Karma (story)
Encyclopedia
Karma is a story written by Indian writer Khushwant Singh
. It was originally published in 1989 in Singh's The Collected Stories. Karma is all about an aristocrat who tries to adopt English culture and lifestyle into his, about his relation with his wife etc.
. He was ashamed to be an Indian and hence he tried to speak in English or in Anglicized Hindustani
and to dress as if a high ranked British official. He used to fill the cross word puzzles of newspapers, which he did to show his immense knowledge in English. His wife Lachmi was a traditional Indian woman and due to this difference they were not having a sweet married life.
The important event occurred on a journey of Mohan Lal and Lachmi in a train. Mohan Lal made her sit in the general compartment and arranged his seat in first class compartment, which was meant for British. There he saw two British soldiers who tried to abuse him. When the arrogant Mohan Lal tried to oppose, he was thrown out of the train. He could only look through the rails on the moving train.
Khushwant Singh
Khushwant Singh is a prominent Indian novelist and journalist. Singh's weekly column, "With Malice towards One and All", carried by several Indian newspapers, is among the most widely-read columns in the country....
. It was originally published in 1989 in Singh's The Collected Stories. Karma is all about an aristocrat who tries to adopt English culture and lifestyle into his, about his relation with his wife etc.
Theme
The story Karma illustrates the famous proverb "Pride Comes Before a Fall". It is the story of an arrogant person who feels bad about his culture, lifestyle etc. He is reluctant to his wife because she is an ordinary woman who is unable to impart foreign culture into her life.Plot
Mohan Lal was a middle aged man who worked in the British RajBritish Raj
British Raj was the British rule in the Indian subcontinent between 1858 and 1947; The term can also refer to the period of dominion...
. He was ashamed to be an Indian and hence he tried to speak in English or in Anglicized Hindustani
Hindustani language
Hindi-Urdu is an Indo-Aryan language and the lingua franca of North India and Pakistan. It is also known as Hindustani , and historically, as Hindavi or Rekhta...
and to dress as if a high ranked British official. He used to fill the cross word puzzles of newspapers, which he did to show his immense knowledge in English. His wife Lachmi was a traditional Indian woman and due to this difference they were not having a sweet married life.
The important event occurred on a journey of Mohan Lal and Lachmi in a train. Mohan Lal made her sit in the general compartment and arranged his seat in first class compartment, which was meant for British. There he saw two British soldiers who tried to abuse him. When the arrogant Mohan Lal tried to oppose, he was thrown out of the train. He could only look through the rails on the moving train.
Characters
- Sir Mohan Lal - An arrogant middle aged man
- Lachmi - An ordinary Indian woman who happens to be the wife of Mohan Lal
- A bearer
- A porter
- Two British soldiers.