Duty by Mulk Raj Anand is a short story which underlines the value of duty even in the worst of worst circumstances, like extremely hot and cold climate. The story is about a policeman, Mangal Singh, who is posted at a point where a road from the village meets the city road. His duty started at the early hours of the morning. He has already spent around five and half hours at the duty. The season is of scorching summer and the sun overhead is just unbearable. Soon, a sepoy called Rahmat-Ullah will relieve him but even after that he needs to hike for three kilometers to reach the barracks where he can rest. So, he decides to rest under a Kikar (acacia) tree for some time. Under it, he feels relaxed and comparatively cool. Now he begins cursing the rich Hindu merchants who while away their summer time either in the gardens drinking milk-water or in the coolness of the electric fan when they are at shops. He doesn’t like the service of the police: it’s for poor men. He alwa...
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