Tales of trapped women

 

Apradhini by Shivani, translated by Ira Pande

Harper Perennial. Pages: vii+193. Price: Rs. 250/-

This is a collection of – to coin a term – bio-glimpses of real women trapped in situations beyond their control. Many of them are criminals serving life terms in prisons, but only a few among them are unrepentant or hardened, like the dacoit’s moll in the story ‘A village of the dead’. Some are as innocent and guileless as Chanuli whose love for her husband, who abandons her under family pressure, and faith in the symbols of suhaag are touching. There are others like Janaki who is barely into her teens when she is married off to a middle-aged landlord although the original proposal was for his younger brother. Muggi’s brother-in-law uses her youth to rob gullible aged men through sham marriages. However, the stories of Alakh Mai and Rajula highlight the power of conscience while maintaining the equation between crime and punishment. In the case of Madhu Ben the supernatural plays the role of punisher and redeemer. But not all women are criminals or sinners as epitomized by Naseem whose love and trust become a lifelong curse. Another story, Mrs. Ghose, is both amusing and interesting; the silver-tongued woman blithely gulls people off their money, jewellery and household goods until nemesis, in the form of law’s long arm, catches up with her.

One is struck by the resilience of these women in the face of sufferings that fate metes out to them. The translation is excellent; one does not come across a single awkward phrase or irrelevant word. Ira Pande remains in the background even as her mother Shivani’s voice reaches us loud and clear.

Night in Kullu and other stories by Rita S. Mathur

Rupa. Pages: 243. Price: Rs. 195/-

These stories, set in Canada and India, too feature women but on a different plane. They are neither criminals nor sinners, yet there is an all-pervasive feeling of incarceration thanks to their claustrophobic relationships. But, unlike Shivani’s women, some of them are assertive and intent upon breaking their shackles. The Angelus at Dusk is about female boarders in a convent. The strict rules irk the hot blooded young students. Even as they weave the usual dreams for their lives after graduating some of them develop faux-lesbian relationships. The next story, Delhi Girls, can be called a continuation of the previous one although a couple of characters have changed. The reality check for the protagonists is not as rose-tinted as their dreams had been. Even as they struggle to make their careers they become desperate to find suitable hubbies who would help them lead emotionally and financially secure lives. In the process various tragicomic situations arise. There are other stories too; of couples trapped in unhappy marriages, of domestic violence and lesbian rape.