Book Review: The Lady with the Dog and Other Stories by Anton Chekhov (Translated by Constance Garnett)

This volume contains nine amazing short stories.  It touches on the themes of hope, despair, married life, choice, love, ego, time, happiness, life and freedom. The short stories include the Lady with the Dog, A Doctor's Visit, An Upheaval, Ionitch, The Head of the Family, The Black Monk, Volodya, An Anonymous Story and The Husband.

Chekov writes (from In The Lady with the Dog): " Useless pursuits and conversations always about the same things absorb the better part of one's time, the better part of one's strength, and in the end there is left a life groveling and curtailed, worthless and trivial, and there is no escaping or getting away from it- just as though one were in a madhouse or a prison" (p. 9).

Chekov was born in 1860 in Russia and died in 1904 in a German town. I think Anton Chekov is one of the greatest short story writers of the world. People reading him in Russian are very lucky.

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Away from the Crowd

Shah lived in a joint family. His father, a hardworking farmer was known for his hospitality. Shah lived with his uncles, aunts, siblings, cousins, nephews and nieces. Growing up, Shah knew that with time he would have to take more responsibility of his family members. 

Like his father, Shah worked very hard. But his father kept him away from the fields and pastures. His father wanted him to do pursue higher education and be the first university graduate from his family.

Shah's father had limited land and animals, but whatever he had, he made sure his youngest son got the best of it. Sometimes Shah's school fee was covered by selling fruits, cattle, butter and firewood. Shah was very punctual and would never miss school.

Passing grade 12 with good grades, Shah got admitted to a medical school with scholarship in Punjab. His father continued supporting him. He kept sending money to his son studying in the Bahawalpur, knowing that one day he would become a doctor.

After five years of hard work Shah became a doctor and started serving as a doctor in his village. His father was very happy as people congratulated him on the success of his son becoming the first doctor of the village.

One early winter morning Shah's father passed away. This left Shah devastated. Shah had just started enjoying his life, as he had secured a job, got married and had kids. His father's demise shattered him!

Shah's elder brother took control of the farms. Shah left his job in the village and moved to the city with his three children and wife. He started saving money and made sure that his children get good education. Shah's children did not perform well in school but he managed emigrate them to Canada.

When Shah turned 60, he was asked to retire. He did! Shah wanted to shift to his village. As per the local custom, being the youngest male in the family he requested his elder brother to hand over the ancestral house to him. His brother refused. He said: " People say you have made a lot of money! When do you plan to spend it?" Shah did not reply.

Shah wanted to build a house, but he did not have land. He purchased a piece of overpriced land as his urgency was someone's opportunity. His wife also put a lot of pressure on him. Shah wanted to avoid any type of conflict with his elder brother.

After nearly two slow years of construction, when the house was completed, Shah's relatives started objecting! His neighbors also shunned him. They said that he was a show-off, as they thought that a lot had been spent on a house which was barely occupied during the summer, for three months.

Today Shah continues to stay away from the crowd! He avoids going to his village. He finds peace in drinking, in his house in the city. 

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My Batchmate

 

Yesterday, I met one of my undergraduate batch fellows (BN) in the capital. Back in the university, he studied economics. I remember him saying how he would teach children in a small rural school, after graduation. Usually after making this particular point he would often smile. Seeing him smile strengthened my belief that he had other plans in his mind.

Yesterday while having green tea, he was busy with his phone sending voice notes. Upon asking him about the urgency, he told me that some one's official work has been stuck in the government department and he (BN) is being asked to fast track the process.

During our conversation, he told me that his elder brother earns between 0.2-0.3 million per day. Both of them serve the same government department, but at different duty stations. He told me how corruption had become rampant in the department and no one can avoid it. He smiled after saying this! He said people from humble background who join the department cause havoc and do a lot of corruption.

BN said that he wants to go for a PhD, after taking an official leave. When I asked him why, he said that if he completes a PhD he can have better chances of applying directly for senior government positions. Currently, he is happy with his junior position, as he wants to construct his own house and earn money. After completing these two tasks, he would would join a BS-19 position and live comfortably.

