If pictures could speak What would they say? What words had moulded those thoughts? The smile, the face; They never cease to amaze- Those emotions the cameras caught! The blacks and whites Brought in shades of grey Those mystic hues of frozen time; How they speak Oh! Those eyes! Still breathing life- in their prime! What life had she had? What stories to tell? And how much of those were in wraps? If only pictures could speak They could say it all
May be that's why they don't- perhaps!
Photographs of strangers.
Strangers who resembled family. Awkward conversations about unknown
blood relatives. Names of mutual acquintances get tossed
around to fill the silences. Trips to ancestral villages can be any of those
things. However they turn out to be- they eventually become
unforgettable memories!
A quiant little village, 12
kms from the small town called Mayavaram, this Keeranur is one of the many
Keeranurs of Tamil Nadu.
Goats that wouldn't bother
breaking away from their normal routine of sleeping on the middle of
the road. Moss covered walls- giving a touch of bright green to those walls
that are otherwise faded. Bright yellow flowers blossoming on the roofs of
houses. Residents who were no strangers to the "visit" from the
"long lost" "sons and daughters of the land" from the
towns.
An ansestor who had become a
"saint" was apparently burried in this little village. This was a quest to
find the place where he was originally burried.There were two temples in
the village- a big one and a amall one. They shared a priest which meant
that the deities had to wait for their turn on a busy day!
The day we were vising the
village, there was another family who were performing rituals at the
temple. It tunrned out that they were related to us too. Only- no one could
remember the relation that related us.
Village deities are a
delight! There are so many stories of these deities rescuing the ones in
distress. They usually leave behind a long trail of miraculous adventure tales
that the ones involved liked to recount in detail- to whoever visited
the place. While the children waited for the food to land on their plates-
these tales kept growing longer and longer...
The saint happened to be
burried beneath shrubs and weeds that covered a slight mound of land. It's
a matter of faith and it was believed that he was burried right there.
A temple beneath a tree. The
tree that stood and saw the village grow. The tree which stayed behind
in the childhood memories of the lost cousins!
My father had often told me
stories about how he had to walk for miles to get to his school. There
were still those children in the village, who had to walk all the miles to reach
their schools...
And finally, like in all
stories, there are still those children, who like to have their picture taken by
the visitors from the town! Perhaps they'd never get a copy of those
pictures. Still, they'd insist that they be photographed. Years from
now- she may meet more of my kind... The lost sons and daughters of the
village... Perhaps one of them might even have her photograph for her!
The deities, the trees, the
flowers on roofs; goats, wells and the dust on the stone horse's hoofs- these
shall remain in the village forever! A memory of the time that paused for a
while- in that beautiful village called- Keeranur!
Memories most recent seem to make no sense. While those from the past- is
wrapped up in a mature analysis of a wrapper and remains behind. Those that
have stayed behind, don't seem to be much fun either.
I think I've lost the pen. The impulse to write- seems to have gone down.
Rather- there's nothing much to write about. A family holiday to Gujrat or my
experiments with drawing a rangoli for the first time- seem uninteresting and
not worth wasting my words upon. What's this phase in life called? I am mostly
up-beat about being shut in my room with my books or music or laptop. May be
it's the grill on the balcony. That's what is causing the block. If only I
could remove the grill, may be I could write again!
There is a vaccum in life for my cat ran off a few months ago. It's tough-
going back in life. May be that's the reason for this break from writing. Or
just the fact that there are just too many books around. Cleaning my house-
pardon me- watching my house getting re-organised and seeing the sheer number
of books in my house, makes me guilty. I've read just a few of them. I've
bought so many of those books with the intention of reading them- but never
did! Then there are my father's books. I remember writing down a list a few
years back. A bucket-list! I wrote in it- "I wish to read all the books
that my father had read in his life so far and more...". Childish boasts
of a wannabe adult!
I found out a bag with an old sewing kit. Embroidery threads and needles
and the hoop. Half done flowers, the cloth all crushed and dirty. And suddenly
I feel like completing the design. Only now, I don't remember to sew. It is
remarkable that I had actually knitted a woollen cap. Well, that's a half
truth! I am finally able to admit that after twelve years! The truth is that I
was and am never good with needles and threads. But what's there to write about
that? That's not least bit inspiring.
