FICTION
Range of emotions
NIMI KURIAN
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Interesting tales that are also light reading.
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Shielding Her Modesty and Other Stories; Sita Bhaskar, Frog Books, Rs. 200.
STORIES that give you a brief glimpse of the place it is set in and the people it talks about. Interesting tales that make for light reading. Sita Bhaskar begins with the story of Muruga, the billboard painter. Perched high above the busy street, his perspective on life and the living is very different from those that walk below. His loyalties too, considering his reaction to the crowd that has gathered to leer at his painting of a beautiful woman.
"Bharti Doll", is a much simpler theme and Bhaskar quickly brings out the hopes and aspirations of children who are employed in factories. Their longing for the nice things in life is well described.
One hears so much about girls married off to Indians working in the U.S. Do they all live happily ever after in the Land of Dreams? "Your Self Storage", tells a rather different, if frightening, tale. The sudden change of attitude in the man, the loneliness, having to cope with no support system... all has a telling effect. When Kaveri stated that she wanted to "marry a Ph.D." little did she imagine the world that awaited her.
Viagara is the wonder drug that every man, Indian or not, would love to get his hands on. But how does one go about getting it?
In "Scoring Some Viagara", Raksha is suddenly faced with this question. And who wants it? Her father. Of course, he tells her that it's for Raman Uncle. Raksha's reaction to this news is amusing. "Does Lalitha aunty know what the old coot is planning?"
While "Snowstorm" is an endearing love story about two students doing the same course of study in Madison, Wisconsin; "The Pink Silk Sari" is the story of how to let go when the person you love is dead. Touching, the joys and sorrows of the old couple are well told.
Hemant's parents have decided that it is time he got married. So well before his planned trip to India, they scout out "suitable" girls. His job is to shortlist them and decide on the ones he wants to "see". Hemant's helper in choosing is Photoshop. He checks out which of the girls look best beside him and then narrows down the field to just six. But he is in for shock because the six that he has short-listed also have an agenda of their own.
The book ends with a sad story of a young couple that have lost their baby and do not know how to grieve for him. Bhaskar's description of grief is unadulterated and the reader almost feels the pain of the father as he rushes to place the umbrella over the grave of his child so that he does not get wet. "An Umbrella over the Grave" is heavy in its sadness.
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