"Karma" is about an Oxford-educated Indian man who adopts upper-class English culture and lifestyle only to be rejected by British colonial officers.
He is preparing to board the first-class compartment of a train, and he hopes to impress the British officials he may encounter.
His wife, Lachmi, by contrast, describes herself as a traditional woman, and she is perceived negatively by Mohan Lal.
Lachmi, having spent her time in the waiting area eating traditional food, preparing her betel leaf, and conversing with a porter, is traveling in the general women's compartment.
The title of the story comes from an Indian concept, karma, which is about the consequences of actions in a system of free will.