Question

Explore Tarapada’s relationship with Annapurna and Charushashi in the short story, Athiti. Why, in your opinion, does Tarapada leave Kathaliya? Answer in 200-250 words.

Answer 1

In Rabindranath Tagore’s “Atithi,” Tarapada’s relationships with Annapurna and Charushashi are very important to knowing who he is and why he leaves Kathaliya in the end. Annapurna feels close to Tarapada, a traveler with no set plans, and thinks of him as a son. Her efforts to feed him, care for him, and find out about his past show how much she loves him like a child. Still, Tarapada stays emotionally distant. He appreciates her kindness, but he doesn’t let her love tie him down. With Charushashi, on the other hand, things are more complicated. Charu, a selfish and jealous child, thinks that Tarapada is hers alone. She acts badly because she is jealous, like breaking his flute or getting in the way of his studies. Even though she does crazy things, Tarapada finds her funny and puts up with her temper tantrums, but he never fully returns her affection.

Tarapada leaves Kathaliya because his natural need for freedom is stronger than his love for her and the rules of society. In the story, Tarapada is shown to be a traveler who can’t be held down by love, care, or even the thought of getting married. His past of leaving behind people who become too attached to him is a sign that he is leaving. It looks like he’s about to get caught in the family and love plans of Motilal Babu and Annapurna, who want to marry him to Charu in Kathaliya. As he looks at the busy fair and hears the call of the open river, his desire for a free, roaming life comes back. Tarapada’s exit is a sign that he doesn’t want to follow social rules and wants to live a free life without relationships or duties. His character shows the tension between caring about other people and wanting to be free, which makes his departure both necessary and sad.