MALAYALAM
Haunting stories
NEELA PADMANABHAN
THIRANJEDUTHA KATHAKAL:
K. P. Ramanunni; DC Books, DC Kizhakemuri Edam, Good Shepherd Street, Kottayam-686012. Rs. 120.
THE STORIES in this collection are knitted from contemporary events and issues like plastic surgery, tsunami, entrance examinations etc. But one cannot go through these stories leisurely without effort. They are consciously and intelligently narrated with a skilful special style.
Ramanunni’s keen and brilliant observations and ability to select varied themes from actual life in an aesthetic manner are well depicted in most of these 25 selected stories. One common feature in many of them is an exaggeration or an enlarged view of the bitter truths of life as well as an overemphasis in the description though they are ironical (cruel?). For example, the first story Mukha lekshanam (facial expression) describes plastic surgery conducted cleverly and skillfully on a handsome army officer to convert his handsome face to express a cruel look for frightening the enemies and for commanding his own subordinates, on the directions of higher officials by which his wife and father-in-law are also very well satisfied.
Another peculiar story is Pranaya Parvam (chapter of love). In this Bhaskar brings his sweetheart, Bhanu Priya, by car to the very beauty spots in high ranges which she had visited with her previous lover, Jose. After killing him and hiding the corpse under a rock to show her, he wants to know her version of their affair and activities there.
The ego clashes between a working wife and her husband is portrayed with a kind of sarcasm in the stories Purusha Vilaapam (male’s lamentation) and Aadi Vaasikam (tribalism). Even after completing this book the stories haunt the reader by their extraordinary plots and exceptional way of narration.
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