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A toast to womanhood
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The stories cover aspects of a woman's life and the accompanying aches and pains
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AMONG THE plethora of books on women, Living Together (And Other Stories) may be considered feminist in tone and tenor.
Authored by D. Kameshwari, well-known Telugu writer, this collection of 21 stories translated into English, captures the manners and morals of a new generation of young women who struggle to come to terms with the mindset of their parents, in-laws, husbands and beaus. These are chronicles of broken promises, thwarted ideals and failed marriages amidst a few happy endings.
The reader, if female, will identify herself with at least one or all of the 21 protagonists. Most of them have a past, a past that is burdensome to their husbands and in-laws. The women in these stories often live lives far from their dreams yet learn to accept destiny without being fatalistic or try to change it with an iron will.
The writer explores the mental and moral struggle of a changing generation who challenge masculine misunderstanding, social isolation and even filial indifference. In most endings, men and women have failed to understand each other's point of view, because of their varied perceptions of what is acceptable to them and what is accepted by society.
Chitra, Sujata and the other women in these stories are not economically dependant but nevertheless emotionally subjugated. They suffer because they refuse to accept either tradition or convention. The increasing number of single women and their caper with spunk less men also finds mention in these stories. Live-in relationships, pre-marital sex, unwanted pregnancies, artificial insemination, juggling motherhood and work and the inability to spend quality time with the family- all these questions are addressed. The author tells the story as it is. She does not sermonise nor does she suggest solutions. It is left to the reader to find the answer.
D. Kameshwari has penned Telugu stories, novels and a travelogue over these past four decades. Widely published, her stories have been translated into Tamil and filmed in other regional languages. She has also been the recipient of many awards.
The translation into English by D. Ranga Rao is remarkable in that it has retained the racy pace of the author's style. However better editing, especially with regard to spellings is called for.
In the Indian context, women are venerated as the devi (goddess) and most often derided as the dasi (whore). Somewhere between these metaphors the rest of us fit in. The book, then, is the story of us.
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Metro Plus
Bangalore
Chennai
Coimbatore
Delhi
Hyderabad
Kochi
Madurai
Thiruvananthapuram
Visakhapatnam
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