Chapter glory-at-twilight: Glory at Twilight | Short Questions

The villagers gave Satyajit a grand, heroic welcome that was typically reserved for political celebrities. A large crowd gathered, including a group holding the national flag. As Satyajit stepped down, he was greeted with a booming chorus of 'Swagatam!' and a little girl placed a jasmine garland around his neck. Uncle Srinath gave an elating speech, hailing him as the 'glory of the motherland' for his success in trade and industry. This exaggerated welcome set the stage for Satyajit’s struggle to reveal his true financial state.

The 'daughter crisis' referred to the financial burden of marrying off Uncle Srinath’s five daughters. Having already married off three with Satyajit's financial help, Srinath was now facing the wedding of his fourth daughter, Beena. In Indian social contexts of that time, arranging a suitable match required a significant dowry and wedding expenses. Srinath viewed these marriages as crises and relied entirely on Satyajit’s 'benediction' or financial support to navigate them, showing his total dependence on Satyajit's perceived wealth.

Satyajit felt like an impostor because he was knowingly allowing the villagers to believe he was still a millionaire when he was actually bankrupt. He accepted their 'wide-eyed wonder' and 'eager homage' even though he knew he had lost his house, cars, and bank. He was 'impersonating the man he had been a few weeks before.' This deception made him feel dishonest, but he was too addicted to the respect and status he received in the village to shatter their illusions with the truth.

The ancestral house and fish-pond were the only assets Satyajit had left after his bank's collapse. They were 'bits of property still intact amid the vast demolition' of his life. Satyajit intended to keep these as a last gift and a source of security for his wife and newborn son. When he was forced to mortgage them to pay Beena's dowry, it represented the ultimate sacrifice of his family's future to save his pride and the honor of a neighbor's daughter.

Harish, the village moneylender, displayed a 'sixth sense' common to his profession. Unlike the other villagers who were blinded by Satyajit’s past glory, Harish did not trust the 'word and signature' of the former millionaire. He refused to provide a cash advance based purely on Satyajit’s reputation. Instead, he demanded solid security in the form of Satyajit’s ancestral house and fish-pond. This reaction forced Satyajit to confront the fact that his name no longer held any real value in the financial world.