生於印度南部的R. K. Narayan（1906－2001）用英文寫了十四本小說及五本短篇故事集；他屬於印度種姓制度最高階級的婆羅門，卻以幽默反諷的筆調表達對低下階層的同情與關懷。

小女孩Shanta在教室裡坐立不安。她不看時鐘就去找老師：「五點了，我要回家。」老師告訴Shanta：「現在才兩點四十五分，知道嗎？」。隔不到十分鐘她又去找老師，說爸爸要她早點回家因為五點要去看電影。"It is two forty-five, understand " Shanta returned to the teacher in about ten minutes and asked, "Is it five, madam, because I have to be ready at five. Otherwise my father will be very angry with me. He asked me to return home early."

回家後她翻開箱子，拿出心愛的粉紅色連身裙穿上，綁了馬尾，繫上綠色緞帶，臉上撲粉，再用朱砂點在前額。她告訴媽媽:「爸爸會說我很乖，早早就準備好了。」Shanta put on her favorite pink frock, braided her hair and flaunted a green ribbon on her pigtail. She powdered her face and pressed a vermilion mark on her forehead. She said, "Now Father will say what a nice girl I am because I'm ready."

然後她就站在門口望著街道，陽光漸漸消逝，天要黑了，爸爸還不回來。她靈機一動，想到爸爸每天走到街角就轉彎，辦公室應該在那裡吧！趁媽媽不注意，Shanta朝街道走去。黃昏了，路燈亮起，行人看來像巨大的影子，她轉了兩個路口，已經不知道身在何處，就坐在路邊咬指甲。鄰居的僕人剛好路過才帶她回家。

當天早晨Shanta的爸爸Venkat出門上班時，電影院的宣傳車剛好經過。Shanta要求爸爸帶她去看電影。女兒的請求讓他好心痛，他不禁憎恨起自己的工作，一個月為了四十盧比，每天做到晚上七、八點，假日也一樣。他把心一橫：「好！今晚我就帶妳去看電影。五點準時。」For forty rupees a month they seemed to have purchased him outright......Every day they kept him at the office till seven or eight in the evening, and when he came home the child was asleep...... He said with resolve, "I will take you to the cinema this evening. Be ready at five."

下午五點時，Venkat告訴經理家裡有急事要下班。經理不但不准還命令他再核對兩百多張的收據。回到座位，Venka取出信紙開始寫：「我要辭職......我和家人寧可餓死也不要再當四十盧比的奴隸。你從來不曾想過要為我加薪......」"Herewith my resignation...... I think it would be far better for me and my family to die of starvation than slave for this petty forty rupees on which you have kept me for years and years. I suppose you have not the slightest notion of giving me for increment......"

他把信放在經理桌上，經理沒看一眼就說：「我有一個好消息要告訴給你，我們決定給你加薪五盧比。」Venkat趕緊收回辭職信又繼續回去對帳。晚上九點回到家，他看到女兒Shanta睡覺時還一身漂亮的打扮等爸爸回來，他語帶哽咽地對太太說：「他們給我加薪了，我不知道還能帶女兒出去玩嗎？」"I don't know if it is going to be possible for me to take her out at all- you see, they are giving me an increment-" he wailed.

加薪帶來的喜悅，多少沖淡了無法兌現對女兒承諾的悲哀吧！