JAVNI, A SHORT STORY BY RAJA RAO
JAVNI, A SHORT STORY BY RAJA RAO
In this article we shall read about the summary of Javni, a short story by Raja Rao.
JAVNI, A SHORT STORY BY RAJA RAO
SUMMARY OF JAVNI
Ramappa had just arrived at his sister’s house, cycling a long distance. Ramappa felt drowsy, sipping the hot coffee while his sister, Sita asked him questions. He asked for another cup. Sita went preparing it for her brother and Ramappa fell fast asleep, on the mat. Ramappa heard the creaking of the door behind him. He felt someone standing at the door but was perhaps afraid to come in.
JAVNI, A SHORT STORY BY RAJA RAO
Ramappa woke up from his nap, when Sita, arrived with another cup of coffee. He related his fancy of someone there at the door. Sita told that it was Javni and was still there. She finally came inside the room.
DID JAVNI BELIEVE IN GHOSTS?
Javni was “past forty, a little wrinkled beneath the lips and with strange, rapturous eyes. Her hair was turning white, her breasts were fallen and her bare, broad forehead showed pain and widowhood.“ Javni informed that Ramappa was the talk of the town for his appearance like a prince.
DID JAVNI BELIEVE IN GHOSTS?
Sita was a bit worried and warned her brother to be careful, since the place was famous for black magic. Even Javni supported Sita, citing examples of ghosts of “more than a hundred young men and women ….. all killed by magic”.
JAVNI, A SHORT STORY BY RAJA RAO
DID JAVNI BELIEVE IN GHOSTS?
Moreover Javni also related an incident of a potter’s wife who had jumped into the canal out of unhappiness. She was Rangi who once obstructed Javni’s path, while she was returning home amidst darkness. Javni was terribly frightened seeing the ghost clad in “white broad sari” and her “hair all floating“. Hearing her ghost story Sita trembled with fear.
DID JAVNI BELIEVE IN GHOSTS?
Sita’s husband was a Revenue Inspector. Hence, Sita had to stay alone, and if Javni “had not been with her, she should have died of fright”. Sita loves her brother like her own child and we come to know of this fact from Javni. Javni has high regards for her master and this is well marked when she says that Ramappa will also “be a big man” like her master. While such conversation was going on, the Inspector paced into the room.
JAVNI, A SHORT STORY BY RAJA RAO
DID JAVNI BELIEVE IN GHOSTS?
In his absence, Javni used to sleep with Sita, since she “had a terror of being alone“. Since it had become her habit, Javni came as usual even when Ramappa was there. But, one thing that surprised Ramappa was why she had to eat her food at the byre. Ramappa wondered why Javni couldn’t have her food with Sita. It might be he thought because Javni is of lower class. Ramappa felt ashamed. He immediately rushed to the stable to convince her that the place was not fit for having food.
DID JAVNI BELIEVE IN GHOSTS?
She thinks that she is well out of the stable to have her food and thus, denies going to the hall with Ramappa. Moreover, she is habituated eating in the darkness as the cost of oil is too much for her.
JAVNI, A SHORT STORY BY RAJA RAO
DID JAVNI BELIEVE IN GHOSTS?
Javni was born in the village of Kotehalli, where her brother cultivated the fields in winter and washed clothes in the summer. As for her mother, she was always piled up with work. Being a hereditary midwife, she was always sent for delivery cases in their village.
DID JAVNI BELIEVE IN GHOSTS?
Javni had six siblings, four of them were sisters and two were brothers, of whom only her brother Bhima remained. When she was eighteen, she was married to a boy, who too was a washerman. He loved Javni dearly. But, one day, as god decided it, a snake bit him while he was washing clothes by the river. He died that very evening, crying to the last, “Javni, Javni, my Javni “.
JAVNI, A SHORT STORY BY RAJA RAO
DID JAVNI BELIEVE IN GHOSTS?
Javni’s husband came from a family of three brothers and two sisters. While the elder being a wicked one, the younger was a haughty young fellow. One day a policeman came, frightened everybody and took away the elder brother for a mysterious reason.
DID JAVNI BELIEVE IN GHOSTS?
While things became unendurable, due to the inhumanity of the elder sister-in-law,Javni was forced to abandon them. She had only her brother to go. Hence, she went to Bhima and despite his terrible insult she pleaded with him to give at least a palm width of shelter.
JAVNI, A SHORT STORY BY RAJA RAO
DID JAVNI BELIEVE IN GHOSTS?
She was granted the shelter. But, she could not stand the barbs of her sister-in-law. Even the haughty lady rebuked Javni when she touched the little boy of Bhima.They considered her as “a witch” and “an evil spirit”. But, Javni had enough love for the four year old boy and the boy also loved poor Javni.
DID JAVNI BELIEVE IN GHOSTS?
However, Javni has complete faith in the Goddess Talakamma. She offers a lamb every three years to the Goddess. On questioning her of “what does she give in return “, Javni replies, “Everything”. The Goddess protects her, gave her the chance to be with her brother’s four years son and indeed, all that she has. Even she believes that the same Goddess would give “everything” to Ramappa if he offers a lamb to her.
JAVNI, A SHORT STORY BY RAJA RAO
DID JAVNI BELIEVE IN GHOSTS?
To change the subject, Ramappa asked her if she was ready to adopt him. If she was ready to do so, Ramappa will definitely work for her. But, the simple woman, believing the caste system, denied adopting him since, Ramappa was a brahmin, who deserves to be served by the low castes.
JAVNI, A SHORT STORY BY RAJA RAO
DID JAVNI BELIEVE IN GHOSTS?
Two summers later, the Sita family were to move from their place of residence. Javni had wept a whole week as she could not bear the separation. On the day when the family were about to leave Javni, the latter was full of tears standing beside the cart. Even Sita cried a lot for being separated from Javni.
JAVNI, A SHORT STORY BY RAJA RAO
Finally, the cart rumbled over the boulders of the street. Javni was seen looking at them. She was trembling out of fear. Ramappa felt bad to leave “ a most wonderful soul”. But, what to do? They have to be separated at last and it was in their fate. When the cart had moved a long distance from the “wonderful soul”, Javni was “just a spot in space”. Yet she was full of substance, a real angel.
