The Bet That Leads To Salvation...

Russian playwright Anton Chekhov’s creations challenge the stereotype more often than not, and mostly narrate anecdotes that lead one to dig deep into oneself. His short stories have this impeccable charisma that fetches oodles of imagination and self questioning. There cannot be a better occasion to talk about Chekhov’s creations amid this lockdown, especially because one of his short stories ‘The Bet’ highlights it perfectly.

‘The Bet’s plot encompasses a wager made between two friends - a banker and a lawyer. Their bet was essentially based on capital punishment, and whether death penalty is better or worse than life in prison. The terms of the wager stated that if the lawyer manages to be in solitary confinement for 15 years, he would be awarded 2 million rubles.

It was ensured that the lawyer would be given food and some books to combat boredom and solitude. It was observed that initially the lawyer would find it tad difficult to cope up with new challenges. He would often shriek out loudly, sometimes bang his head against the wall, or just try to sleep all day long. He couldn't get to concentrate or make peace with the fact that he was confined and he couldn't seek solace outside thus.

He started looking inside gradually and began reading throughout day and night. Days rolled, months rolled and eventually years rolled too, and the lawyer became wiser, knowledgeable and stronger…

The banker on the other hand, was soon losing out on money and started gauging that he cannot pay the lawyer the sum he had promised. Thus on the eve of the fifteenth year, the banker landed up to meet the lawyer with a plan to kill him…

He was startled by what he saw. His friend, the lawyer had written a letter where he denounced the wealth the banker had vouched for. He mentioned that his confinement had taught him that material pleasures are short lived, and that they are the root cause of all evil and misery. He is breaking free of the clause thus and is walking out free five hours before the stipulated time. 

This plight leaves the banker dumbfounded. He tries to contemplate the situation, but fails…

Why is 21 days coming off as so difficult then? As long as we have a roof over our heads and food to eat, what can be so challenging and carcinogenic?