I watched the film "PK" sometime around Christmas. It was a
brilliant film. But I could not write anything about that either. I wrote about
"Talaash", "Oh my God" and a few other films earlier. But
whatever I would write- had already been written! I liked the logic in "Oh
my God" better than the emotion and fun-filled "PK"! I thought
that there was nothing anti-religious in the film! Of course- the negative
publicity is always good for business. But by the time I was planning whether
or not to document this piece of thought- the film had grossed 300 Cr in India!
Amidst all this- I happened to do my second book review- "Thr Krishna
Key" by Ashwin Sanghi. Sure I could write about that! Only that- my review
came just up to about two pages worth of words. Rest of the review was excerpts
from the book. And I had no patience to sit and type down some one else's
words.
Ink from my pen had made blotches on the paper. That could not be the
reason either. I had a stash of executive bond papers somewhere. They are now
nowhere! Also- I miss having black ink in my fountain pen. Blue- reminds me of
my days in school. Creative instict is gone. Facts organise and re-organise
themselves in alternative patterns. Only the words change. The rabbit and the hole
are gone!
"Analysis paralysis"- a phrase I read somewhere. It may be that.
Or I don't write for I just happen to like the beauty of an unwritten page...
May be I have come to think that words might disturb the serenity of the page.
Or it could be that I don't think that I have words that equal the beauty of
the page!
I hope this passes too. This phase of what they call- a "writer's
block". Feels good though. Can't have a writer's block if you're not a
writer though- can you...?
I had been part of the Book Club at Trichy since my college days. But I got around to reviewing books only recently, that is- on the 27th of August., 2014. All thanks goes to Smt Prema Nandakumar, Shri Diljit Shah, Brigadier B Narayanaswamy and other organisers of the Trichy Book Club. I was not sure about doing it- but at the end of the day- I thought it went quite well. But most of all- it was seeing my name printed in "The Hindu" (even though only on the "engagements" column)- that turned out to be the best part about the whole Book Review affair!
Text from the book review and some of the photographs of my review- finally make it to my blog! THE INHERITANCE OF LOSS- BOOK REVIEW 27TH AUGUST 2014 AT BOOK CLUB TRICHY
When the available titles were told to me- I picked out this book for it was on my reading list and I had known that it had won the Booker Prize in 2006. I had tried my hand at “writing” book/movie reviews in my blog. But while doing that- I write a “disclaimer” on the top that reads “This is not a book/movie review”. And I manage to include my personal “rants”/comments/ life stories in between. But this is the first time where I am actually talking about a book on a formal occasion. What I understand is that a book review is essentially personal- a commentary on what the reader feels about the book. All my childhood and adulthood years spent in reading books- I have found that what attracts me in a book are the characters in it. I need not necessarily like them Yet- if the characters are worth remembering- then it’s fine with me. The book has 5 main characters. What I thought for today was that- instead of going for a page by page summary of the book- I can give an overall summary. The book has no “story” as such. But there is a “plot”. I know that’s a bit confusing but they are two different words and must obviously be a bit different from each other. Sai- is a teenager and an orphan. She is sent to stay with her grandfather at Kalimpong (near Darjeeling) after her parents pass away in an accident in Russia. Bt the time the news of her parents death reach her- she’s almost a stranger to her parents, having grown up and studying in a convent- so her transition to life at Kalimpong from the life at the Convent is that of a transition from one state of loneliness to another. What a convent educated Sai learns from the nuns is that- “cake was better then laddoos, fork spoon knife better than hands” and that “English was better than Hindi”. Her only fellow Indian in her “Western-oriented” neighbourhood is the cook. He teaches her the Indian way of life- and they grow pretty fond of each other- though deep inside being aware of the difference between them.
