Just like other R. K. Narayan books, Waiting for the Mahatma takes place in a quaint fictional town of Malgudi in Tamil Nadu. Set in the 1940s, we get a glimpse of the freedom movement in India— from Quit India movement to its Independence; particularly South India’s freedom movement, of which hardly anything is mentioned in our history books.
The story is about an orphan boy Sriram who is raised by his grandmother. He’s a spoiled brat who spends his days idling away in the luxury of his home, splurging on the savings in the local bank. His days merge into months and months into years until one day everything gets shaken up by a storm named Bharati. He’s absolutely smitten by her.
She’s spirited, witty, infuriating, condescending to the moonstruck Sriram and someone who is driven to achieve her goal— to follow Bapu’s word to the letter. Sriram pursues Bharati to the Gandhi camp and from here on we see him transform from a lethargic, aimless individual to someone giving up his comforts to actively participate in the freedom movement and even going to jail. ( Wow! The extent boys would go to win over girls. Can you imagine? 😂)
Gandhiji’s principles have a huge influence on this pair, specially Bharati who refused to tie the knot with anyone without his blessings. He plays an important role in the pair’s story acting like a father figure to Bharati.
The prose is peppered with Narayan’s trademark humour. It’s narrated through the eyes of Sriram and we see a tiny story unfold amidst such significant events taking place. The story ends with India’s Independence and the sombre event of Gandhiji’s assassination.
Waiting for the Mahatma is an ordinary story about ordinary people under extraordinary circumstances.
What’s your favourite partition literature? Or favourite books on freedom struggle?
Travelling Bibliomaniac 