Long answer on The Lost Jewels:

The short story The Lost Jewels is a psycho thriller written by Rabindranath
Tagore. It is slightly macabre in nature. The author has used supernatural
elements and ample symbolism to create an atmosphere fitting for both a thriller
and a horror story, depending on the readers perspective. The style of writing is
chronological and descriptive. More than the characters themselves, it is the
panache with which Tagore plays with his words that steals the show and makes
the story memorable. The author also uses words of Indian origin to allot the
story a distinctively Indian flavour.
The story talks about a modern, educated Bengali man Bhusan- who is ahead
of his times. He has a beautiful wife called Mani who is characterised by her greed
and obsession with Mani the Bengali word for jewels. This quality of hers
makes the choice of name very appropriate. As the story progresses, Mani elopes
with a distant cousin Modhu with all her jewellery, fearing Bhusan will force her
to part with it. She never returns but Bhusan waits and waits. He begins to
hallucinate every night; hearing sounds that signal Manis arrival. And what he
sees as a result of his obsessive belief keeps the readers turning pages eagerly.
The protagonist of the story-Bhusan is depicted as an educated, docile,
gentleman and loving husband. However, he is criticised for his high education
qualification which has apparently plagued his manhood and made him a tame
snake, one who doesnt enjoy authority over his wife. His other shortcoming is
having a beautiful wife who he could not control. In fact, Tagore voices the
opinion through the school masters character that having a beautiful wife is
much more a curse than a blessing.
This very quality of Bhusan is what makes him a jewel of a man; however Mani
fails to appreciate it. She fails to appreciate his very existence and sees him as a
source who pays for her extravagance. She is fond of clothes and jewellery and
Bhusan buys it all for her. While Bhusan loves her dearly, Mani cannot even
admire him for she cannot respect him as he does not evoke fear in her mind . her
only attachment is her jewellery for which she is protective as she would have
been for a child . This is why shes willing to go to any extent to keep it safe.
In spite of Bhusans mildness of manner, we do see a hint of the classic male
ego in him when he decides not to mention, the matter of the flight to Mani if
shes back, because he doesnt want to reveal that he is hurt . He also wonders if
she feels sorry for her actions.
The title The lost jewels is very appropriate. For Bhusan, it implies the loss of
his beloved Mani. Jewels also refer to the jewellery that Mani had adorned and
which was lost along with her.
The story discusses a lot of interwoven themes. Materialism, being one of the
prominent. Manis love for materialistic things leads to the loss of not just
precious jewellery but even more priceless lives. She values the jewels more than
her husband. Love is another important theme. Bhusans total, unconditional
devotion for Mani is reciprocated by little more than indifference on her part.
The story is narrated by the school master which provides the author an
opportunity to present more than one versions of the same plot and this leads to
a very unpredictable end.
To further elaborate on the theme of love, Bhusans love for Mani makes him
capable of ignoring all her faults. She is elf-centred and obsessed with her jewels.
She does not love him but it doesnt change the way he feels about her. In fact,
his love for her borders on obsession. It makes him bring her away from his hoard
of relatives. It doesnt let his flicker of hope extinguish after Mani has
disappeared. He is positive that he is going to see her again. This leads to his mind
playing tricks on his consciousness and he hallucinates thinking he hears her
approaching. Another form of obsession mentioned in the story is what Mani
feels for her jewellery. Both of these ultimately lead to loss of lives.
Betrayal is the most important theme as it leads to action in the plot. Mani
betrays Bhusans trust, his love, his belief in her and most importantly she violates
marital vows by abandoning her husband in his time of need. She also chooses
materialistic possessions over her husband.
More than events happening in the plot, the story revolves around
supernatural elements and provides a deep insight into human psychology. It
talks about the psychological illnesses developed by Bhusan and Mani due to their
respective obsessions. Bhusan sees a bejewelled skeleton which is the physical
manifestation of Manis image in his mind. The lost jewels is indeed a
masterpiece from a literary genius.