Jemubhai Patel or the judge- as the book refers to him- is Sai’s grandfather. He’s this interesting character. He is sent to Cambridge to study. He faces a certain degree of racism which makes him feel inferior. His inferiority complex turns into self loathing. He hates anything that’s remotely Indian. Lives a life of solitude- a prisoner of his own thoughts and actions. His only love in life- apparently is his dog, Mutt. The cook. I had to read the entire book on depth once and read it fast the second time just to make sure if I missed his name somewhere. For his name appears only once- towards the end- Panna Lal. The judge and the cook had remained together at Kalimpong- for such a long time- a time they have not spent together even with their wives. Still- they never converse. The judge hates the cook and the cook keeps himself happy by making up stories about the judge and recounting them to other employees like himself- eventually believing himself to be one of the most important beings in the judge’s household. Biju is the cook’s son. The cook’s only achievement in his life- a son who lives in America. Someday the cook hopes that his son will take him along. While Biju is an illegal migrant in the US who jumps from one job to the other- escaping authorities. Like a fugitive. He constantly faces the fear of losing job as he struggles to realise his “American Dream”- which is to get a secure future for himself and his father. As the author mentions- he is a “shadow class” in the society. There is a clear case of “racial discrimination” with illegal immigrants that is elaborated in the book. At one Italian restaurant- the Italian owners wife says that she prefers immigrants from poorer parts of Europe than any other continent. “With European workers she feels she has something in common, like religion and skin-colour. The only problem is that “they weren’t coming in numbers great enough or they weren’t coming desperate enough”. In the huge “land of opportunities”- Biju was still a “servant” just like his father.
Gyan- a ethnic Nepalese-indian student whom the judge hires to tutor Sai. Gyan’s ancestors have all been soldiers fighting first for the british then for India. While Gyan feels betrayed that after having served the nation for generations- the country is still unwilling to give the Gorkhas their right. He’s unable to get a decent job. For a brief moment- may be because of the scenic beauty of the Himalayas- or because of the age- or perhaps some inexplicable force of nature that begins to work in a mysterious fashion when a male and female members of a species come close for the first time- a romance blooms between Sai and Gyan. But the romance fades as soon as it begins to gain some focus. Initially Gyan is embarrassed by their romance. Sai being westernised- definitely from a better class than to which he belongs to. Then by rejecting Sai- Gyan feels that he has rejected her “westernized and bourgeois lifestyle”- an act of revenge perhaps that his ethnicity faces in the hands of the “westernised” “Bongs” (Bengalis).
These are the most prominent characters in the novel. There is parallel narration- it jumps from Jemubhai’s recollections of the past- his days preparing to be in ICS during the colonial era- to GNLF or the Gorkha National Liberation Front- the backdrop on which the story is set. The story happens in the 80s and we can find the frequent conversations about the “news”- “the khalistan movement”, “Mrs Gandhi”, “Reagen and Gorbachev”-etc. Though title itself is negative- the book ends with a hope. The characters in the book might not have realised their dreams. Yet they gain something else. Something that they come to accept eventually. Though their realisations cannot be summed up in this book review although i can give a hint that it happens somewhere in the last 3 chapters of the book. But to appreciate their realisations- one needs to read the entire book and internalise their characteristics. I had wanted to start this review by saying that “No- I did not like this book”. But that was before I edited this write-up. I realised that when it is books- we cannot say “I like” or “don’t like” about books. Except for Chetan bhagat books perhaps- which i don’t like. Generally- all books have certain qualities in them that comes up at times- when you have your eyes closed- thinking about things. Its these- the ability to be remembered- that makes a book worth reading. The book has style. An irony was that- Jemubhai’s or the judge’s father was someone who gave training to false witnesses. The judge’s reminiscences are the most elaborate in the book. Or at least I thought so. There is no justification for the way he is. But throughout his character is emphasised and re emphasised. But shadows, after all, create their own unease, and despite his attempts to hide, he merely emphasized something that unsettled others. For entire days nobody spoke to him at all, his throat jammed with words unuttered, his heart and mind turned into blunt aching things, and elderly ladies, even the hapless— blue-haired, spotted, faces like collapsing pumpkins—moved over when he sat next to them in the bus, so he knew that whatever they had, they were secure in their conviction that it wasn’t even remotely as bad as what he had. The young and beautiful were no kinder; girls held their noses and giggled, "Phew, he stinks of curry!"
