The Dark Room is short story written by Famous Indian author, R.K Narayan. The story of novel centers around a life of Indian woman whose husband scolds her all the time. As usual R.K Narayan’s “The Dark Room” story sets in fictional town, Malgudi.
Synopsis of The Dark Room ( Narayan Novel )
Summary of The Dark Room By R.K Narayan
R.K Narayan “The Dark Room” story begins with major character, Savitri, a housewife whose husband is very abusive and toxic. Savitri’s husband doesn’t look after her but still she does not leave him. She has a hope that one day her husband will change and start loving her.
For Savitri, her home has become a Dark Room and Jail, it is because of her husband abusive nature. We Indians are very tolerant, we continue to suffer in a hope that one day everything will change. There are crore women like Savitri in India who are tolerating their husband abusive nature and waiting for them to change one day.
Savitri is married to man named Ramani, an office secretary who works at Engladia Insurance Company. Ramani’s company is located in fictional southern town, Malgudi. Ramani is characterized as a dominant person who thinks every thing should be done with his wish.
Everyone in Ramani’s family is afraid of him like his wife, servant and kids. Savitri has all the good qualities which traditional Indian woman should have but still her home has become a dark room for her. Savriti is an innocent woman who tolerates her husband toxic nature.
Savitri was very beautiful and loved Ramani with all her heart but Ramani doesn’t care about her heart feelings and beat her for no reason. Savitri is married to Ramani for 15 years, and since 15 years she haven’t lived a single moment peacefully. Ramani has only abused her, beat her and given pain to her. As well as Ramani also beats his children and shows no mercy on them.
The story now features new character, Shanta Bai, a very beautiful woman who left her husband few years ago. After divorcing her husband, Shanta Bai started working at Engladia Insurance company. Shanta Bai is good at tricking people with her beauty and she loves flirting.
When Ramani saw Shanta Bai, he get attracted to her and become good friend of her. He spends many nights with her. Ramani and Shanta Bai have formed a great bonding. On the other side, Savitri is suffocating from inside as her husband has stopped coming home on daily basis. When Ramani doesn’t return home whole night, she waits for him in the darkness.
Savitri doesn’t know that her husband is having an affair with another woman. She tried to question Ramani many-many times but she kept quiet as she don’t want to get abused by him. The story now introduces new character, Gangu, a school teacher who loves gossiping.
Gangu tells Savitri that her husband is having an affair with another woman. Savitri is shocked to heard this and started feeling pity for herself. Savitri blame herself, she thinks she is getting old and that is why her husband fall for another woman. I have given birth to babies and I does household work so maybe that is why my beauty is fading.
Savitri decides she will maintain her beauty and win her husband heart again. She wants Ramani to love her like he loved her in first week of their marriage. When Savitri saw Ramani standing in front of her, her years of pent up anger and helplessness explodes on him.
She ask Ramani to stay away from him and doesn’t let him touch her body. Afterwards, Savitri leaves home and goes out to suicide. To kill herself, she jumps in river. There comes new character, Mari, a Blacksmith and burglar.
When Mari was crossing river, he saw Savitri drowning, he saved her life and bring her to his wife, Ponni. Savitri shares her heart pain with Mari and his wife, Ponni. Ponni advises Savitri to comes to her village where she can work in temple and live a prideful life.
On Ponni advice, Savitri comes to village and started working in temple. But Savitri doesn’t find peace in Temple as other male priest started disturbing her. Brahman priest don’t want to work with woman priest in temple. As well as Savitri is missing her kids. At the end of story, Savitri returns to her “Dark Room” and her husband behavior never changed, he still beat her, abuse her and torture her.