The story revolves around Lukman, a hakim (healer) who argues with the messenger of death about his fate. Convinced he can evade death, he decorates his house and creates twelve replicas of himself in an attempt to mislead the messenger. However, when the messenger arrives, he is confused and ultimately seeks guidance from Yama, the god of death. Yama points out the trickery, leading to Lukman's downfall. In the end, Lukman's plan fails as he is captured and taken by the messenger of death, illustrating the inevitability of death despite one's attempts to outsmart it.

एगो हकीम हल, जेकर नाम लुकमान हल। ऊ सोचऽ हल कि हम सब के जीआवऽ ही, से हमरा कउन मारत? ओकरा एक दिन जमदूत से बहस भे गेल। हकीम कहलक कि ''हमरा तूं काहे ले जयबऽ? हम तो दूसर के जीआवऽ ही!'' जमदूत कहे लगल कि ''एकरा से का? हम आज के अँठवा रोज तोरा ले जबवऽ!'' तब हकीम कहलक कि ''ई तो होइये नऽ सकऽ हे।'' तब जमदूत कहलक कि ''आज से आठ दिन में तूं जे चाहऽ से कर लऽ। बाकि आँठवा दिन हम तोरा ले जबवऽ।'' हकीम अप्पन घर के खूब सजावे लगल। आँठवा दिन अप्पन घर के एगो कोठरी में बारह कुरसी पर अपने नियन बारह गो अदमी बनौलक- हू-ब-हू सब अपने नियन।

अब जमदूत अयलक तो हकीम के चीन्हवे नऽ करथ। ऊ बड़ा सोच में पड़ल, कि हम हकीम के आज नऽ ले जायेब, तऽ जमराज भीर मुँह नऽ देखावे लायक रहव। जमदूत सोचे लगल, कि हमरा राजा उहाँ नऽ भी रहे दे सकऽ हथ। से हक्का-बक्का हो के दूत जमराज के लोक में पहुँचल। जमराज कहलन कि ''तूं लोग बड़ा बुड़बक हऽ। एतना भी अकिल नऽ हे, कि हकीम के कइसे लाईं।''

जमराज कहलन कि सुन- ''उहाँ जा के कहऽ कि हकीम तो बड़ा अच्छा घर सजवलऽ हे। एतना अच्छा घर कि मृत्युभुवन में कोई नऽ सजवलक हे।'’ एकरा बाद फिनों कहिहें कि ''एकरा पर एगो गल्ती हे। एकरा में जे अदमी खड़ा हो जयतो, ओही हकीम होयतो!'' जमराज से ई सब बात सुन ई सब बात सुन के जमदूत फिन मृत्युभुवन में पहुँचलक। उहाँ जा के एही सब बात कहलक, सुनके हकीम के गुस्‍स आ गेल, बाउ ऊ बोल देलन कि हमर घर में दोसर हकीम के बनत, जमदूत उनका तुरते पकड़ लेल, आउ जमराज भीर ले गेलक । खिस्सा खतम, पइसा हजम!

See translation

Once there was a hakim named Lukman. He thought, "What if we all have to live? Who would kill us?" One day, he had an argument with the messenger of death. The hakim said, "Why would you take me? I help others live!" The messenger replied, "What does that matter? Today is the eighth day, and I will take you!" The hakim said, "That can’t happen." Then the messenger said, "In eight days, you can do whatever you want. But on the eighth day, I will take you." The hakim started decorating his house beautifully. On the eighth day, he created twelve men resembling himself and placed them on twelve chairs in a room of his house.

When the messenger of death arrived, he did not recognize the hakim. He was in deep thought, wondering that if he didn’t take the hakim today, Yama (the god of death) would not be pleased with him. The messenger thought that the king might scold him too. Thus, the astonished messenger reached Yama's realm. Yama said, "You fools! You are so stupid that you cannot figure out how to take the hakim."

Yama said, "Listen—go tell him that the hakim has decorated his home very well. It’s such a beautiful house that no one in the realm of death has decorated a house like this." After that, he added, "However, there is a mistake. The man standing there must be the hakim!" After hearing all this from Yama, the messenger returned to the realm of death and recounted everything. Upon hearing this, the hakim became angry and said that there cannot be another hakim in his house. The messenger immediately captured him and took him to Yama. The story ends, and that’s how it goes!