Thus Jemubhai’s mind had begun to warp; he grew stranger to himself than he was to those around him, found his own skin odd-colored, his own accent peculiar. He forgot how to laugh, could barely manage to lift his lips in a smile, and if he ever did, he held his hand over his mouth, because he couldn’t bear anyone to see his gums, his teeth. They seemed too private. In fact, he could barely let any of himself peep out of his clothes for fear of giving offence. He began to wash obsessively, concerned he would be accused of smelling, and each morning he scrubbed off the thick milky scent of sleep, the barnyard smell that wreathed him when he woke and impregnated the fabric of his pajamas. To the end of his life, he would never be seen without socks and shoes and would prefer shadow to light, faded days to sunny, for he was suspicious that sunlight might reveal him, in his hideousness, all too clearly.
The judge clears his ICS by a stroke of luck for attempts to indianise the service were in progress. There is this interesting incident that’s narrated- which happens right after the judge clears his ICS.
Not the first position, nor the second. But there he was. He sent a telegram home. "Result unequivocal." "What," asked everyone, "does that mean?" It sounded as if there was a problem, because "un" words were negative words, those basically competent in English agreed. But then, Jemubhai’s father consulted the assistant magistrate and they exploded with joy, his father transformed into a king holding court, as neighbors, acquaintances, even strangers, streamed by to eat syrup-soaked sweets and offer congratulations in envy-soaked voices.
Also- the judge’s coming back to India too is described in an interesting manner. A noticeable change in him since the time he left for Cambridge:
On board the Strathnaver on his way back, the judge sipped beef tea and read How to Speak Hindustani, since he had been posted to a part of India where he did not speak the language. He sat alone because he still felt ill at ease in the company of the English.
When he’s back- he is totally “Angrez”. The author describes the judge eating his parathas, chapattis, puris with knife and fork. He is intolerant to anything that is Indian. His admiration for the British begins- as described in the book- when he first sees a portrait of the Queen in his school. “Someone so simple looking could be so powerful”- this thought kindles his love for the British.
His wife- Nimi Patel- once with whom he rode on a bicycle- now seemed someone unlikable- Indian. He contantly abuses her. Tries hiring a “companion” for her to bring some “refinement” in her manners. But his loathing stops him from accepting her. He sends her back to her parents for she participates in an event organised outside cantonment railway station as part of the Nehru Welcoming committee. The reality is that- she’s dragged along by a Congress woman- as some sort of prank- or naughtiness- but the character “Mrs Singh” calls it an act of kindness. Nimi does not even realise that she was seeing Pt Nehru himself. She has no clue. Naturally- there’s a black mark in Judge’s career. Hence he abuses her. All the while- she had been tolerating his abusing with silence. But she manages to muster all the courage she had left and says to him- “You are the one who is stupid”. This- his arrogance is unable to accept and the judge sends her back to her father. The birth of the daughter doesn’t change the judge’s heart either. “. Nimi ends her life in the house of a brother-in-law where she “accidentally” catches fire over a stove. Like many other women in India she is killed “without a witness, without a case” (307), in a country “where human life was cheap, where standards were shoddy, where stoves were badly made and cheap saris caught fire as easily-“ (307).”
You feel as though the judge is a rock. But when his dog mutt goes missing- something unique happens. The judge got down on his knees, and he prayed to God, he, Jemubhai Popatlal the agnostic, who had made a long hard journey to jettison his family’s prayers; he who had refused to throw the coconut into the water and bless his own voyage all those years ago on the deck of the SS Strath-naver. "If you return Mutt, I will acknowledge you in public, I will never deny you again, I will tell the world that I believe in you—you—if you return Mutt—" Then he got up. He was undoing his education, retreating to the superstitious man making bargains, offering sacrifices, gambling with fate, cajoling, daring whatever was out there— Show me if you exist! Or else I will know you are nothing. Nothing! Nothing!—taunting it. But by night, the thought reentered his mind— Was this faith that he had turned away, was it paying him back? For sins he had committed that no court in the world could take on. But that fact, he knew, didn’t lessen the weight they placed on the scale, didn’t render them nothing. . . . But who could be paying him back? He didn’t believe in angered divinity, in a scale of balance. Of course not. The universe wasn’t in the business of justice. That had simply been his own human conceit— until he learned better. Yet he thought of his family that he had abandoned. He thought of his father, whose strength and hope and love he had fed on, only to turn around to spit in his face. Then he thought of how he had returned his wife, Nimi.
