The Dark Room Author:R. K. Narayan The Engladia Insurance Company takes a decision to take in more women probationers into its branches. Given the task of interviewing the applicants, Ramani is smitten by one Mrs. Shanta Bai, an elegant and independent woman recently separated from her husband. Ramani strongly recommends that she be employed. — An intimacy develops between the two... more » that puts a strain on the martial life of Savitri and Ramani. Ramani arranges for Shanta Bai to be accommodated in the spare room of the office, in the process taking several pieces of furniture from his home to furnish the room, including a bench, which was Savitri's favourite piece of furniture. Savitri eventually learns of her husband's relationship with the new woman in his office. She tries to win him back, but he pays no attention to her. All the suppressed frustration inside her bursts out one night when Ramani comes home, surprising everyone, including herself.
She threatens to leave the house, and Ramani, thinking she is bluffing, taunts her and tells her to go ahead. She packs the few belongings she has and leaves the house. She attempts to take the children too, but is stopped by Ramani.
She attempts to drown herself in the Sarayu river, but is rescued by Mari, the locksmith, umbrella-repairer and blacksmith of Sukkur village, who is also a burglar at nights. He and his wife, Ponni, take Savitri to their home. Savitri is now obsessed with leading a self sufficient life, as she has had enough of being dependent on her husband so far. For a short period of time, she succeeds in doing so by taking up a small job as a servant in a small temple. But soon, she yearns to be near her children once more. Sadly, she realises that she must return home, though a part of hers is no more. This goes on to show that only for the love of her children, she is forced to come back & reconcillate with the man whom she might never be able to forgive whole-heartedly.« less