Introduction: In the story, ‘The Attic’ , the rich man Aditya expresses regret for some fault he committed 29 years ago during his childhood. So he asks sincere apology to person concerned for his mistake.
Aditya and his memories During the return journey from the new factory at Deodarganj, the narrator Satyajit Ray and his friend cum business partner Aditya were driving through National Highway 40. Reaching a point of bifurcation, the narrator asked Aditya about his wish to take the road towards right that leads to his ancestral home at Bramhapur. His father was a landlord and his ancestors were Zamindars. After Aditya’s schooling at Bramhaplir, they moved to Kolkata for his higher studies where his dad too started a new business.
Aditya’s home town: Aditya agreed to go to his birth place. He tried to recall memories of his 200 year old ancestral house, his school and the tea shop. It was 3.30p.m. in the month of Maha which could be January or February. The sun was soothing. On either side of the road were large stretches of paddy fields.
In about ten minutes, they reached the local school. The iron gates, the playing field and the twostoreyed school building made Aditya go into deep thoughts. They next went to the tea shop of Nagen uncle who was now a little over sixty. He was wearing a dhoti and a blue striped shirt that could be seen from under a green shawl. His shop stood next to a grocery’shop and opposite a temple dedicated to Lord Shiva. They had nankhatatai sitting on two tin chairs.
Sanyal’s Anger: There was only one other customer sitting at a comer table, with his head bent, as though he were sleeping. Nagen uncle reminded Mr. Sanyal to go home, as it was already 4 p.m and other customers would soon becoming. The narrator observed Sanyal’s facial expression and noted the change in Aditya’s too. Mr. Sanyal reacted sharply, stood up, stretched himself and, raised his lean right arm. With eyes dilated, he began to recite a poem by Tagore – Panraksha. Soon, he left the place, making the gesture of Namaste with his hands in general
Aditya came to know from Nagen uncle more details about Sanyal. He now went straight to his house which he had no intention of seeing. He went up the attic, a favorite place of the children. He climbed over a wooden packing case and took something from the ventilator with a deep sigh of relief. He now rushed to the jeweler’s to ascertain the current market price for the article he had found. The climax was his next visit to see Sanyal who stayed with his father’s friend, Jogesh Kabiraj.
Aditya seeks forgiveness from Sanyal Aditya saw Sanyal, requested his entry into his room and gave him a cover with fifteen ten-rupee notes. In Sasanka Sanyal’s room, there was absolutely nothing but just a charpoy to sit on. Sasanka was busy reciting verses from Tagore. Sanyal was questioned about Aditya Narayan Chowdury.
Sanyal remembered him very well and told them that he was a liar and was also envious over him. He said that he had usurped his medal for Poetry Recitation. Aditya told him that he was Aditya himself and was changed. Sanyal admitted that he recognized him at the tea shop and ventured out his anger on him. Sanyal also refused to accept the money and preferred the medal. Aditya who is now a changed man, restored the medal to its owner and sought forgiveness.
Conclusion: We are all human beings and to err is human. The author reinstates that a person must rectify his mistake when given a chance for it.
