Betaal Pachisi - Story 25 - The Curse of poverty

Vikram again controlled Vetala and took him on his shoulder. Vetala started narrating him a story so that they could easily complete the long journey. He however warns him not to speak anything, else he would go back to his place again.

It was a story of a poor man named Apoorva. He was too poor but he desired to become rich somehow. He had a friend named Avinash who was rich. Apoorva’s daughter Anjali and Avinash’s son Satyakam, loved each other from the their childhood. Apoorva was too eager to become rich somehow.

Once the opportuniity arose. Avinash proposed to go on pilgrimage to Ayodhya for a few days. He asked his friend that in his absence his son will settle the loans which he has taken from others. He asked his friend Apoorva to help him in his activity. He also suggested that after returning from the pilgrimage he will think about marrying Anjali and Satyakam. At that moment he went away to collect the birth details of son so that he could get it verified from the local priest. The moment provided him an opportunity. A vicious idea entered his mind and he stole the ledger from the box which Avinash left unlocked during the moment. As Apoorva wanted to become rich somehow, he made false signature of Avinash and manipulated the loan figures and then stealthily kept the register in the box.

Satyakam was not aware of the manipulations. He repaid loan as per the entries thinking that his father has committed accordingly. Apoorva had doubled the loan figures and Satyakam had to pay twice the amount actually taken on loan. After paying the loan amount all his money got exhausted and he promised to sell his house to repay the remaining loan. Apoorva took commission from his friends and he also told them that when one of them gets the house, one fourth of the house will also have his share. While he was talking, his daughter Anjali overhead their conversation and understood that his father has cheated Satyakam.

Anjali knew that Satyakam will not say anything against his father. So she took the initiative and appeared before the king with a complaint against her own father. The king turned down her complaint saying that a daughter cannot complain against her own father. The affected person should come forward to complain then only some action will be taken.

Anjali talked to Satyakam about it. But Satyakam refused to lodge any complaint. He said that it bring a bad name to his father. The prince Amrish who had seen Anjali at the kings Darbar liked her and sent a man disguised as a Sadhu to watch her. He understood that she loved Satyakam.

Avinash while taking a bath at Saryu River slipped away and died. However, due to his love for the son his soul wandered homeward. There he saw the condition of his son and also understood the trick played by the friends to cheat his son. So he started taking that money back from them through his powers. Lenders ran away on seeing Avinash there leaving back the money and documents. Then Avinash approached Apoorva. He told Apoorva that I have come to know that you have become quite rich recently. Please give me a loan of one lac and I shall repay you tomorrow. Apoorva demanded interest 20 percent. Avinash agreed and asked him to come to the temple tomorrow where he will be repaid. When Apoorva went there he found Avinash and three more of his friends who had died long back. Apoorva expressed surprise about them saying that how come they had died long back. They admitted that they were dead. Avinash also stood with them and said that he too was dead and the dead do not repay. Avinash said that he would not get his money back any more.

Apoorva became poor again. The very friends whom Apoorva had benefited refused to help him. He became hungry. Once he got a chapati, unfortunately the dog ate away. He was totally ruined.

On the other hand, prince Amrish sent his soldiers to kill Satyakam. He came across a magician who could change the appearance of persons. He got himself appear as Satyakam and thought of marrying Anjali in the form of her lover.

Apoorva in a shattered condition saw a number of persons going towards his house. When enquired someone told him that they were going for the marriage of Apoorva’s daughter. Apoorva too went inside. Anjali saw him. In the meantime the real Satyakam also came there. When Anjali saw him, she was surprised that she was marrying Satyakam. If Satyakam is here then who is the one whom she is marrying. The arrival of Satyakam changed the appearance of the prince and he came in his original form. The magician who happened to be with them told the prince that he had already warned him that if per chance the real Satyakam turns up them the prince will get back to his appearance and that the magician himself would die. And the same happened.

Seing the real Satyakam, the prince Amrish commented. So you are still alive. I see so you had sent the men to kill me. The prince said never mind, I will do it now. He asked his men to forcefully take away Anjali. Suddenly Anjali’s father comes forward and says I will not let you do that. The king also arrived there and scolded prince Amrish for troubling the masses. He takes him away.

Then there appears Avinash. Avinash very politely tells his friend Apoorva that if he needed money he should have told him. Why did he cheat and manipulate with the ledger. He would have gladly given him the needed amount. Then in a friendly gesture he gave one lac to him saying that he needs them more than anyone else. Apoorva took the money but on a second thought handed it over to Satyakam.

Having told the story to king Vikram, Vetala asked him to honestly answer why did Apoorva return that easy money to Satyakam? Vikram replied that Apoorva had seen all the three forms of money. When he was poor, when he had enough and when again he was left with none. All the three forms are painful. One suffers without money. Suffering is all the more to earn it and to take care of it. And one suffers all the more when one loses it.

Vetala agreed with Vikram and as he had committed earlier, he slipped away saying you have spoken, so I am going. Good bye. Please stop trying to catch me.