These are pretty serious characters in the book. But what kept me going were some the ladies in the book- Noni, Lola and Mrs Sen. From terrorism to poverty in third world countries- these ladies can find solutions to anything over scones and tea. They have opinions on almost everything. Who are these ladies? And finally there was Noni (Nonita), who lived withher sister Lola (Lalita) in a rose-covered cottage named Mon Ami. When Lola’s husband had died of a heart attack, Noni, the spinster, had moved in with her sister, the widow. They lived on his pension, but still they needed more money, what with endless repairs being done to the house, the price of everything rising in the bazaar, and the wages of their maid, sweeper , watchman, and gardener. So, in order to make her contribution to household finances, Noni had accepted the judge’s request that she tutor Sai. Science to Shakespeare. It was only when Noni’s abilities in mathematics and science began to falter when Sai was sixteen, that the judge was forced to hire Gyan to take over these subjects.
When they find out that Sai’s parents died in Russia:
They had regarded her sadly, orphan child of India’s failing romance with the Soviets. "Stupidest thing India ever did, snuggling up to the wrong side. Do you remember when Chotu and Motu went to Russia? They said they had not seen the like," remarked Lola to Noni, "even in India. Inefficient beyond belief." "And do you recall," said Noni back to Lola, "thoseRussians who lived next door to us in Calcutta? They’d go running out everymorning and come back with mountains of food, remember? There they’d be, slicing, boiling, frying mountains of potatoes and onions. And then, by evening, they’d go running to the bazaar again, hair flying, coming back crazy with excitement and even more onions and potatoes for dinner. To them India was aland of plenty. They’d never seen anything like our markets." But despite their opinion of Russia and Sai’s parents, over the years they grew very fond of Sai.
They have this Cat- Mustafa. He reminded me of own cat- Bushy. ‘...a sooty hirsute fellow demonstrating a perfection of containment no amount of love or science could penetrate. He was, at this moment, starting up like a lorry on Sai’s lap, but his eye’s looked blankly right into hers, warning her against mistaking this for intimacy.
They comment about V S Naipaul and the book “ A Bend in the river”...
"Superb writer," said Noni. "First-class. One of the best books I’ve ever read." "Oh, I don’t know," Lola said, "I think he’s strange. Stuck in the past. . . . He has not progressed. Colonial neurosis, he’s never freed himself from it. Quite a different thing now. In fact," she said, "chicken tikka masala has replaced fish and chips as the number one take-out dinner in Britain. It was just reported in the Indian Express. "Tikka masala," she repeated. "Can you believe it?"She imagined the English countryside, castles, hedgerows, hedgehogs,etc., and tikka masala whizzing by on buses, bicycles, Rolls-Royces. Then she imagined a scene in To the Manor Born: "Oh Audrey. How perfectly lovely! Chicken tikka masala! Yes, and I got us some basmati as well. I do think it’s the best rice, don’t you?" "Well, I don’t like to agree with you, but maybe you have a point," Noni conceded. "After all, why isn’t he writing of wherehe lives now? Why isn’t he taking up, say, race riots in Manchester?" "Also the new England, Noni. A completely cosmopolitan society. Pixie, for example, doesn’t have a chip on her shoulder."
Lola’s daughter Pixie was a reporter at BBC:
"Good evening . . . this is Piyali Bannerji with the BBC news." All over India, people hearing the Indian name announced in pucca British accent laughed and laughed so hard their stomachs hurt. Disease. War. Famine. Noni exclaimed and was outraged, but Lola purred with pride and heard nothing but the sanitized elegance of her daughter’s voice, triumphant over any horrors the world might thrust upon others.
Their discussions on the demand for Gorkhaland- don’t spare Nehru either:
"This state-making," Lola continued, "biggest mistake that fool Nehru made. Under his rules any group of idiots can stand up demanding a new state and get it, too. How many new ones keep appearing? From fifteen we went to sixteen, sixteen to seventeen, seventeen to twenty-two. . . ." Lola made a line with a finger from above her ear and drew noodles in the air to demonstrate her opinion of such madness. "And here, if you ask me," she said, "it all started with Sikkim. The Neps played such a dirty trick and began to get grand ideas—now they think they can do the same thing again—you know, Sai?"
