Author: R.K.Narayan
Publishers: Indian Thought Publishers
Pages: 256
Falling in love, is a like new birth. If you know the men who fell in love, you might have understood that change or new birth. The way he change, depends on the girl.
This is my first read of R.K.Narayan's works. I wanted to surprise myself, so I avoided Malgudi Days and took Waiting for Mahatma.
Bharathi and her love transforms Sriram from being a lazybum into a man, who fights British, who fights his own people for supporting British and atlast a man of dream. Yes, the dream of marrying Bharathi at any cost. He takes orders from Bharathi, goes from villages to villages to educate people about 'Quit India Movement'. On their road to marriage, Bharathi and Sriram comes across various obstacles; Bharathi surredering herself to police, Sriram comes in touch with a terrorist (who follows Subash Chandra Bose), and then imprisonment of Sriram also.
Through the characters of his novel, R.K.Narayan expresses his views on the various aspects of Indian Freedom Struggle. He supports Gandhiji's views through Bharathi, expresses his goodwill on Subash Chandra Bose through Jagadhish(the terrorist) and finally taking a samll dig at the congressmen for the benefits they enjoy in prison, through a fellow prisoner.
The story ends with Gandhiji given permission on Bharathi and Sriram's marriage before he was shot dead. Waiting for Mahatma is a well compilation of Indian Freedom Struggle, humor and romance. Sriram takes an unusual journey to marry Bharathi.
This book is a nice read, especially a good start for English Literature.
Love can change anybody.
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