Today I am discussing about these two women 'Sarasoti' and 'Mahadevi' from once again my favorite Shivaram Karanth's novel 'Nambidavara Naka Naraka'
Story starts with Mahadevi's marriage with a rich person. Mahadevi belongs to a very poor brahmin family. After her marriage she realises that her husband has cheated her by telling that he is a brahmin. One side she thinks that she has been pushed to hell. But at the same time she can't go against her husband. First she tries to adjust herself.
Once Mahadevi and her husband go to Gokarna. On the way their car gives some problem. So they decide to stay in a nearby brahmin's house where Mahadevi meets Sarasoti.
Sarasoti lives there with her mother-in-law and brother-in-laws. She has been married to this house years back. Her husband works in a faraway place and he never feel it necessary to take Sarasoti with him. She is just a time pass for him when he comes to home yearly once. Strangely, Sarasoti's husband comes to home the same day when Mahadevi and her husband comes to her house.
That will be the last meeting of Mahadevi and Sarasoti. Mahadevi's husband first feel that he has won a battle by marrying a brahmin girl. But day by day he feels it so difficult to face Mahadevi. He literally feel scared in front of her. Mahadevi in turn tries to find her peace of mind by worshiping goddess 'Mookaambika'. People treat her as if she is having some strange power. They treat her with respect but are scared to talk to her.
After 9 months of Sarasoti and Mahadevi's meet Sarasoti gives birth to a child which has all the features of Mahadevi's husband(Blue eyes and 6 fingers in one hand). Sarasoti's mother-in-law sends her out of her house. Sarasoti goes to her parents. (Reason: Sarasoti's husband and Mahadevi's husband belong to same family, which has been parted long back during their grandfather's time)
Quite opposite to Mahadevi, Sarasoti completely stops believing god. She doesn't even name her son. Everyone calls him with different name. She will be treated well in her parents house. Her parents, brother and his wife Padma takes good care of her. Sarasoti helps them in their work. She never accuses god with words. But people observe that she has completely stopped prayers.
Padma's brother comes to visit his sister. Two days after he leaves that house people find Sarasoti and her son are missing. After few weeks they get a letter posted from Poona by Sarasoti informing that she is getting married to Padma's brother.
When Mahadevi realizes that her end time has come she sends one of her friend to search for her sisters. By that time her sisters were married to a nice family. She asks them whether she is allowed to spend her last time in their house. They bring her to their house with full respect. When she enters their house, she says "I am so happy. I can die with peace now. I have people who can perform proper rituals to me after my death"
Who is right?
Mahadevi spent her whole life praying to goddess to forgive her as her cast has been spoiled. Did she spent her whole life in the fear that when she die no one is there to perform proper rituals to her?
Or is it, Sarasoti! who thinks life is important more than cast, society and god.
I don't know................................
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Laila and Mariam- The Thousand Splendid Suns
Today let me discuss about these wonderful women called Laila and Mariam, from 'A Thousand Splendid Suns' by Khaled Hosseini.
Mariam, was married to Rasheed who was of the age 38, while she was just 16. Even tough in the beginning days he shows some affection towards her, after series of miscarriages he treats her like animal.
Laila was a kid Mariam has seen in her neighborhood when Mariam was newly married to Rasheed. But after 22 years life takes a turn when Rasheed at the age of 60 marries Laila.
Mariam was illegal child of a rich person Jalil. She was born and brought up for 15 years in a small hut above hill cut out from rest of the world. Her mother constantly scaring her not to go down, as people may throw stone on her saying 'Harami'. At her 15 birthday for the first time she goes down to see her father and that day her mother commits suicide. Her father to get rid of Mariam marries her off to Rasheed.
Laila's father is very well educated person. He gives good education to Laila. She looses her brothers in war. With mother not feeling well she is the only person left in her father's life. Unlike Mariam, Laila lives very peaceful childhood where Tariq was her best friend. As years pass by love blossoms between Tariq and Laila. As Afganistan faces war after war Tariq's parents decide to leave their country. Tariq begs Laila to marry him. But Laila can't leave her dad alone. On that last day Laila and Tariq sleep together.