"But you have to take it from their point of view,"said Noni. "First the Neps were thrown out of Assam and then Meghalaya, then there’s the king of Bhutan growling against—" "Illegal immigration," said Lola. "Obviously the Nepalis are worried," said Noni. "They’ve been here, most of them, several generations. Why shouldn’t Nepali be taught in schools?" "Because on that basis they can start statehood demands. Separatist movement here, separatist movement there, terrorists, guerillas, insurgents, rebels, agitators, instigators, and they all learn from one another, of course—the Neps have been encouraged by the Sikhs and their Khalis- tan, by ULFA, NEFA, PLA; Jharkhand, Bodoland, Gorkhaland; Tripura, Mizoram, Manipur, Kashmir, Punjab, Assam. . . ." The nasal whine of the gate: "Hello, hello," said Mrs. Sen, hooking her beaky nose around the open door. "Hope I’m not disturbing—was just going by, heard your voices—oh look, pastries and all—" In her happiness she made small bird and mouse sounds. Lola: "You saw that letter they sent to the queen of England? Gorbachev and Reagan? Apartheid, genocide, looking after Pakistan, forgetting us, colonial subjugation, vivisected Nepal. . . . When did Darjeeling and Kalimpong belong to Nepal? Darjeeling, in fact, was annexed from Sikkim and Kalimpong from Bhutan." Noni: "Very unskilled at drawing borders, those bloody Brits." Mrs. Sen, diving right into the conversation: "No practice, na, water all around them, ha ha."
This Mrs Sen- Whom Lola and Noni considered was beneath their own standards. Especially Since Mrs Sen’s daughter worked for the CNN in America. This put her in a direct contest with Pixie. And also “This was because Mrs. Sen pronounced potato "POEtatto," and tomato "TOEmatto"
"Pakistan! There is the problem," said Mrs. Sen, jumping to one of her favorite topics, her thoughts and opinions ready-made, polished over the years, rolled out wherever they might be stuffed somehow into a conversation. "First heart attack to our country, no, that has never been healed—" Lola: "It’s an issue of a porous border is what. You can’t tell one from the other, Indian Nepali from Nepali Nepali. And then, baba, the way these Neps multiply." Mrs. Sen: "Like Muslims." Lola: "Not the Muslims here" Mrs. Sen: "No self-control, those people. Disgusting." Noni: "Everyone is multiplying. Everywhere. You cannot blame one group over another." Lola: "Lepchas are not multiplying, they are disappearing. In fact, they have the first right to this land and nobody is even mentioning them." Then, reconsidering her support for Lepchas,she said, "Not that they are so wonderful either, of course. Look at those government loans to Lepchas to start piggeries—"Traditional Occupation Resurrection Plan"—and not a single piggery to be seen, although, of course, they all handed in beautifully written petitions, showing trough measurements and the costof pig feed and antibiotics—collected the money all right, smart and prompt. . . ." Mrs. Sen: "More Muslims in India than in Pakistan. They prefer to multiply over here. You know, that Jinnah, he ate bacon and eggs for breakfast every morning and drank whiskey every evening. What sort of Muslim nation they have? And five times a day bums up to God. Mind you," she put her sticky finger in her mouth and then pulled it out with a pop, "With that Koran, who can be surprised? They have no option but to be two-faced." The reasoning, they all knew from having heard thisbefore, formed a central pillar of Hindu belief and it went like this: so strict was the Koran that its teachings were beyond human capability. Therefore Muslims were forced to pretend one thing, do another; they drank, smoked, ate pork, visited prostitutes, and then denied it. Unlike Hindus, who needn’t deny. Lola was uneasy and drank her tea too hot. This complaining about Muslim birth rates was vulgar and incorrect among the class that reads Jane Austen, and she sensed Mrs. Sen’s talk revealed her own position on Nepalis, where there was not so easy a stereotype, to be not so very different a prejudice. "It’s quite another matter with Muslims," she said stiffly. "They were already here. The Nepalis have come and taken over and it’snot a religious issue." Mrs. Sen: "Same thing with the Muslim cultural issue. . . . They also came from somewhere else, Babar and all. . . . And stayed here to breed. Not that it’s the fault of the women—poor things—it’s the men—marrying three, four wives—no shame." She began to giggle. "They have nothing better to do, you know. Without TV and electricity, there will alwaysbe this problem—" Lola: "Oh, Mrs. Sen, again you are derailing the conversation. We aren’t talking about that!"
