The book “Malgudi Days” has been written by my favourite author R. K. Narayan. It is a collection of short stories based on the people of a fictional place called Malgudi.
Malgudi is a small village on the banks of the Sarayu River. R. K. Narayan covers the highs and lows of the people living here. He has written the humorous adventures of some people wisely.
There’s a story about a timid child where his father asks him to spend the night in his office to allay his fears. Swami, the child is a true believer in ghosts and when an intruder enters his office, he beats up the thief out of fear and makes him unconscious. It is then revealed that the thief was most wanted by the police and Swami turns into an overnight hero with pictures published in leading newspapers.
R. K. Narayan also through the book showcases misunderstanding that is caused because of the clash of old customs and beliefs of the new generation. It is a tussle between the old and the new. It is exactly the same conflict that is found in one of their stories, where a father objects to brushing his teeth with a toothbrush, believing that bristles are made of pig hair. However, his son uses a toothbrush.
The talkative man is the most entertaining character in the collection. This person comes up with stories for meetings. These made-up stories entertain the audience and readers alike. There is a story that ‘vachaali’ tells about the temple. He says that while going in a car, he comes across an old temple. He goes inside the temple to find himself in a strange place. But the next day no one is seen in the temple! The narration is very attractive here.
The best story is about an elderly shepherd who rests under a statue of a horse. An Englishman stands there and looks at a man under the statue. He thinks that the statue belongs to that old man. He approaches him and asks him to sell the statue. The old man thinks the officer wants his goat. It is a very interesting interval as neither of them understands each other’s language. The officer then pays him a huge amount and takes away the statue. The old man thinks he has sold his goat! But the goat then returns home.
There are many more such compilations. Similarly, these stories written by R. K. Narayan were made into a television series of the same name by Late Actor Shankarnag from Sandalwood.
