Story Overview:

“Chautha Aadmi” (“The Fourth Man”) is a thought-provoking short story about indifference, duty, and the burdens of life and death. The protagonist, who is usually sceptical of those collecting money for burials, finds himself unexpectedly drawn into a funeral procession when three emaciated men need a fourth person to help carry a coffin to the cemetery. Reluctantly, he agrees, and together they carry the heavy burden through the city, feeling the weight both physically and emotionally.

As they walk, the protagonist is struck by the apathy of the people around them, who laugh at the funeral as if death will never touch them. The journey becomes increasingly gruelling, with pain and exhaustion overwhelming all four men. As dusk falls and they finally reach the cemetery, the protagonist is left with a sense of confusion and existential doubt, realising the cemetery is not even the right one. The story ends on this note of futility, highlighting the endless, often thankless nature of human responsibility and the loneliness that can accompany even the most communal of rituals.