What Happens in Bepin Choudhury’s Lapse of Memory? Plot Explained
This story by Satyajit Ray is a humorous story of a man named Bepin Choudhary, who is tricked into thinking he had a Memory Lapse. Bepin meets a man who tries to recall a particular event about which Bepin has no clue or Memory. He feels that he is sick and has amnesia. To recover his Memory, he goes out and interacts with people who recount that event, of which Bepin had no recollection. He is eventually convinced that that event did take place and he is suffering from amnesia. The story follows his struggle as he tries to recover his memories and find out the truth behind the whole story.
However, we come to know by the end that he did not suffer from Memory loss but was tricked by his friend Chunilal as a practical joke. It was because Chunilal was suffering from a financial crisis and requested Bepin to help him get a job. As Bepin was unable to help him due to his preoccupation with other tasks, Chunilal was hurt by his indifference. Thus, he made a plan to trouble Bepin out of spite and created circumstances that made Bepin believe that he had amnesia.
He convinced others to partake in his plan and executed it artistically. First, a man named Parimal Ghose strikes up a conversation with Bepin in a bookstore as if they were old friends. Bepin is visibly confused since he had never met the man. Ghost then proceeds to talk about the trip that they took to Ranchi, but Bepin could not remember any such trip. Parimal was stunned and claimed that he could call Dinesh Mukerji as a witness since he accompanied them on the trip.
This left Bepin anxious and doubts started to hover around his mind. He lost all focus and out of anxiety, called Dinesh to validate his doubt. To his shock, Mr. Dinesh confirms the same, and thus his tension increases. Chunilal then makes an appearance enquiring about the job, but Bepin sends a servant in his stead. Still, in a confused state of mind, he later asks Chunilal about the trip, which Chunilal confirms by saying that he was the one who booked his tickets.
Finally convinced there was something wrong with his mind, he decides to consult a doctor. Chanda, the Doctor, is also left perplexed and comments that he is not good enough for his case. He, however, advises him to visit the places he forgot to trigger his memories. Bepin then visits Ranchi to recall that event, but nothing comes to fruition. Consequently, he falls unconscious at Hudroo Falls and two Gujrati persons help him.
Bepin decides to go back to Calcutta the next morning. Now, his fear and anxiousness were at a crucial stage. Fearing he would soon lose all his recollected memories, he called Dr. Chanda to see him. As he waited for the Doctor, a letter from Chunilal was delivered by his servant. In the letter, Chunilal confesses that he was the one who was behind all these events. He admits that he had acted out of spite due to Bepin's callousness to his financial troubles and his refusal to help him in his time of need.
Instead of being livid with Chunilal, Bepin, despite Chunilal's actions, felt relieved and felt no animosity towards him. When the Doctor arrived, Bepin decided to lie to him and claimed that he remembered everything about his Ranchi trip after revisiting the place. The Doctor was once again befuddled by the oddity of this case and said he would write about this in a medical journal.
About the Story
This is one part of a story written by Satyajit Ray that begins with an introduction of a man named Bipin Choudhury. Bepin is the main character who has a habit of visiting bookshops and buying books. One of the days when he was browsing through the books from the bookstore, a man approached him and told him that he was his old acquaintance, Parimal Ghose from his Ranchi trip. Initially, Bepin was convinced that the man was confusing him with someone else because he has not seen this man ever before nor he has ever been to Ranchi. But he was shocked when Parimaru revealed personal information about Bepin such as that he lost his wife a year ago, he had no children and that his brother who passed away was mentally unstable.
The man said Dinesh Mukelzi was on the same trip as him and he also tells Bepin that Mr Mukelzi could confirm the trip directly if he wanted. But Bepin ignored this and continued his life as usual. The incident continued to worry him every day, and he eventually asked Dinesh, who confirmed the credibility of the story. This made him even more confused, as he couldn't remember visiting Ranchi or ever meeting this man. This gets him really worried as he thinks that he is losing his memory. Meanwhile, his school friend Tuniral often visited him for a job that Bepin almost ignored. As time went on, Bepin felt like he had lost his memory and began to worry deeply. Therefore, because of his illness, he sought the advice of a doctor. After examining Bepin, Dr. Paresh Chanda was confused because he had never seen a similar case before. When the doctor saw Bepin's state of mind, he advised him to visit Ranchi. He thought that a second visit to the same place might bring back memories that Bepin had forgotten. Bepin listened to the doctor. He visited Ranchi in the hope of regaining Chanda's advice and his Memory of past incidents, but it was useless.
