Mallika Sarabhai
Author – Manju Kapoor
Astha is the urban middle class everywoman. Pretty, parents in the government in Delhi, dreams of love and romance and a family, parents dreams of a house of their own, the occasional heart flutter during college. Then marriage. He seems nicer than most, more attentive, more considerate. Then babies and in laws. Then the boredom – at being only baby sitter and sex partner, at the beck and call of a mother in law. Astha is encouraged to take on a teaching job to “time pass” but gets deeply involved in it, running the school paper, mentoring young girls. Till theater activist Aijaaz lights a candle in her heart, one that leads to an active engagement with the Babri Masjid issue. The docile wife’s mind awakens and a feminist is about to be born, one who wants to make a difference, one who wants to stand up to be counted. Aijaaz’s sudden murder by a band of Hindutva hooligans, the entire theater group charred in their van as they try to perform for peace shatters Astha. Over time her marriage crumbles and she gets close to Aijaaz’s unconventional wife Pippee. Love blossoms again, or is it comfort ? The two women find themselves in a soul warming relationship where, after the initial reluctances Astha finds herself obsessively involved. Her career as a painter blossoms with the love, driving a further wedge with her husband and family. The inevitable choice arises – to live with her true love Pippee or to continue the subterfuge of being in a marriage. She chooses the latter, unable to give up her children or to bring them into an unconventional lesbian relationship.
A Married Woman by – Manju Kapoor
Few novels in India have taken the through route with bisexuality. More have hinted at the yearning. In reality, how many women, if all taboos were excised, like a relatively unpressured relationship with anther woman? How many even know of the possibility? Is the lure in the understanding that a woman provides another woman, the comfort, the need to talk, to hug rather than always have sex etc? The kind that one saw in Fire? Or is it genetically programmed?
Manju Kapur tells an averagely interesting tale but does well to bring the topic out in the open for a general public. I would be interested to hear the reactions at the kitty parties where the book might be discussed.
The author indeed has depicted the lesbian scenario in Indian society in the most matter-of fact way. The same sex love struggles to cope up witth the various social,cultural, political issues, only to be left unfulfilled at the end. extremely realistic!