अंधी आंखें उजले आंसू

Summary

The story is set in a student hostel ten days before M.A. exams, where the atmosphere is tense and silent. When a power cut plunges the hostel into darkness, students begin imitating animal sounds, but two blind students, Prakash and Niranjan, continue studying using Braille. The narrator reflects on how these two blind students, who had recently arrived, could identify everyone by the sound of their footsteps. Prakash, who lost his sight to smallpox, is nicknamed Piku Babu by the narrator, while Niranjan, blind from birth, longs for sight. They had a dispute over electricity charges, which the narrator supported, leading to their friendship. One evening, they argue about sunset time, and Prakash asks Niranjan about marriage. Niranjan expresses a desire to marry and love his wife deeply, but Prakash questions who would marry a blind person. Niranjan worries about the burden on a sighted wife, while Prakash, crying, refuses marriage. He then encourages Niranjan, citing blind figures like John Milton and Surdas, and reminds him that India has 30 million blind people. They often debate religion; Niranjan bathes daily in the Ganges, hoping to regain his sight, while Prakash, traumatized by seeing his uncle drown in the river, rejects this belief. As exams approach, Niranjan slips and drowns in the Ganges. Prakash, devastated, performs daily rituals at the riverbank and ultimately leaves the hostel without taking the exam. The room is later occupied by four sighted students. The story concludes with a parable about a fakir and a king, highlighting the futility of material accumulation.