when manto arrived in lahore from bombay, he associated with several intellectuals at lahore's pak tea house. according to one commentator: "there was absolutely no external influence and people would share their opinions on any subject without fear even during the military dictators' regimes." in lahore, manto lived with his wife and family in a room in lakshmi mansion, located near butt tikka. the three storied building was built by lala lajpat rai's lakshmi insurance company in 1938, inaugurated by sarojini naidu, and was at one time the residence of k.santhanam, an eminent lawyer and the family of a jeweler called girdharilal. however, it was abandoned during the partition riots of 1947-48. the mansion is currently dilapidated and uninhabited, though its façade still exists, renovated and painted.