This batchmate of mine also told me a story of one of his super seniors in the department. Without naming him, he said that in addition to making a lot of money, his super senior owns lands, houses and even a diary farm (of nearly a hundred cows). One cows cost him 0.8 million rupees and he bought all the cows from Australia.

Before saying goodbye to each other, he asked me about the price of my shoes. I told him!

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The Ideal Job

Sitting on a velvet sofa, he gazes at his little grandson. He smiles at him, who is busy building a tower with his lego pieces. The tower crumbles!  Removing his spectacles, the proud grandfather loudly says: "My grandson will become an engineer."

Replying to this the boy's grandma enters the sitting area and says: "A government engineer." To which her husband replies: "Obviously."

In a mild tone the grandpa says: " A government job is like a spring, it keeps flowing." Grandpa's dislike for private sector job is well known among his relatives. Once his nephew told him about how much he enjoyed his job. To which he replied: "Okay, but still it is not a government job."

Everyday at dinner, grandpa delivers lectures on the importance of government job.  He gives his own example of a retired government servant who now enjoys life, after retiring at sixty. Grandpa completed his Masters in religious studies, passed the government examination and got appointed in the audit and accounts department.

During his dinner sermons, his children would never ask him about his education and his mismatch of profession. They would simply nod their heads, avoid asking him questions knowing that he would be infuriated.

One day at dinner, one of his sons made an effort to break the silence. He asked his father if he would allow him to start a business. This made the retired bureaucrat really angry. Looking at his son over his golden spectacles, he did not utter a word signaling his son to shut up!

It was only when tea was served after dinner that their father broke the silence. He said: "What do you guys want. Look at me, I passes the exam and achieved what I had planned. Today, I have pension, two houses, cars, land and respect. What will you do with a business? Lose all the money?"

Grandpa got breathless and went to his room slamming the door. In a few seconds he returned with a red face and said: "Look at your mother and your uncles. They get paid for doing nothing. Who does not want such a life? Such an ideal job? If you work hard you get the reward."

He shut the door again! In disappointment, he asked himself: " When will my children learn?" 

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BMW

Growing up in a small village Masti Khan saw many hardships. His father was a small trader who barely managed to feed his whole family.

Masti studied at a local school, but this did not stop him from helping his father in his business.  After completing grade ten, Masti went to the nearest town. He was a very hardworking student who would never miss his school lessons. He submitted his home assignments on time and was very organized. 

As years went by Masti did his graduation from a university in a nearby town. Immediately, he applied for the civil bureaucracy exams. He was very keen to join the bureaucracy, as from an early age he saw many bureaucrats posted in his village, which was also the district headquarter. Inspired by the power, wealth and connections of the bureaucrat he remained very committed to his cause.

In his second attempt he passed his exams and got posted as a government officer in the tax collection department. Masti's father could not see his son's growth within the bureaucracy as he died of cardiac arrest. 

Masti got posted in different cities and learned how to make extra money, besides his salary. He bought a house, car and married off all his daughters. Except for the youngest one, Masti setup businesses for all his sons.

Babu, his youngest son was to follow his father's footsteps. He wanted him to appear for the civil bureaucracy exams. Babu said he was ready for it. The motivation was a BMW. Masti said to his son: "I promise to gift you a BMW, if you clear your exams."

Impatient and excited, Babu starts preparing for his exams. He follows a strict routine. He does not miss his prayers, goes to the coaching center and smokes his joint before sleeping.

As months pass by, Babu observes that preparing for the bureaucracy exam is much of a mental strain. Masti Khan is busy with a religious group which propagates religion in every corner of the country. He wishes that his son also follows him after retiring from the government job. Masti grew very religious after retirement. He thinks that the next world is the real world and everyone should make an effort to make it better.

Babu informs his father and discontinues his exam preparation. There and then he joins the same religious group which propagates religion and helps in conversion. This is to not cause his father any annoyance. Rather than gifting him a BMW Masti establishes a car showroom for his youngest son. Masti now prepares for his son's marriage. 

After the wedding, now Babu makes sure he rolls his joint at work, before returning home. He does not go out with his friends. Instead, he travels with his father to the remote areas of the country, preparing for the next world.

 

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