Story Overview:

In “Teesra Mujassama” (“The Third Statue”), the narrator attends a sculpture exhibition where, alongside three statues, a silent, scarred young man stands so still that he is mistaken for a living statue. The crowd is more intrigued by this man than by the actual artworks. Later, the narrator encounters him again, now destitute and sitting on the threshold of a dilapidated house. The man reveals he once worked as a living statue but quit because he could no longer bear being an object of spectacle and scorn, even when people gave him money. Despite the man’s clear discomfort with charity, the narrator insists on giving him money twice, each time receiving no gratitude in return, which leaves the narrator resentful and puzzled.

Months pass, and the narrator unexpectedly sees the same man, now transformed—well-dressed and prosperous, stepping out of a car with a wealthy employer. The man recognises the narrator, returns the exact amount of money he once received, and insists on clearing the “debt,” expressing that only then could he feel truly free. This encounter leaves the narrator stunned and introspective, feeling as if he himself has become the “third statue,” immobilised by his own expectations and judgments.

The story’s central theme is the tension between human dignity and societal objectification. The “third statue” symbolises those marginalised by society, reduced to spectacles or objects of pity, while the narrator’s insistence on gratitude for charity exposes the power dynamics and ego often underlying acts of kindness. The final reversal, where the former beggar asserts his autonomy and the narrator is left feeling static, highlights the story’s critique of superficial charity and the true meaning of dignity and freedom.