The Postmaster is a story authored by Famous Indian poet and writer, Rabindranath Tagore. The story was originally published in 1891. As like title the story is about postmaster who is posted in village, Ulapur.
The Postmaster Summary By Rabindranath Tagore
Summary of The Postmaster By R.N Tagore
Rabindranath Tagore’s ” The Postmaster” begins with postmaster who is recently posted to a small village, Ulapur. There is an Indigo factory established in Ulapur which is own by an English man. The postmaster comes to Ulapur for his job but he doesn’t seem to like it here. He wants to go back his home, Calcutta. Uplapur is a dehanti village where everywhere is plants and trees.
The Postmaster does not make any friends in his office as he feels uncomfortable to talk with strangers. He is not used to Dehati village like Ulapur as he belongs to city like calcutta. The postmaster’s salary is very less due to which he cooks his food himself.
He shares his food with orphan girl, Ratan, who in return helps him in household work. Ratan used to sit outside at postmaster’s house and wait for his voice. She never shows it to postmaster that she is waiting outside at his house for his call.
When postmaster calls Ratan, she just asks him one question, did you call me, sir ? As usual postmaster asks Ratan, what are you doing ? She replies I’m lighting a fire in stove. And he asks her to fire his cigar before stove. This is how Ratan and Postmaster conversation starts daily. She used to sit outside daily at postmaster’s house and postmaster used to call her daily.
One day, Postmaster ask Ratan, do you know anything about your mother ? Ratan replies that she does not know much about her mother but she knows about her father. Ratan believes that her father used to love her much. She tells him that she had one brother with whom she used to play. Ratan is remembering her old days and smiling.
The postmaster starts to fall asleep, Ratan bake her bread fast and goes to sleep after taking their dinner. Many evenings used to pass like this where postmaster share his home memories to Ratan. He used to miss her home a lot and tells her about his mother and sister.
The postmaster does not share his heart feelings to anyone except Ratan. She used to listen postmaster’s words very carefully. One noon, postmaster was sitting empty on his break time, it was raining heavily and after rain whole village is smelling amazing.
The postmaster is enjoying this beautiful moment alone, he was thinking if someone would be here with him then it would be best moments. He is feeling alone. Thereafter, postmaster calls Ratan, she was sitting beneath Guava tree and eating guava.
As soon as she heard a voice of postmaster, she goes to him immediately. She says do you calling me ? The postmaster says I was thinking that I should teach you to write and learn so that you can read anything. The postmaster teach Alphabets to Ratan whole noon. She is learning fast.
There is heavy rain going on in village and there was no sign of stopping it. One morning, Ratan was waiting for postmaster’s call. When Postmaster does not call her, she goes at his home and saw him sleeping. She decides not disturb him and returning from his home but postmaster heard her and tells her that he is ill. He ask her to touch his head ask do my forehead is very warm ?
The little girl Ratan is taking care of postmaster like she is his sister or mother. She calls doctor and gives him medicine on time. She sits by postmaster’s pillow whole night to help him whenever he ask for help. Ratan also makes Dalia for him.
The postmaster can’t bear loneliness anymore and wants to go back his home, he send application to Calcutta for his transfer. In application, postmaster wrote that this place is very unhealthy for him and please do my transfer.
On the other side, Ratan is happy because postmaster is recovering. She used to wait for postmaster call but he stopped calling her. Ratan goes to see him and saw him sitting alone, she felt that postmaster is sick of this place due to loneliness.
Ratan was waiting for postmaster call while postmaster is waiting for his application response. Ratan starts revising his alphabets which he learned from postmaster. Finally after one week, Postmaster calls Ratan. She immediately goes to him running and ask, did you call me ?
The Postmaster says that I’m going back to my village, she asks him when you will return then ? He replies that he will never come back to this village. He tells her that few days ago he sent application for his transfer which is rejected. Therefore, he is quitting is job and going back to his village. They both kept silenced for long time. Afterwards, Ratan goes in kitchen and starts cooking but she does not seem to like doing it now.
Ratan ask postmaster with innocent face, would you take me with you in your home ? The postmaster started laughing and does not take Ratan’s word seriously. Ratan keep thinking whole night as there is no one in this world to take care of her. The postmaster was like a god for her who shared food with her daily.
In next morning, Ratan pack up everything for postmaster before he wakes up. The postmaster says to Ratan that you don’t need to worry as I will told new postmaster to look after you like me. These words of postmaster hurt Ratan and she ask him not to tell anyone about her. The postmaster was shocked to see this behaviour of Ratan as she never talk to her like this before.
Thereafter, new postmaster comes in village and old postmaster gives keys to new postmaster and starts preparing to go back his village. The postmaster was leaving village but before leaving he calls Ratan and gives her his one month salary but she falls at his feet and started crying and does not take his money.Thereafter, Ratan goes away from there.
The postmaster took a deep breath and started going from village. He was going through a boat and keep thinking about Ratan’s innocent face. At the end of story, the postmaster calms himself by saying meeting and parting are keep happening in life.