Story writer.

Story writer (मैथिली कथा)
– Acharya Ramanand Mandal.
-Translated by Prabhash Ranjan

-Dear, what are you doing?
– I am writing a story.
– Dear! You don’t have any other work, do you? Since you retired, you have been writing poetry and stories.
– So what work should I do?
– why won’t you be teaching two or four children as tuition; that would cover the cost of vegetables.
– Dear! I can’t sit for long; my back pain will worsen. If I take money, then I have to teach as well.
– Then go to the stationery shop for notebooks and books.
– That’s an even heavier task. I have to sit and sell them. When the notebooks are finished, I’ll have to buy more again. I can’t handle all this work.
– Yes, you can’t do all this work. You only go to poetry gatherings and story gatherings.
– In that case, I shouldn’t go regularly; I go every three or four months.
– You only seem to spend money. You once said that you spent thirty thousand rupees to publish a poetry collection, claiming it would sell out. Not a single copy sold; you are distributing them and posting photos on Facebook while pretending to be a great poet. First, you said you would retire and then fill your body with gold. It seems like you couldn’t even give a single gold coin from your treasure chest.
And now you say you are writing stories.
– Yes, what will happen by writing stories? What will we gain?
– Stories reflect the condition and direction of society and the country. Our country is filled with stories from the Vedas, Puranas, and Smritis; thus, civilization and culture are built through stories.
You must have listened to stories from your grandmother and grandfather.
– Yes, I have heard many stories—tales of kings and queens, fairies and demons, the story of Ram and Ravan.
– Yes, you are right! The story of Ram and Ravan is well-known. This tale was first written by Sage Valmiki in his Ramayana and later by Saint Tulsidas in Ramcharitmanas. You heard this tale from your grandmother and grandfather.
– Yes, that’s true! I had never thought of it this way before.
– Look, if Maharishi Valmiki and Saint Tulsidas hadn’t written it down, today we wouldn’t be celebrating the story of Ram and Ravan. There wouldn’t be a temple for baby Lord Ram at the Ram Janmabhoomi in Ayodhya today.
– Yes, that’s true!
– Dear! People earn money from books of stories and poetry. If your book engages people in reading, it means they like it. I have also written enough stories worthy of a collection. I have even thought of a title for the collection: “Raniya Bhikharin.” Discussions with publishers are ongoing for printing it as well; it will cost around thirty thousand rupees too.
– Then publish it!
– Yes, I am considering it. The book launch is planned for March 2024 during the Sagar Raat Deep Jaray program.
– Hey Dear! Then you will be called a storywriter!
– Dear, let me tell you one more thing!
– What?
– Hey Dear! Please post a photo of myself holding the book on Facebook.

@Acharya Ramanand Mandal, Sitamarhi, Bihar (India)