other day. He sat under the tamarind tree, spread all his equipment like Cowrie shell, a square piece of cloth which had an obscure mystic chart, a notebook, and a bundle of a palmyra writing. His forehead was decorated with sacred ash & vermilion, a saffron-colored turban was rolled around his head and had dark whiskers. His appearance enhances the power of his eyes & helpful to attract his clients., It was a crowded marketplace with varied trades and occupations. We can experience the struggle of the people to be successful in their business or profession. Here the astrologer is not the only person who is cheating the people but others also, for example, a vendor of fried groundnut who called his wares a fancy name each day. Now it was dark enough but the marketplace did not have sufficient lighting. Some people have their lights but one or two like astrologers had to manage without lights of their own., Then writer tells us about the astrologer’s past life. The astrologer didn’t want to be an astrologer. It is his fate that made him an astrologer. In the past, he had to left his village without any previous thought or plan. So he settled in this village and became an astrologer for his subsistence. He was successful in pleased and astonished people though he didn’t have any knowledge about astrology. Even he was unable to pretend about his own life. How? It’s just because he studied the human mind, his many year’s practices, some tricks, and obviously guesswork., At the end of the day when the astrologer started to bundled up, he saw a man. Assuming he was a client he started chatting with him. The man expressed doubt on the astrologer’s knowledge. The astrologer took it as a challenge and started to predict. He said all the similar things that he said to others. But the man catches his trick and stopped him. Then he gave an offer to the astrologer and they made a deal that if the astrologer’s answer satisfied the man then the man has to give him eight annas otherwise the astrologer has to give him all his collection of that day., Then they both sat down and the man lightens the cheroot (type of cigar). In that deem light, the astrologer got the sight of his face. Now the astrologer was very uncomfortable and again started to bundled up. But the man didn’t let him go. So the astrologer started predicting. He told the man that he was tried to be killed and left him for dead. The agreed and told that he was finding that person to take revenge. Then the astrologer amazed him by calling his name ‘Guru Nayak’. Now the man had faith in him. The astrologer took advantage of this chance and warned the man to leave the village soon for his safety and convince the man to believe that the person he was searching for was dead now., In the end, when the astrologer reached home and was talking with his wife, the secret of the story is revealed that the person whom the man was searching is not anyone but the astrologer himself. This is the event for that he was run away from home and became an astrologer. Finally, we can say that is a fine example of Indian society where people are so superstitious., An Astrologer’s Day: choose the correct answers, 1. The background of R.K.Narayan’s novels and short stories is Malgudi., a. Malgudi b. Chennai c. The town Hall Park, 2. Many years ago the astrologer had stabbed a man and left him for dead., a. studied astrology b. Stabbed a man and left him for dead c. Read the stanger’s palm, 3. The astrologer had nolight., a. a green light b. No light c. A red light, 4. ‘Raja’s Delicacy’ is the name given to a stale sweet by a vendor of fried groundnuts., a. eaten by Rajas only b. Eaten by the astrologer c. The name given to a stale sweet by a vendor of fried groundnuts, 5. The astrologer demands five rupees form the stranger., a. five rupees b. Twelve annas and a half c. Three pies, 6. The stranger gave the astrologer twelve annas and a half., a. Twelve annas b. Twelve annas and a half c. One rupee, 7. The astrologer asked the stranger to to remain in his village for ever., a. come to the city often b. Go to the Raja c. To remain in his village for ever, 8. The astrologer warned the stranger never to travel in southern direction., a. northern b. Southern c. Eastern, 9. The astrologer’s wife wanted to make sweets with the money., a. some dish b. Sweets c. Savouries, 10. In the past, the astrologer had stabbed a villager., a. stabbed a villager b. Killed a villager c. Poisoned a villager, 11. The astrologer confessed the truth to his wife., a. the stranger b. His wife c. His child, 12. The stranger’s name is Guru Nayak., a. Guru Nanak b. Guru Wala c. Guru Nayak, Q1. What was the astrologer’s professional equipment?, Ans. The astrologer knew nothing of his profession. But he had all the professional equipment with him. His articles included a dozen cowrie shells, a square piece of cloth with a strange chart on it, a notebook and some other little things., Q2. How did he give his face the look of an astrologer?, Ans. The astrologer’s knew nothing of his profession. But he gave himself the look of a perfect astrologer. His forehead was marked with sacred ash and vermilion. He wore a saffron coloured turban round his head., Q3. Where did he sit every day?, Ans. The astrologer would sit under a tree on a public road. It was a busy road. A crowd of people always kept moving up and down, from morning till night., Q4. Who were the other professionals on the road where the astrologer carried on his business?, Ans. The astrologer carried on his business under a tree on a public road. Besides him, the other professionals on that road were- medicine-seller, magicians, sellers of stolen goods, a seller of cheap cloth and a vendor of fried groundnut., Q5. What were the different names given by the vendor of fried groundnuts to his groundnuts?, Ans. Every day the vendor would give his groundnuts fancy names to attract the customers. He would call it ‘Bombay ice-cream’ one day. The next day he would call it ‘Delhi almond’. On the third day, he would call it ‘Rajas delicacy’ and so on., Q6. What was the source of light used by the astrologer during the evening hours?, Ans. The astrologer had no light arrangement of his own. There was a groundnut vendor sitting near him. The groundnut vendor had a light above the heap of his groundnut. The astrologer would do his work by this light. Besides this, the lights from the nearby shops also helped him., Q7. How does Narayan describe the astrologer’s knowledge of astronomy?, Ans. The astrologer had no knowledge of astrology or astronomy. He knew as little of it as his customers. He did his job through guesswork and though common understanding of human psychology. First he would let a customer speak for at least ten minutes. It gave him enough stuff for the answer., Q8. What would the astrologer have done if he had continued to live in his old village?, Ans. The astrologer had to leave his village due to some reason. But if he had continued to live there, he would have carried on the work of his forefathers- tilling the land, living, marrying and ripening in his cornfield and ancestral home., Q9. How could the astrologer ‘guess’ his ‘clients’ problems?, Ans. The astrologer did not know anything of the stars or astrology. It was only a matter of practice and guesswork for him. He would always say thing which pleased his customers. First, he would let a customer speak for at least ten minutes. It gave him enough stuff for the answer., Q10. What was the challenge thrown by the client to the astrologer?, Ans. The client said to the astrologer that he had to ask questions and that he was ready to pay the price he wanted. But he challenged the astrologer that if he was found bluffing, he would have to return his money with interest., Q11. How could the astrologer rightly guess the past of the client?, Ans. The astrologer already knew that stranger. He was the same man, Guru Nayak, whom the astrologer had stabbed a few years ago in his village. He had pushed the man into a well and left him for dead. That was why he could rightly guess the past of the stranger., Q12. What did the astrologer tell his wife?, Ans. He told his wife that a great load was gone from him. All these years, he had thought that he had the blood of a man on his hands. And it was for this reason that he had run away from his village., ‘He is alive!’’ he said.