Story of Greedy Apurva

The story of greedy Apurva

Vikram mounted Betal on his shoulders and began to walk towards the sage and Betal started off with another narration. The story was of a very poor man Apurva. Apurva was fed up of his poverty. He had a rich friend named Avinash. Apurva’s daughter Anjali and Avinash’s son Satyakam were childhood friends and were deeply in love. Apurva always thought of various easy ways to become rich one day. One day, Avinash called Apurva and told him that he was going for a pilgrimage and that Satyakam would clear his debts and Apurva should help Satyakam with this. He said that after he was back from the pilgrimage they would think of Anjali and Satyakam’s marriage. Avinash told him that he would give Satyakam’s kundli to Apurva so that he could show it to the Pandit while Avinash returned from the Pilgrimage. Just when Avinash went inside to get the kundli, Apurva took the accounts book and hid it inside his vest. When Avinash came back, Apurva left immediately. At night, Apurva tried forging Avinash’s signature and finally succeeded. He then made a duplicate account book where in he made false accounts in his own men’s names so that Satyakam would pay huge amounts and Apurva would get the entire amount. He kept this account book on Avinash’s desk. When Satyakam opened the book, he asked Apurva whether the signature was that of his father or not. Apurva misguided him telling him it was his father’s signature and Satyakam started paying everyone. All his money was over and still one man was left to be paid one and a half lakh mohurs. Satyakam told Apurva that he had nothing left with him except the house. Apurva advised him to give away the house. Apurva was ready to give away the house. He asked them to come on the full moon night so that he would get the house transferred by the panchayat. Apurva returned home happily with rest of the money lenders. All of them were talking about how Apurva made false signatures and got so much money. All of them were ready to give Apurva his share. Apurva then told the man who was to get the house that he had to give Apurva one fourth part of the house. Mean while, Anjali who had just returned from the temple, heard their conversation and was shocked to hear that her father could do that to his best friend. She straight away went to the King to complain. When she told the King that her father had looted an innocent young man, the king told her that the one who had been cheated should complain and she should not talk against her father. Anjali said that she was ashamed of her father but the King did not take her complain under consideration saying that those who keep quiet do not get justice. Saying this, he asked her to leave. Meanwhile Prince Amrish who was present in the court was fascinated with Anjali and so he sent his man after Anjali.

When Anjali reached Satyakam’s house and told him the truth, he said that her father was a friend of his father and that he could not complain against him because if he did so, even his father would not like it. Meanwhile, Prince Amrish’s men were watching them. Satyakam’s father Avinash was dead and no one had the knowledge of his death but he was present in an invisible form when Anjali and Satyakam were talking. Avinash went in an invisible form to the house of all the three friends of Apurva and got back the money and also the agreement of the house that was transferred in their name. Meanwhile the Prince’s men came and told him that Anjali loved Satyakam. So the Prince ordered them to kill Satyakam. They went to kill him but did not succeed as Satyakam only became unconscious and did not die. Meanwhile, Avinash reached Apurva’s house who was counting money at that time. Apurva was shocked to see Avinash but Avinash lied that as Satyakam paid away all his debt, he was in need of money, he had talked to a few money lenders but he needed one lakh mohurs for one day. Apurva said that he would have to pay interest of one month which was twenty thousand mohurs and Avinash agreed to pay the interest. Apurva gave him one lakh mohurs. He then asked Apurva to come to Prabhu Kutir near kali mandir so that he would settle all his account there. Next day, Apurva reached Prabhu Kutir., Avinash before hand had called three ghosts of the three people whom Apurva knew. As soon as Apurva saw them he asked Avinash why he was dealing with dead men. Avinash replied that when people who are alive betray one’s trust, one has to deal with dead people. He told Apurva that he had cheated on Satyakam and now he would not get back his one lakh mohurs. When he asked the reason for it, Avinash revealed that dead people don’t deal with money and flew away with other three ghosts in the sky. Apurva then went to his friends for help but all of them kicked him out. He wandered here and there like a beggar and did not even have food to eat. Once he got a roti to eat but before he could eat it, a dog came and ate it.

Here, the prince, with the help of a tantrik transformed himself into duplicate Satyakam and went to get married to Anjali. Apurva who was wandering on the streets, on questioning the crowd, came to know that Anjali was getting married to Apurva. He also followed the crowd. Meanwhile Avinash went to Satyakam and woke him up, so even he went to Anjali’s house. Avinash also went to the King and informed him about Prince Amrish’s conspiracy. Apurva also reached the venue of the wedding. Anjali was shocked to see her father. Just then Satyakam reached there. Anjali was confused as to who was the real Satyakam. As per the tantrik’s warning as soon as the original Satyakam came, Amrish who was duplicate Satyakam came back in his original form and the tantrik died. Prince Amrish was shocked to see Satyakam alive. He asked him how he was saved. Satyakam said that with the help of Yoga, he had controlled his soul. Prince Amrish ordered his men to take away Anjali along with them. Just then the King arrived and ordered his soldiers to arrest Prince Amrish for trying to get married to Anjali by fraud.

Saying this, Betaal stopped and asked Vikram what the reason it was that Apurva gave away the money for which he had longed all his life. He threatened Vikram to reply or else he would be beheaded. Vikram replied that life’s blunders made him realize that desire for money in any form was not good, those who do not have money want to have it, those who have it find it difficult to protect it and those who lose money are half dead. The desire for money never allows anyone to live peacefully. Time made him realize that one cannot change one’s destiny by following the wrong path so he gave away the mohurs to Satyakam and got Anjali married to Satyakam. Betaal was very happy to hear his answer but as Vikram spoke Betaal flew away.