He returned back to Calcutta even more confused now than ever. He called the doctor again. But just before the doctor arrives for a regular medical examination, the servant brings to Bepin a letter which was marked"urgent and confidential" that someone left for him in the mailbox. When he read the letter he realized that his friend Chunilal was messing his mind up as an act of sweet revenge because he didn't help him when he was in desperate need of work. He said Bepin could have helped him, but he chose to avoid him. So he made all this up and soon it will be a published novel. After reading the letter, Bepin was dejected and felt guilty for avoiding Chunilal when he asked for help. Finally, when Dr Chanda arrived, Bepin lied to him stating that he had revived his memories of his trip to Ranchi instead of saying that it was just a prank pulled by his friend and then proceeded to ask for a painkillers prescription for pain in his hip.
FAQs on Bepin Choudhury’s Lapse of Memory: Complete Summary & Analysis
1. What is a brief explanation of the plot of 'Bepin Choudhury's Lapse of Memory'?
This story by Satyajit Ray is about Bepin Choudhury, a man who is led to believe he has forgotten a significant part of his life—a trip to Ranchi. A stranger, Parimal Ghose, confronts him with vivid details of this supposed trip, causing Bepin immense anxiety. As more 'evidence' mounts, he begins to doubt his own sanity, until the end reveals it was all an elaborate prank orchestrated by his old friend, Chunilal, as revenge for Bepin's indifference during his time of need.
2. Who is Bepin Choudhury and what are his main character traits?
Bepin Choudhury is the protagonist of the story. He is a well-to-do, solitary man who works a responsible job and is an avid reader. Initially, he is shown as a bit of a snob, with a good but selective memory. He is also portrayed as a person who is easily manipulated and prone to anxiety when his orderly world is challenged. His refusal to help his old friend Chunilal reveals a side of him that is uncharitable and forgetful of past friendships.
3. What was the actual reason for Bepin Choudhury's supposed memory loss?
Bepin Choudhury never actually suffered from a lapse of memory. The entire episode was a carefully planned prank by his former friend, Chunilal. Chunilal was seeking revenge because Bepin Babu had refused to help him find a job when he was struggling financially. The 'memory loss' was fabricated through a series of staged encounters and a letter to make Bepin feel the same helplessness that Chunilal had experienced.
4. How does Satyajit Ray build suspense and humour in the story?
Satyajit Ray masterfully blends suspense and humour through several key techniques:
- Suspense: This is built through the gradual introduction of 'evidence' against Bepin's memory. The detailed accounts from Parimal Ghose, Dinesh Mukerji's confirmation, and the mention of a wound on his leg make the reader, along with Bepin, question what is real.
- Humour: The humour is subtle and psychological. It arises from Bepin's growing panic, his comical desperation to remember, and the dramatic irony of the situation, where the audience suspects a trick while Bepin is in turmoil. The final reveal turns the entire suspenseful plot into a humorous tale of a prank.
5. What is the main theme or message in 'Bepin Choudhury's Lapse of Memory'?
The central theme of the story is the importance of empathy and friendship. It serves as a cautionary tale about how indifference and a lack of compassion towards others can have unexpected consequences. Bepin's refusal to help his friend Chunilal leads directly to his own psychological distress. The story also explores the fragility of human memory and how easily our sense of reality can be manipulated.
6. What is the significance of the story's title?
The title, 'Bepin Choudhury's Lapse of Memory', is significant because it operates on two levels. On a literal level, it refers to the supposed memory loss that drives the plot. However, on a deeper, ironic level, it points to Bepin's real lapse of memory: his failure to remember his old friend, Chunilal, in his time of need. This symbolic lapse—forgetting his duty as a friend—is what causes the fictional lapse of memory about the Ranchi trip.
7. Why did Chunilal play such an elaborate prank on Bepin Babu?
Chunilal's motive for the prank was revenge born from desperation and a feeling of being wronged. He had been a school friend of Bepin's and had fallen on hard times, desperately needing a job. When he sought help, Bepin Babu was cold and unhelpful. Chunilal felt that a man with no feelings deserved to be taught a lesson. His prank was a form of poetic justice, designed to punish Bepin's indifference by shaking his confidence and sense of self.
8. How did Dr. Chanda's advice to visit Ranchi affect Bepin Choudhury?
Dr. Paresh Chanda, a physician, was puzzled by Bepin's unique case. His suggestion to visit Ranchi was a practical attempt to trigger Bepin's memory. This advice became a crucial plot device that pushed Bepin to the brink of his anxiety. When he visited Ranchi and still could not remember anything, he became convinced he was losing his mind. This heightened his breakdown right before Chunilal's letter arrived to reveal the truth, making the final revelation more impactful.
