Going Through the Memory Lanes: "Rajam and Mani" (MALGUDI DAYS) by R. K Narayan

MALGUDI DAYS is best among Indian English Children’s Literature , writings designed to appeal to children—either to be read to them or by them—including fun, adventure, knowledge, and fantasy.  Like the riddles, precepts, fables, legends, myths, and folk poems and folktales based on spoken tradition, MALGUDI DAYS Works and often adapts simple narrative forms. The delicate skill and graceful simplicity of R. K. Narayan delighted children and impressed thinkers. The book is commercially successful children’s books comparable to May Day, Little Ann, and Mother Goose. Here is one of the rarest of rare scenes of the yesteryear of Swami, one can just reminisce the past, walk through the memory lane. 

Now we will read the story of Rajam and Mani   included in the MALGUDI DAYS. Rajam was new comer in the school of Malgudi. He dressed very well. He proved himself a very good student in the class. Moreover he spoke very good English. Thus Rajam impressed the whole class. On the very first day he impressed the whole class not only by his appearance but also by some qualities. Rajam was a new arrival in the class of Mani and a challenge to his authority over the class. In his behavior, Rajam shows in different to Mani which he cannot bear. So, he has taken Rajam as his rival.

Swaminathan expressed before Mani that instead of hanging about that Rajam, he had insulted Rajam during the drawing class. Mani was greatly pleased to hear it- “This pleased Mani greatly” The teacher of the class stopped the progress by asking Swaminathan to stand up and answer a few question. Later, Swaminathan failed to answer them correctly and the teacher punished him. When Swaminathan was standing on the bench he was not of all attentive to his lessons. He could see so many heads and his mind were engaged to classify them according to the caps. Read More Short Stories Swaminathan acts as a cord of communication between Rajam and Mani. Suddenly his services dispensed with because both of them gave him no time to repeat their words.

 Mani said to Swami, “You are a nasty little coward.” He was called so because he could not get the lime pickles. Read More Short Stories Which Mani wanted from him Swaminathan in the kitchen? When Swaminathan informed Mani that Rajam’s father was a police superintend and it will be better not to quarrel with him. Mani did not care it and insisted on breaking his shoulders. What do I care? “Some night I am going to crack his shoulders with my clubs.” Swaminathan was waiting for a bitter fight between Rajam and Mani. But finally, it did not take place. Rather Rajam offered friendship to Main and he accepted it. In the mean time Swaminathan also long to be his friend. So he felt at perfect peace with the world.

When Mani threatened Swaminathan for hanging about Rajam to much, Swaminathan broke into loud protestations against this false charge because as for as he could remember, he had never been close to Rajam. Rather, he had insulted in the drawing period when he was as king Rajam for a pencil sharpener. Read More Short Stories All the people of Malgudi took pride in river Sarayu. Its sandbanks were the favorite evening resort for all of them. Even the municipal president was also proud of it. Whenever any distinguished visitor came there he took him to the talk of the town hall to have a view of the river Sarayu on a moon lit night. The surroundings of the river Sarayu were very pleasant. It has beautiful sandbanks. The people branches over hanging the river rustled pleasantly. A soft breeze played about the boughs and scattered stray leaves on the stream. Birds filed the air with their cries. Far away a herd of cattle was crossing the river and it was followed by a country cart.

As there was a rivalry between Rajam and Mani they did not speak to each other directly. So Swaminathan acted as a medium of communication between them with in the class or outside the class he relayed one’s words to another. Later, Swaminathan service was dropped when Rajam and Mani became very much excited and give him no time to repeat their words.

From the very beginning Rajam was a rival to Mani. So, to end this rivalry Mani invited Rajam in a dual. When Mani was waiting for Rajam to fight with him some thoughts crossed his mind. He thought about the consequences if he killed Rajam. He was also afraid if the spirits of Rajam would haunt him night. Read More Short Stories  So, he decided not to kill Rajam but only to break his limbs. He was also thinking about Swaminathan who was the only witness of his misdeed. MALGUDI DAYS In this dual, Rajam came with a gun. Them Mani surrounded him because he had no gun. Finally, Rajam offered friendship to him and Mani accepted it. Thus, they became friend to each other. Swaminathan was a simple minded timid boy in the school of Malgudi. He was very much committed to his classmate Mani. Though in his inner heart, he longed to be a friend of Rajam. He was not a very good student as proved in the classroom. He acted a cord of communication between Rajam and Mani. In a word he was a peace loving boy who was very much afraid of police.  However, there quarrel ended in lasting friendship.

Key Points of Discussions

👉"Rajam and Mani" is a short story from R.K. Narayan's collection "Malgudi Days."

 👉The story revolves around two schoolboys, Rajam and Mani, who come from different backgrounds but develop a strong friendship.

👉 Rajam is the son of a high-ranking police officer, while Mani is the son of a local rickshaw puller. 

👉Despite their differences, they bond over their shared interests and adventures. 

👉The story explores themes of friendship, social hierarchy, and the power of imagination. 

👉It highlights the ability of friendship to transcend societal boundaries and brings to life the vibrant world of Malgudi, a fictional town often depicted in Narayan's works.

Ardhendu De