All their arguments somehow ends with the debate on which was the better country- the US or Britain?
Perhaps England and America didn’t know they were in a fight to the death, but it was being fought on their behalf, anyway, bythese two spirited widows of Kalimpong.
Also there’s Biju and his constant struggle with values he’s been taught.
But here there were Indians eating beef. Indian bankers. Chomp chomp. He fixed them with a concentrated look of meaning as he cleared the plates. They saw it. They knew. He knew. They knew he knew. Theypretended they didn’t know he knew. They looked away. He took on a sneering look. But they could afford not to notice. "I’ll have the steak," they said with practiced nonchalance, with an ease like a signature that’s a thoughtless scribble that you know has been practiced page after page. Holy cow unholy cow. Job no job. One should not give up one’s religion, the principles of one’s parents and their parents before them. No, no matter what. You had to live according to something. You had to find your dignity. The meat charred on the grill, the blood beaded on the surface, and then the blood also began to bubble and boil. Those who could see a difference between a holy cowand an unholy cow would win. Those who couldn’t see it would lose.
Throughout the book- I felt that there was a constant clatter about something else which was not written. There were these narrations at times that remind you why you fell in love with “reading” in the first place.
She felt grateful for the greatness of this landscape, walked on trying to recover the horizon—for it felt as if the space bequeathed her at the end of a romance that had promised a wide vista—well, it was nonexistent. Sadness was so claustrophobic.
While all the discussions about demand for new state can be nullifies and sneered upon- here was something which made me think of it as something else- completely.
Gyan remembered the stirring stories of when citizens had risen up in their millions and demanded that the British leave. Therewas the nobility of it, the daring of it, the glorious fire of it—"India for Indians. No taxation without representation. No help for the wars. Not a man, not a rupee. British Raj Murdabad!" If a nation had such a climax in its history, its heart, would it not hunger for it again?
Though set in the 80s- the book seemed to be happening today. But all that were discussed in the book- could be happening at any point of time in history and would still sound relevant.
I wish to add this- that romance between sai and gyan—this is not a new plot at all. Love during turbulent times- war, rebellion, mutiny etc. The plot had a lot of scope. Neither of the characters was convincing. It began and it ended. The plot could not be empathised with. Yet there was so much potential. Ayn Rand in “We the living” did a wonderful job with a love story set in the backdrop of the Russian Revolution. It just felt empty. Not that I’m a fan of romance- I havn’t had patience with it. But it felt bad seeing a plot go waste.
The book was not ‘entertaining’. It did not make me ‘think’. The characters (except for the ladies) did not ‘inspire’ me. Still- I would recommend this book. For – you could remember this book. And that’s all that matters in a book...
En route Thekkady- I visited a “spice garden”. Ever since I
watched this show on TLC called “Spice Trip”- I wanted to see spice plantations
in Kerala! And Driver Anna suggested this place- which I absolutely loved! I
tasted the “Stevia” leaf- which is used as a substitute for sugar! Personally-
I don’t like anything sweet- and this was 20 times sweeter than sugar (but no
calorie!). There was this leaf used in the preparation of “Sarvanga Thailam”. This
oil- the guide explained- could be used to cure any bodily ailment- from muscle
to joint pains. Broken bones too could be cured by this oil. The guide rubbed
the leaf on my palm and she asked me to smell the back of my palm. Not
expecting much (I am a sceptic incarnate!) I did and to my surprise- I could
smell the leaf at the back of my palm!
I saw the Cardamom plants. Such beauty! They can be
harvested throughout the year and have a life time of 15 years! They had these
really pretty flowers blooming too...
Dhatura plant!
The seeds are poisonous. Once consumed- its slow death. But
this is also used in worship of Shiva and in making of Hashish! Now how cool is
that!
I reached Kumily at around 3:30 pm. This is the town near
Thekkady (which is actually the forest..). The hotel manager warned me to keep
the windows and doors locked each time I left the room. Apparently, monkeys
paid a routine visit to these rooms and liked partying within the rooms when
guests are away!
