Task: Story Composition
Input (English): Fact1: door-to-door saleswoman to meet increasing financial pressure on orthodox and conservative family, Fact2: initially hesitant and nervous Arati starts to enjoy her new-found financial and psychological independence, Fact3: initially supportive husband decides to ask Arati to quit after tentatively securing part-time job, Fact4: Subrata loses job in bank, Fact5: that affable and friendly person and eases up to him hails from Pabna District
Output (English): Set in Calcutta during the 1950s Mahanagar explores the evolving independence of middleclass women of the city. Arati played by Madhabi Mukherjee, a home maker, takes up a job as a doortodoor saleswoman to meet the increasing financial pressure on her orthodox and conservative family. Despite familial adversity and societal obstacles the initially hesitant and nervous Arati soon begins to prosper in her field and gradually starts to enjoy her newfound financial and psychological independence. Her initially supportive husband, Subrata played byAnil Chatterjee, starts to feel insecure and decides to ask Arati to quit after tentatively securing another parttime job. Before Arati can quit, Subrata loses his job in the bank he was working for as it is shut down in the last of the Calcutta bank crashes. Subrata has no choice but to let her continue to work. Arati now becomes the sole breadwinner of the family and further befriends an Englishspeaking, AngloIndian representative of the legacy of the British Raj colleague Edith Vicky Redwood, a move which raises suspicion and increases conflict within her family. Slowly Arati begins to shine in her job and earn the trust of her manager, who promises her further responsibility if she continues to work with her efficiency. Subrata meanwhile now sits all day at home and drowns himself in suspicion, insecurity and ego. Subrata finally decides to meet Himangshu played by Haradhan Bannerjee, Aratis boss, to ease some of his suspicions. When he meets him he finds that Himangshu is an affable and friendly person who also hails from Pabna District, and eases up to him. They discuss about the unemployment of Subrata and Himangshu promises to find him a job somewhere. Meanwhile, Edith comes back after a long sickness to the office but Himangshu doesnt believe she was actually sick, and fires her quoting reasons pertaining to Ediths frivolous lifestyle. She is hurt and cries in the washroom, which is seen by Arati. A once timid person, Arati lets go of her inhibitions and decides to fight this injustice. She confronts Himangshu impulsively, regardless of her position as the sole breadwinner of her family. After a heated exchange where her boss doesnt agree to apologize to Edith, Arati hands in her resignation letter composed before Subrata loses her job and storms off. On her way out of the office she meets Subrata and apologizes to him because of her actions and tells him that she feels scared of the future. Initially hesitant, Subarata realizes that his wife has shown courage rather than meekly submitting to cowardliness because of her needs. He placates Arati and tells her that he believes some day they both will get jobs to support their family.