The story “Half A Rupee
Worth”, though written few decades back, holds relevance in the present time period
and will continue to be so even in the near future. One of the strong points in R.K. Narayan’s writing is that the readers relate to the issues, the narration and the style of his writing. His writings have mass appeal, especially to the Indian mindset.
This story is about Subbiah, a rice merchant. Subbiah was efficient in his business to the extent that his mind revolved only around ways to earn profit. The author has lucidly elaborated this particular aspect of Subbiah’s character, that is, how Subbiah manipulated each situation and manoeuvred his business to the desired direction. Subbiah kept on prospering whether it was war, famine or government control. Houses after houses were bought and turned into godowns which were filled from the floor to the ceiling with rice bags.
After this vivid description the author switches our attention to an incident one evening when Subbiah was returning home after closing his shop. A man in desperate condition approached him for rice. His children were crying for food at home and his old mother was nearly dying due to starvation. He had six mouths to feed at home. He offered half a rupee coin and asked for one seer of rice. The deal was quite reasonable as the rate was three seers for a rupee. But Subbiah’s profit making mind had no
place for any such reason nor did his heart have place for any emotion. Subbiah asserted that he would give either half a seer or nothing at all. In this compelling condition the man had no other option but to agree. Subbiah took the man’s coin, told him to wait there and disappeared. The man waited anxiously for rice for his hungry children. When the wait became too long to sustain, the man went in search of Subbiah in the direction Subbiah had proceeded but he met with a dead end because Subbiah had pretended to go that way but changed his way so that nobody would know where his stocks were piled. When there was no other way, the man went to Subbiah’s house. Subbiah’s wife became anxious because her husband had not reached home. They started searching for him. By next morning they became nervous and the wife had to tell about the location of the new
godown as that was the only place left to search for him. The door of the godown was locked from inside so it had to be broken to get inside. There they found on the floor an electric torch, a half a rupee coin and a hand peeping out of the pile of fallen rice bags. Of course we come to know that Subbiah is dead.
This story raises many thoughts in the reader’s mind. We feel as if Subbiah’s life was just half a rupee worth despite owning so much of wealth. The rice bags represented the greed which so caught on with Subbiah that it suffocated him to death. That which seemed to be the motto of his life also resulted being the cause of his death. Infact we feel that what Subbiah was piling up in his godown was nothing but the instrument of his death. He had in his possession the grains which sustain life but alas greed can even change the real nature of things! Finally, the story also sends the message that nobody can hold on to things forever. When they die they do not take things with them so why not share them, live peacefully and also provide peace and happiness to fellow human beings.