After 15 days Laila looses her parents in a bomb blast and luckily she will be saved by Rasheed. Rasheed has seen Laila and Tariq. He will be knowing that they both like each other. So he pays one of his friend to inform Laila that Tariq is dead. By that time Laila will be pregnant and she accepts Rasheed's marriage proposal without any other way out.
Before Mariam's mother's death her father Jalil visits her every Thursday and Mariam spends whole week to prepare for that one day. She loves Jalil like anything. After her mother's death she understand the real face of Jalil. She never speaks to him after her mother's death till the date of her marriage. After her marriage she asks him never to meet her in future.
Relationship between Mariam and Laila will be bad in the beginning, but as time passes they become very close. Mariam treats Laila like her own daughter.
Laila becomes mother of two kids. First girl Aziza(Tariq's daughter) was treated badly by Rasheed as she is a girl. Taliban rule starts. Rasheed looses job. He forces Laila to leave Aziza in a orphanage. Every day Laila goes to orphanage. It is not so easy in Taliban rule. Women are not allowed to go alone. If she is caught, officers will beat her there itself. But it becomes like a goal in Laila's life. If is caught somewhere she will stop until they beat her. Next she will find some other way to orphanage. All this to spend few hours with her daughter.
One day Tariq comes back.........................(I felt so happy when I was reading this part)
Story ends with Mariam killing Rasheed and forcing Laila and Tariq to go to some other country with children. Mariam will be executed in public.
Mariam, was married to Rasheed who was of the age 38, while she was just 16. Even tough in the beginning days he shows some affection towards her, after series of miscarriages he treats her like animal.
Laila was a kid Mariam has seen in her neighborhood when Mariam was newly married to Rasheed. But after 22 years life takes a turn when Rasheed at the age of 60 marries Laila.
Mariam was illegal child of a rich person Jalil. She was born and brought up for 15 years in a small hut above hill cut out from rest of the world. Her mother constantly scaring her not to go down, as people may throw stone on her saying 'Harami'. At her 15 birthday for the first time she goes down to see her father and that day her mother commits suicide. Her father to get rid of Mariam marries her off to Rasheed.
Laila's father is very well educated person. He gives good education to Laila. She looses her brothers in war. With mother not feeling well she is the only person left in her father's life. Unlike Mariam, Laila lives very peaceful childhood where Tariq was her best friend. As years pass by love blossoms between Tariq and Laila. As Afganistan faces war after war Tariq's parents decide to leave their country. Tariq begs Laila to marry him. But Laila can't leave her dad alone. On that last day Laila and Tariq sleep together.
After 15 days Laila looses her parents in a bomb blast and luckily she will be saved by Rasheed. Rasheed has seen Laila and Tariq. He will be knowing that they both like each other. So he pays one of his friend to inform Laila that Tariq is dead. By that time Laila will be pregnant and she accepts Rasheed's marriage proposal without any other way out.
Before Mariam's mother's death her father Jalil visits her every Thursday and Mariam spends whole week to prepare for that one day. She loves Jalil like anything. After her mother's death she understand the real face of Jalil. She never speaks to him after her mother's death till the date of her marriage. After her marriage she asks him never to meet her in future.
Relationship between Mariam and Laila will be bad in the beginning, but as time passes they become very close. Mariam treats Laila like her own daughter.
Laila becomes mother of two kids. First girl Aziza(Tariq's daughter) was treated badly by Rasheed as she is a girl. Taliban rule starts. Rasheed looses job. He forces Laila to leave Aziza in a orphanage. Every day Laila goes to orphanage. It is not so easy in Taliban rule. Women are not allowed to go alone. If she is caught, officers will beat her there itself. But it becomes like a goal in Laila's life. If is caught somewhere she will stop until they beat her. Next she will find some other way to orphanage. All this to spend few hours with her daughter.
One day Tariq comes back.........................(I felt so happy when I was reading this part)
Story ends with Mariam killing Rasheed and forcing Laila and Tariq to go to some other country with children. Mariam will be executed in public.
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