Bepin Choudhury's Lapse of Memory

• Introduction

  • Protagonist: Bepin Choudhury
  • Personality:
    • Quiet, independent
    • Well-respected worker at a firm
    • Avid reader (buys books in New Market)
  • The Mystery: A total lapse of memory regarding his 1958 trip to Ranchi.

• The Encounter in New Market

  • The Stranger: Parimal Ghose
    • Claims to know Bepin Babu intimately
    • Reminds him of the 1958 Ranchi trip
  • Bepin's Reaction:
    • Confused and skeptical
    • Insists he has never been to Ranchi
    • Mentions his 1958 trip to Kanpur (Biranchi Kumar's house)

• Escalation of Doubt

  • Parimal Ghose's Proofs:
    • Mention of Bepin's fall at Hudroo Falls (injured right knee)
    • Mention of his wife's death and brother's insanity
    • Offers to verify details (Hari Kumar, Dinesh Mukerji)
  • Growing Anxiety:
    • Bepin checks his right knee—finds the mysterious cut mark
    • Visits Dinesh Mukerji in anxiety, who confirms Bepin was in Ranchi in 1958

• The Search for Truth

  • Physical and Mental Toll:
    • Bepin feels his head spinning
    • Loss of appetite and concentration
  • Medical Consultation:
    • Consults Dr. Paresh Chanda
    • Diagnosis: A completely new branch of neurology; memory loss specific to one incident due to an unknown shock.
    • Prescription: A trip to Ranchi to trigger lost memories.

• The Trip to Ranchi

  • Arrival at Ranchi:
    • Hires a car to Hudroo Falls
    • Reaches the spot of the alleged fall
  • The Climax:
    • Suffers a severe physical collapse near the rocks
    • Found unconscious by passersby
    • Returns to Calcutta convinced he is facing imminent death or madness

• The Resolution & Twist

  • The Letter:
    • Receives a letter from Chunnilal while lying in bed
    • Chunnilal's Motive: Bepin refused to help him during his bad days
  • The Grand Prank:
    • Chunnilal concocted the entire Ranchi trip story with the help of Dinesh Mukerji and Parimal Ghose
    • The knee injury was from an old childhood bicycle fall
  • Final Outcome:
    • Bepin calls Dr. Chanda to cancel the painkiller prescription
    • Realization of his obsession and petty unforgiving nature.