NIETZSCHE COULD BE RIGHT!
Evening at Thekkady was a pre-planned affair! I had booked
tickets for a “Kalari” show. As the swords crossed- sparks flew! Literally! They fought with swords, the Urumi (flexible sword)- jumped through fire and I sat there- mesmerised by the whole affair... I thought of my Paatti (Granny) and all her stories of warriors and swordsmen fighting the baddies and rescuing the princesses!
Later- I walked around the town hoping to buy souvenirs.
Most shops were closed for “Eid ul fitr”.
“All truly great thoughts are conceived while walking”- said
Nietzsche. As I walked- my mind began to re-live the journey made so far. They were
not “great thoughts” in the sense Nietzsche had said. But on the personal
level- the walk made me feel as though I was living inside a Jane Austen novel!
And that- truly is a “great thought”!
“FORBIDDEN FOREST”!
My boating trip was scheduled at 7:30 am on 30th July
2014.I started at 6 am and arrived at
the gates of Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary. I walked through the woods and I was
reminded of “Forbidden Forest” from the Harry Potter books!
If this was detention- I’d prefer it any day of the year!
Most of my thoughts revolved around books. It made me think whether
it was alright to think that way or did it show lack of real-experience?! But I
can never imagine any thoughts that are not related to books... What else could
people be thinking? A mere memory can fade away. But words when associated with
memories can never fade away!
BUSHY AND THE BOAT
At the Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary Information Centre- there
was a board that read “Save our tigers”!
I was reminded of this ad- that pushes
me to tears each time I see it!
I thought of my Bushy (my cat) and promised her mentally
that her cousins shall be safe!
Boating began at 7:30 am. Fortunately- I got to sit in the
good seat! Except for a really stupid looking safety-jacket, the trip was
fantastic!
Have you seen the “Your moment is waiting” ad for Kerala
Tourism? I have always liked it! But only now- could I truly appreciate it.
When “my moment had arrived”!
Birds! What varieties! When my mother cooks in the kitchen-
sometimes she calls out to me to listen to a bird or see a squirrel or crow! This
was one such moment- when I missed my Amma! She would have loved the birds and
the songs they sang!
Please take me home with you!
As she swam- I felt like saying to her- “Please take me home”!
As though in reply- she flew and sat upon a bark saying- “See! This is where I
live”!
Ah! So this is where you live
Somewhere far away- a herd of elephants were taking bath. Of
course- my two pence of a camera could not capture it. But it was one such
moment- as the character Sean O’Connell says in the movie- “The Secret Life of
Walter Mitty”- “Sometimes I don't. If I like a moment, for me, personally, I
don't like to have the distraction of the camera. I just want to stay in it”.
The rays of the sun filled the place with light. But he
wanted someone to check if the light fell at all appropriate places. I felt as
though I checked it right for him!
“Paayum oli nee enakku paarkum vizhi nan unakku”- wrote Subramaniya
Bharathi!
“I am
the rushing light to you, And you are the eyes that see for me”- is its
translation.
Absolutely
touched by nature- the boating trip ended there...
Touched by nature!
MARINE DRIVE AND MASALA DOSA
Finally-
my desire to have authentic Kerala food got fulfilled while coming back to
Kochi from Thekkady! Brown rice, pulisery, puli-inji- all the traditional
stuff! My train was at 10:00 pm and I had a “long wait” ahead! My “solo-trip”
ended at the Marine Drive, Kochi!
And that's where it ended- Marine Drive- Kochi-30th July 2014
I walked
its length munching a “Vada Pav” packed “burger-style”!
But
surprisingly enough- my wait at the Ernakulam Railway Station was not at all
boring and lonely. Memories of the trip remained fresh and there was no more
fear of travelling alone unlike when how the whole journey began! As I sat
there, eating my dinner- the Masala Dosa- the railway station felt more familiar and
so were the people in it. I had often heard people say “I shall miss this place” while they are leaving a
place. But I felt that I shall not
be missing these places. For only when I leave them- they shall remain a
beautiful memory. Just like home. Which only when left- would feel like “home” –
a place where you can come back to, a place of your own...
