Betaal Pachisi - Story 19 - Gambling lead to Murdering

Vikrama tries again to catch vetala. After several attempts he succeeds and starts taking him to the ascetic. Vetala starts narrating him a story so that they can easily complete the long journey once again but warns him not to speak anything else he will go back to his place again.

In a village a rich man lived. He had no child. After a long time they got a son. The loved him so much that the boy was spoiled. He fell in bad company. Telling a lie became his habit. He started gambling as well. Whenever there were complaints against him, his mother overlooked it. She even did not allow her husband to scold him for all the lapses they noticed.

When the boy grew up, the Seth gave him a bag of one hundred coins and asked him to go to the grain market to buy wheat. The boy, Gopu took the bag but instead of going to the market, he went to his gambling friends and played dice with them. As a result he lost all the money. Fearing his fathers anger he told the fact to his mother. Mother out of love for the son gave him two hundred coins with instructions that he will tell his father that he had earned profit of one hundred coins. Gopu also promised to her that he will not indulge in gambling again.

But never believe the words of a gambler. After getting two hundred coins, he rushed to his gambling friends and gambled and the result was that he lost the entire amount.

The Seth and his wife soon passed away. Now Gopu had all the freedom, he made his house a gambling den. The result was that gradually he lost household jewelry, utensils and finally even the house itself and he became homeless.

Then suddenly he remembered that in nearby village Chanderpur, a close friend of his father lived. He went to his house and spoke that after selling his house etc. he was travelling when in a sea storm his ship got damaged and he lost everything. His father’s friend took pity on him. Gave him shelter and treated him as his guest. He had a daughter named Ratna who was of marriageable age. They liked the boy and decided to marry their daughter with him.

Gopu had come there to get some money. But he could not say no for marriage. After marriage when he left that place with his wife, he was worried because he had no house. He only wanted cash and no such liability. An idea came to his scheming mind. When he came near a well, he asked Ratna that there is danger of thieves around here. It is better that she removed and kept her jewelry hidden in his headwear. She removed all her ornaments and he safely kept them with him. After taking the jewelry, he pushed her in the well and ran away with the jewelry.

He again rushed to his gambling friends and gambled. As usual the result was that he lost all the jewelry and once again became beggar on the road.

In the meantime, a passerby heard the cry of Ratna and helped her to pull her out of the well. She went to her parents but instead of telling the truth she said that they were attacked by the thieves and that they had looted all their jewelry and taken Gopu with them.

After sometime Gopu thought of another scheme of getting money. He planned to visit his in laws house. When he came there and knocked at the door, Ratna opened the door. Seeing Ratna in front of him alive, he was shocked. But Ratna told him that she has spoken a lie to her parents that the thieves had looted them. Gopu was reassured that there was no danger. Ratna’s parents were happy that their son in law was back safe and sound. They assured them that if the thieves have taken jewelry, it does not matter, they will provide more jewellery to her.

One night when Ratna was asleep, Gopu got up and packed up the jewelry and was about to slip away, suddenly Ratna got up and was surprised to see him running away with the jewelry. She tried to stop him but instead Gopu stranged her with his palms and she died.

After narrating the story, the Vetala asked Vikrama to do justice and tell whether it was right on the part of Ratna to tell a lie to cover the wrong doing of her husband.

Vikram replied that it was utter foolishness of Ratna. She should have told the truth. She should understand that he was mad after money and had no love for her. After being fooled once, she should not have trusted him. She lost her life for her own foolishness.

Now that Vikrama had spoken Vetala again got an excuse to run away. But Vikram was also adamant and he ran after Vetala to recapture him.