Bring out the significance of the title ‘Leela's Friend’

➤Title

Leela and Sidda are the two main characters of R. K. Narayan's short story Leela's Friend. Leela is a single child of Mr. and Mrs. Sivasankar. She is five years old. Sidda is the servant of Leela's house. He is taken into the house to wash clothes, tend the garden, run errands, chopping wood, and looking after Leela.  He performs all his duties responsibly. 

After few days, a good friendship grows between Leela and Sidda. They play together. He tells her various wonderful stories to put her to sleep. Sidda with his power of imagination creates a make-believe world for Leela, the proof of which we find in the moon episodes of the story. Sidda introduces his imaginative world to Leela to keep her happy. 

Leela in an attempt to share her world with Sidda tries hard to teach Sidda, but he is no adept at learning. However, as the story progresses we see that Leela always wants to get close to Sidda. He is deeply heart when he is removed. 

But their friendship does not last long. When Leela loses her gold chain, her mother suspects Sidda. Her father complaint against him. Then Sidda is arrested by police. But Leela repeatedly tells all that Sidda is not a thief. She always stands by Sidda during his tough time. Besides, the loss of the gold chain does not count much to her. She only wants Sidda's company. But nobody listens to her. Sidda is thrown into the jail.

A few days later, the chain is ultimately discovered from the house. The discovery of the chain reveals that Sidda is not a thief. But he is not allowed to continue his job. Leela loses her friend forever.

However, Leela and Sidda understand each other well and the readers can find a psychological bond between the two. 

Even the story highlights the fact that affection knows no barrier-Leela and Sidda though belonged to two different classes their fondness for each other makes them true companions. Thus the entire story revolves round two characters — Leela and her friend Sidda.

This story is a skillful weaving of true friendship and the title admits their importance. Thus the title of the short story is appropriate.

Question:- Summary of the story Leela’s Friend.

ANS:- Sidda finds employment as servant in the house of Mr. Sivasankar. Sidda becomes an instant favourite of Mr. Sivasankar's five years old daughter Leela. Sidda is expected to do plenty of work at a meagre salary. He also has the duty to be a playmate to Leela. Sidda is an obedient servant to the family and a charming playmate to Leela. Intimacy between Sidda and Leela is exquisitely demonstrated in the game they play together. Sidda tells her bed-time stories. Leela is impressed with Sidda's knowledge of the moon. She teaches him the alphabets. One day the gold chain worn by Leela goes missing. Mrs. Sivasankar suspects Sidda about it. Sidda tries to defend himself feebly. However, that night Sidda runs away. A police complaint is lodged against him by Leela's parents. Sidda is captured by the police. He denies having taken the chain. Leela is very upset with Sidda's absence. Finally, the gold chain is discovered in a tamarind pot, but Mr. and Mrs. Sivasankar are not convinced of Sidda's innocence.

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