r. k. narayan was born in madras (now chennai, tamil nadu), british india. he was one of eight children; six sons and two daughters. narayan was second among the sons; his younger brother ramachandran later became an editor at gemini studios, and the youngest brother laxman became a cartoonist. his father was a school headmaster, and narayan did some of his studies at his father's school. as his father's job entailed frequent transfers, narayan spent a part of his childhood under the care of his maternal grandmother, parvati. during this time his best friends and playmates were a peacock and a mischievous monkey.