Malgudi Days: Must-Read Short Stories by R.K. Narayan
Malgudi Days — a collection of short stories written by R.K Narayan has been well-liked since the very old days. It’s a collection of 32 stories, all the stories happened in Malgudi, a fictional town situated on the banks of Sarayu, a river in South India. It was first published by Indian Thought Publication in 1943 and later in 1986, some of the stories included in a Television Series named Malgudi. It was acted and directed by Shankar Nag. All the stories are written in a highly engaging way that the stories do not seem fictional at all.
Once someone starts reading the stories, they get connected with the characters as well as the Malgudi, a town that never feels imaginative but a real one. In this article, you will read about the short stories from Malgudi Days which are highly fascinating to read.
1. The Doctor’s World -
The story is about friendship, fear, relationship, unreliability, and honesty. It’s about a doctor named Dr. Raman who believes that lies can’t save the life of a patient and as it is traditional in a profession of a doctor, he should never lie to the patient means if someone is about to die then a doctor should tell him the truth. One day, he comes to know about his childhood friend, Gopal. They both knew each other for forty years. They met occasionally as both were busy with their work and families.
Dr. Raman realized that his friend had not called him for three months when he saw his son sitting at the bench in hospital. He told him that her mother sent him. When he found Gopal was ill and had less time left as his condition was hopeless. He did not know how to tell the truth to Gopal and his family. Gopal knew that he might die so he asked him to sign his will so that his family doesn’t go through endless misery. In the end, Gopal did not die and it will always confuse Dr. Raman for the rest of his life.
R.K Narayan has done a commendable job by showing how it is easy for a doctor to declare a death sentence if the patient is unknown but when he has to tell the truth to a friend or anyone he admires. It becomes very hard for him. The story is short and engaging. It’s interesting to see the dedication of Ramu throughout the story, all he cares about is his patients. Even at the end when he could not find the reason how Gopal survived, he was happy that he did. Overall, dedication, friendship, and honesty make this story a must-read.
2. Iswaran-
The story is about a guy named Iswaran who has failed in his Intermediate exam for the ninth time and now the results are going to be announced for his tenth attempt. Iswaran planned his day to go for a movie and he believes that if he might have passed the exam, the news will come to him on its own. When he saw all the other boys are celebrating the results, he started hating himself. Without checking his result, he was sure of his failure. He went to jump into the river, leaving behind a suicide note in his jacket. But to be sure he checked his score and came to know that he not only passed the examination but also scored well. He got so excited that he lost control of himself and jumped into the river. The next day, his dead body was found with the suicide note that he wrote for his father.
The author has focused on themes like failure, control, and self-image. Iswaran has suffered a lot with the way people made fun of him and because everyone thinks that he is a failure. He also started to accept this fact. Narayan has shown how our image in society really affects our own self-esteem. The story was thought-provoking with a delightful writing style. The climax added a shock to the story. It is a must-read to understand how society’s opinion really matters in our minds and how it’s very important to stay in control even after the achievements and success of life.
3. Forty- Five A Month-
A must read a story which has confusion, money, responsibility, and disappointment. The story is about a father named Venkat Rao who promises her daughter, Shanta to take her to the cinema but fails to keep the promise because he did not get leave from work. Shanta was disappointed and went to search for his father when he did not come. As she got lost, luckily one of the servants got her and took her back home. Venkat Rao started to come late from the office mostly after Shanta went to bed so that he could skip facing her.
When Shanta again asked his father to take her to the cinema, he again made a promise. He went to the office and told his boss that he needs a personal leave but his boss did not allow him so he wrote a resignation letter. His boss told him that his income got raised by five rupees and now he will get forty-five rupees a month, so he tore up his resignation letter. At night, his wife told him that Shanta has not eaten anything and nor changed the dress. Venkat’s heartache and he told his wife that he got an increment and he won’t be able to take her daughter out to the cinema.
The author has tried to manifest how a man completely gets alienated from most of the joy of life to fulfill the role that has been assigned him to sustain in society. Venkat’s situation has no choice left and he had to continue work because providing for the family is also important. Shanta who is so little to understand the situation of his father gets disappointed, thinking his father doesn’t care enough. To understand the conflict a man goes through between choosing family and work, this story is a must-read.
4. The Axe-
The story starts when an astrologer, passing through a village makes an assumption that Velvan would live in a three-storeyed house surrounded by acres of garden. When Velvet was slapped by his father, he left his home and started searching for work for himself. After so much struggle, he found a job as a gardener for an old man. Velvet got so dedicated towards the garden that he started talking to the plants and always told them to grow. Time moves fastly and Velven’s master dies. The house was locked for a few years. Later, the son of the master used to come and inspect the house, the keys were left with Velvet. After some time, a man came to tell that the plot was bought and it will be cleared for housing. When the axe started hitting the margosa tree, Velvan’s life changed forever. He begs them to stop but he has to leave the garden.
The story had themes of pride, dedication, control, and change. No matter how hard Velvan worked for the garden, in the end, it all went in vain. The author has tried to show that nothing is constant and mostly in life, we have no choice against change but to welcome it. Velvet's hard work and dedication, make this story a must-read.
5. Trail of the Green Blazer -
This is a story of guilt, struggle, trust, and appearance. Raju, a pickpocket who steals things to sustain his life. One day he robbed the purse of a man who was wearing a green blazer. When he saw a balloon in the purse, he felt guilty as he knew the child would be disappointed if he did not get the balloon. He thought to put the purse back where he took it from, excluding the money. This led him to prison. Raju’s wife does not know about his job and she thought he brought shame to the family. When Raju told everything to the Magistrate no one believed him. He served eighteen months and learned that whatever he would ever pick, he would never put it back.
R.K Narayan tried to show that society does not care about one act of kindness if you have done it with something unkind. Though Raju told the real reason, no one believed him. The author has also touched on a thing that not every wife knows what her husband does to earn money and this can be the case for many people. The story is a must-read because it shows how one act of kindness can never compensate for a number of unkind acts.
In conclusion, R.K Narayan is one of the famous Indian authors who have given life-changing stories and a place that only exists in the hearts of the readers. Most of his stories are narrated in the third person. He has explored many themes and all his stories focus on more than three themes. All the stories of Malgudi days capture the hearts of the readers and the way the author creates the ordinary people and their stories, highly interesting. It’s extraordinary and exceptional.
