The story consists of three segments, each highlighting different themes and scenarios. 1. **The Wrinkles**: A mother prepares for bed after dinner, removing her belongings from the bed and inviting her son, Vicky, to listen to a story. However, he prefers watching a quiz on TV, leaving her to lie down alone, feeling more wrinkled than the bed-sheet itself, reflecting her loneliness and perhaps the weight of her age. 2. **As a Matter of Fact**: At midnight, two souls rise from their graves and discuss their deaths. One recounts a grand funeral attended by thousands, while the other shares a more mundane experience of dying suddenly, with no fanfare. This segment emphasizes the silence and stillness of death, contrasting the lively memories of their past lives. 3. **Being Practical**: A young officer attempts to eliminate prostitution in the city by ordering raids on sex workers. He faces pushback from an advisor who argues that such actions could increase crime rates and that prostitution serves practical purposes, such as controlling population growth. The officer struggles with the moral implications of prostitution versus its socio-economic realities, leading to a discussion about the complexities of human needs and societal issues. 4. **Mother**: A brief glimpse into a girl's life as her father leaves for work and her mother heads out with laundry. The narrative hints at the girl's interaction with a friend, suggesting themes of childhood and social dynamics. Overall, the story explores themes of loneliness, death, morality, societal issues, and the complexities of human relationships.

by Prabodh Kumar Govil in English Classic Stories

Writen by Prabodh Kumar Govil

Category Classic Stories