DesiLit Daily

Our protagonist is Rukmini, wife of the area’s District Collector, but not wanting to only be more the DC’s wife, she teaches part time at a local college. Living in a big and beautiful bungalow set high on a hill complete with many servants, having understanding and very kindly in-laws who visit her and treat her well, and having an intellectual, gentle, sensitive, if somewhat ascetic and aloof husband, the main fly in the ointment for Rukmini is her inability to have children. Rukmini herself comes across as a very gentle character, a little inclined to be conservative, but careful, balanced, considerate, refined.

The steady routines and predictability of her life are a little shaken when Rukmini meets Manoj, the first couple of times by chance, and subsequently by choice. She moves outside her comfort zone, behaving in ways she would not have been able to imagined, but which are curiously enough not uncharacteristic of her. Subsequent interesting developments take place from there, against a background of insurgency in the area. The plot is well imagined, surprising without being sensationalized, imminently convincing, and yet very compelling in the manner in which it is unfolded.

The book is quite beautifully contextualized, the flora and natural surroundings of Assam are a quiet but constant background, and the political commentary is present and clear while remaining non-judgmental and non-acerbic.

I have really enjoyed this book in the way it has not stereotyped or imposed complexes on any of its characters, has not depicted any character as victim, and has instead simply allowed the characters to develop very convincingly and naturally, appreciating and making room for inconsistencies, magnanimity of spirit, complexities of motivation. The plot does build up to quite an interesting ‘climax’, though I am a little hesitant to use the word ‘climax’, because that is somehow not quite in keeping with the nature of this novel, which is anything but sensationalistic in tone and intention.

It really was a pleasurable read and a slightly unusual book in the genre, and definitely worth reading if one could lay hands on it. (Regretfully, it doesn’t seem to be particularly well promoted.)

Will just include an excerpt, chosen for the way it provides insight about the protagonist, and a flavour of Phukan’s tone and style:

“As she [Rukmini] looked at the eager, bright young faces of the boys and girls, she couldn’t help noticing the facial features and contours before her. The almond eyes, the golden skins of the Mongoloid, the curly hair of the Austric, the dark complexions of the Dravids, the fine features and fair colouring of the Aryans, were all present in the crowd of young faces before her. And they wanted to rid the land of foreigners!

But the idealism and the glow of sincerity in their young faces were unmistakable. Rukmini smiled encouragement at them, and left for the acrimonious atmosphere of the teachers’ common room.”