A Shadow is a short story which is a part of Malgudi days collection written by Indian writer and Novelist, R.K Narayan. The story was originally published in 1958. The central theme of story is sorrow, let go of, and relationship.
A Shadow By R.K Narayan
Summary of A Shadow By R.K Narayan
R.K Narayan’s “A Shadow” story revolves around a life of Sambu and his widow mother. Sambu’s father was an Actor and writer and is no more. After six months of Sambu’s father death, his movie is going to release in theatre, and Sambu is very excited to watch it. Sambu’s mother is not happy with it, she don’t want directors to release this movie.
The story begins with Sambu whose father’s film is going to release in theatre. He is demanding 4 aana from his mother to see the movie. Sambu’s mother is panicked, she don’t want to watch the movie as she think she can’t handle the pain and grief after watching her husband alive in movie.
Sambu says to his mother, you can see father’s photo in home but not his movie, why ? His mother replied because photos does not talk, walk and sing. Sambu says photos can’t walk and talk but still you like to watch it. Sambu does his best to convince his mother to watch father’s movie with him but still his mother does not go.
Next day, Sambu goes to his school with full on excitement, as teacher look away, he tells his friend that his father got Ten thousand rupees to work on this movie. I am going to watch this movie in theatre at evening, are you guys coming with me ?
Sambu’s friend replied, are you talking about movie, “Kumari”. In reality, Sambu’s friend hate Tamil movies so he don’t want to watch the movie. Sambu says this movie is not like other Tamil movies, its a special movie whose story is my father used to tell me daily at night.
Sambu added, movie story is very interesting as it is written by my father itself. If you are coming, I will take you with me. Sambu’s friend replied that he won’t come to watch Tamil movie. Sambu’s tries to convince him but his friend’s mind doesn’t change. Sambu goes alone to watch his father movie.
Sambu’s father’s Tamil movie is developed in unique style with different way. The movie is based on young girl named Kumari. In movie, Kumari is a girl who denied to marry at the age of 14. She denied to marry because she want to study in University and life her life independently. Kumar’s father is against her, he don’t want her to study further but at the end of movie he agreed.
Sambu is excitedly waiting for the movie to start. From last six months, he haven’t seen his father. As the movie starts, Sambu’s father comes on theatre screen, he was wearing Dhoti and shirt which he used to wear at home. Then a little girl comes and her father tap on her back.
He talks with girl in same way like he used to talk with Sambu. Afterwards, he teach her arithmetic. Kumari kept the slate on her knees. Her father is teaching her everything. Kumar is holding slate’s pen in her mouth. Her father look at her and ask her to focus on work.
Then Sambu says, say something fast otherwise father would slap you. I know him better than you but Kumari knows arithmetic better than Sambu. She replied correctly and her father gets happy. After looking his father on screen with little girl, Sambu starts to reminisce his old memories with his father. When film ends, Sambu turns back and look at the projection room. Sambu is feeling loneliness without his father. He goes back to his home.
Sambu”s mother was waiting for him at home. She says it’s 9 pm, you are very late. Sambu says yes, because movie was quite long as well as very interesting. Sambu ask his mother to watch movie with him. During dinner, Sambu was talking about his father’s movie only. He tells his mother father was singing like he used to sing. His mother was listening everything silently. Afterwards, he ask his mother to say something.
His mother replied, I have nothing to say. Sambu ask, don’t you like the film ? His mother doesn’t reply. She ask Sambu, do you like to watch film again? Sambu replied yes, if possible I will keep watching the movie till it will be in theatre. Do you give me 4 aana daily to watch the movie. His mother replied yes.
Sambu again ask his mother to watch the movie but she denied. For a week, he starts living in his father company through his movie. Sambu also want to watch night show but his mother denied it because of his schooling.
Time is precious but her mother does not understand it. He can wait for the lessons but not for his father. Therefore, Sambu is jealous of people who goes to watch movie at night. Sambu always ask his mother to watch the movie, and finally his mother agreed for the last show. They both goes for the night show. His mother sits in women class.
As the film starts, Sambu’s mother’s heartbeat increases. Her husband was talking with her wife in movie. He was playing with her children. After watching her husband alive in movie, Sambu’s mother starts remembering their old memories.
During movie, she closes her eyes for many times. She was not able to watch many scenes of the movie. There comes a scene in which Sambu’s father was reading newspaper while sitting on chair. She starts remembering that her husband used to read newspaper like that only.
Sambu’s father’s life’s last day, he was reading newspaper while sitting on chair. When she saw him at late night, he was lying dead on his chair. His face was covered with newspaper. That scene of movie was very painful for her.
On the other side, Sambu was enjoying newspaper scene of his father. He has watch the movie before, he knows what will happen in next scene of the movie. He was waiting for the scene when girl will come and ask his father, what he is reading. And then his father will scold her. Kumari doesn’t know how to talk with Sambu’s father. Sambu was waiting for this scene only and then he heard a cry sound from women class.
When Sambu stands up to see, he see his mother fainted on floor. They takes her outside. After some time, she comes to senses. She ask Sambu to go home with her. When Sambu was sitting in horse cart to go home, he heard a sound of his father from theatre which is “Kumari, will you go out from my room by yourself or I take you out”.
These words hit Sambu and he starts crying. Sambu cries because he was hearing his father voice for the last time as film is going to change in theatre from tomorrow.