Benimadhav Singh and His Daughters

Study Notes

The text is a story about Benimadhav Singh and his two daughters, Anandi and Lal Bihari, and their trials and tribulations.
Benimadhav Singh was a wealthy man with two sons and two daughters.
Anandi, the elder daughter, was a clever and wise girl who was well-loved by her father. She was engaged to Shrikant, a man from a neighboring village.
Lal Bihari, the younger daughter, was a simple-minded girl who was not very bright. She was engaged to Chandramal, a man from a rich family.
Benimadhav Singh had a habit of daily milking buffaloes in his courtyard, even when he was old.
One day, while Benimadhav was milking a buffalo, Anandi came to ask for some money for her wedding preparations. Benimadhav gave her some money and went back to milking.
Meanwhile, Chandramal's father came to take Lal Bihari away to his house. Benimadhav initially refused, but later agreed on the condition that Lal Bihari would bring a large quantity of ghee for the wedding.
Anandi tried to convince her father to let her accompany Lal Bihari and help her with the ghee-making process. Benimadhav agreed, but on the condition that she would not interfere in Lal Bihari's work.
However, when they reached Lal Bihari's house, they found that the family was very poor and did not have enough ghee for the wedding. Anandi, being a clever girl, came up with a plan to make more ghee by adding water to it, which made it appear fuller.
When Benimadhav and Lal Bihari returned with the supposed large quantity of ghee, Chandramal's father was impressed and allowed the wedding to take place.
However, on the day of the wedding, when the ghee was being weighed, it was found to be lighter than expected. Benimadhav was then exposed for his deceit, and there was a big uproar in the village.
Benimadhav was shamed and disgraced, and Anandi was also criticized for her role in the deception. The family had to leave their house and go into hiding.
Eventually, Anandi and Shrikant were married in secret, and they lived happily ever after. Lal Bihari, on the other hand, was married to Chandramal, but their marriage was not a success due to Lal Bihari's simple-mindedness.
The story also highlights the importance of honesty and integrity, and the consequences of deceit and dishonesty.