Dukhiram and Chidam were the brothers of poor kuri caste who earned their living by working hard as labors in the fields of other farmers. Radha and Chandara were the wives of both the brothers respectively. The women were very quarrelsome and pugnacious and the brothers were very hot tempered and irascible. The heart rending story begins with the mishap of brutal killing of Radha by her outraged husband Dukhiram who plunged his farm knife mercilessly into her head when very hungry he was denied food by his wife impudently. Profusely bleeding Radha collapsed and died in Chandara’s arms. It was an unexpected and shocking incident. Chandara screamed loudly but Chidam silenced her by putting his hand on her mouth. At the same time Ramlochan, the most intelligent and respected person of the village, entered the house to collect the pending amount of his rent from the brothers. He was a little uncomfortable due to the unusual quiet of the house. When he enquired about the reason confused and nervous Chidam, in order to save his brother Dukhiram, told Ramlochan a lie that the routine quarrel of both the women this time turned out gory and Chandara had killed Radha by hitting her head with a farm knife. He pretended to be a good husband by seeking his advice as how to save his wife from the claws of police and law. Ramlochan advised him to shift the blame on Dukhiram that he killed his wife Radha because she had not prepared the food for him and had insulted him. Chidam dismissed his idea by saying that if he lost his wife he could get another one but if his brother was hanged how he could be replaced by anyone.
This is an intricate story of very complex human relationships and their behavior. Chidam and Chandara madly liked each other but at the same time they strongly disapproved the traits of their counterparts. Unlike Dukhiram and Radha who were most unorganized, untidy and unkempt, Chidam and Chandara were icons of physical elegance and stylish mannerism. Teen aged Chandara was quite frolicsome, vivacious and happy-go-lucky kind of person. Chidam too eyed the beauty of other village women with great interest and also liked to be appreciated by them. This flirtation always enraged Chandara and to take offense she took pride in narrating false stories about Kashi Majumdar’s middle son. Chidam felt that a wife as nimble and sharp as Chandara could not be trusted wholly. Chandara too felt that her husband had roving eyes so he needed to be kept on tight rein so he might not go astray. Chidam tried hard to keep her stay at home under strict vigilance of his sister in law while Chandara never let any chance go to move around the village and liberate herself from the undue restrains imposed upon her by Chidam. This intricate love and hate relationship of the husband and wife is the central plot of the story.
Coming back to the story Chidam persuaded Chandara to own the charge of murdering Radha. This unjust and baseless suggestion broke Chandara’s heart and pushed her in utter shock. Although Chidam assured her that he would do everything to save her but it was no solace for deeply hurt Chandara. Every word Chidam said fell into the deaf ears. She accepted the charge of murdering Radha before the police inspector. She was arrested and sent to the jail. Now anticipating the repercussions of the whole episode Chidam was very much upset and repentant. He did not want to lose Chandara. He suggested her to tell before the magistrate in court that it was Radha who hit her first and she accidentally killed her in self defense. But his suggestions made no sense to her. She stuck firmly to her stand in the court. Chidam’s pleadings that his wife was innocent did not impress the magistrate either as Ramlochan, the most worthy man of the village, had witnessed against Chandara. Her case was referred to a session court where Both Chidam and Dukhiram’s confessions to the crime were treated as their desperate efforts to save the young girl from the capital punishment. Chandara had not budged an inch from her stand and was repeatedly telling the same story right from the police investigation to the session’s trial. Chandara was sentenced to death. Although throughout the trial Chandara acknowledged and confirmed Chidam’s undeterred love for her, she strongly refused to see him just before the hanging. Instead she preferred to see her mother.
The story is unique in its plot and treatment. Where it tells about the complex audacities of human behavior it also reveals the unjust social set up of those times where a woman carried no status and importance in a family. She was victimized to all kinds of insults, indignities, physical assault, injustice and inhumanity. Chidam’s words that ‘a wife can be replaced but a brother cannot be replaced’ clearly point out that the women were treated badly in that society and were quite vulnerable to all kinds of atrocities. Chandara is the strongest character of the story. The writer has left the readers to imagine whether it was Chandra who punished Chidam or it was court who punished Chandara.