Lajwanti by Mulk Raj Anand is a short story – this story is famous for highlighting the plight of a married woman while coping up with the in-laws. Lajwanti means sensitive plant, thus the central character of the story ‘Lajwanti’ is quite apt to the title. The story opens with Lajwanti on the run in the scorching heat of Delhi. To her company, there is a bird Maina in the cage. Her struggle is to hike till Gurgaon and from there she will catch a bus to reach her father’s house in Pataudi. But her journey is not going to be easy one. First, it is unbearable to walk barefoot in such a scorching heat. Second, her brother-in-law Jaswant is chasing her on a bicycle. He is brute, vile and of course a bastard male chauvinistic. Somehow, she manages to reach a confectioner’s shop and thinks of drinking water and resting in the shade. Well, soon, Jaswant catches her up and begins tormenting her. He spreads aloud that she is a badwoman and has run away from the house without informi...
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