Two Sister, original story named Dui Bon was translated by Krishna Kripalani and published in 1943. I cant really judge the translation since i havent read the original but the flow of english is laudable.
Considerable parts of the story are set in Calcutta and revolves around the elite class. We often see characters of the story quoting Shakespeare and Kalidas. The soft target being women and their emotions. The very first chapter, "Sarmila"opens with clearly categorizing women into two kinds, the mother kind (who drives away the drought) and the beloved kind (who is like the spring). Main character ,Sarmila, wife of Sasanka is the former. Her looks being described as "homely type" which clearly paints a predictable image of a Bengali housewife. Her religion was to serve her husband's needs and shield him from the societal imbroglio. Even after derogating Sarmila for taking immense care of Sasanka, Sarmila is well convinced that her husband's life will be a dysfunctional one in her absence.
Sarmila might seem to be a very meek character till an incidence where she takes a stand against a top official on a train ride for not giving up her seat to him even after being insisted by the station master and her God like husband. The consequence to this event was that Sasanka's promotion was turned down and an undeserving English man was to be replaced with his position. Sarmila, gave him the courage to resign from his well paid Government job after such a humiliation and convinces him to be a partner in her cousin's business. She plots the events and drags her husband out of the humiliation. To me, personally this is the juncture where I could form an entirely new category of women. The ones which are bold enough to drag their husband's out of their miseries and not let them face the social stigma. But unfortunately, this trait still classified under the motherhood.
The very capable Sasanka proved himself worthy of that partnership and paved his way to success. Soon, Sarmila was a doll who had a task to play and decorate her own dollhouse at all times. The little things which she did for her husband's pleasure were unnoticed. Sasanka started having late nights and telegraphic conversation at home.
"What a pitty! Even in love men cannot wholly loose themselves. A portion of themselves they need must set apart for the exercise of their masculine ego" - Sarmila
A very old saying which crossed my mind at this point of the story was "Man finds his second mother in his wife and a woman finds her first child in her husband". The first chapter ends with Sarmila being put through a social humiliation by her husband by not attending his own birthday bash and standing up the guests. "With loving faith Sarmila had accepted his ruthlessness"
Next chapter named Nirad opens to tell us about Sarmila's father's (Rajaram) household. You are under the impression that slowly Sarmila will sink into the beloved kind after realizing that her behavior was taken for granted and the two-sided Sharmila will be termed as two sisters. But I need not go so deep with the Tegorian piece as he introduces Sharmila's sister, Urmila (Urmi). The very fact that she is nicknamed Urmi adds spunk to the character and we know where the story is headed to.
Urmi is everything Sarmila is not rather Sarmila has become. Fluent in English and determined to follow the dreams implanted by her father to become a doctor, Urmi aims to go to Europe for higher studies and inaugurate her own family hospital with her father's fund off-course.
Nirad is considered the ideal man in Rajaram's household. A doctor by profession, his presence was heroic enough to impress even a dead soul and in no time he is engaged to Urmi with the wedding date to be announced far in the future. He is nicknamed "owl" with no age and only learning. Before you get into the awe of the character, the over dosage of his merits push you to assume he is faking it and you develop an aversion towards him.
Urmi's affection towards her brother-in-law is discomforting for Nirad and before this fact sinks into you as a reader you go on to read that Nirad confronts/warns Urmi to hold back her emotions. Nirad earns a scholarship for higher studies and starts packing his bags for Europe. He strictly orders Urmi to limit her visit's to her sister's house and concentrate on books and studies. He is so obsessed that he even hands over a list of reading material. You don't even see an ounce of love crop out of Nirad whereas, Urmi's agreement to all those term and condition can still be tagged as love. This point you start to launch two sides of a man and Nirad was clearly the father types. But again this very concept is not penned down in the story.
After Rajaram's and Urmi's brother's demise, she is the lawful owner of her dad's empire. Nirad's requests for some financial help pops up a couple of times and Urmi gives in without questioning although the accountant warns her that the help will soon become a greed. At this point you are convinced that Nirad is nothing but a fraud.
Sarmila's health worsens and she asks her sister to rescue her household by giving up studies for few days and managing her dollhouse. Urmi grabs this opportunity to get out of the routine controlled by Nirad. Soon Urmi became the queen of Sarmila's kingdom. Although she was not as efficient as Sarmila, but she tried her best. Urmi's outgoing nature became Sasanka's weakness and he gave into all her child like charm. What excited Sasanka was that Urmi dared to even challenge him regarding his own business strategy. Here you wonder what was all that ego about? Sasanka started coming home early and taking Urmi places. Sarmila can see the visisble changes in her husband but makes peace with it after a while. Nirad "releases" Urmi from the engagement since he had to sacrifice for his research and marry a European lady. On the other hand Sasanka's business suffers a heavy loss due to his distraction Taking the blame of the loss and realizing her love for Sasanka is more than brotherly, Urmi decides to leave her sister's house in Sasanka's absence. Sarmila grabs this opportunity and permits Urmi to leave.
Sasanka went back to his usual pre-Urmi routine which was even worse this time. Sarmila takes a Herculean step and confronts Sasanka about accepting Urmi as a co-wife. You as a reader are astonished to see a love of a wife that magnificent! This step is termed as a motherly one but my question is why not as a beloved? We are given a glimpse of social embarrassment in her decision as she wants this plan to materialize in Nepal. Listening to her decision Sasanka yells and says he is not a coward and will stick around in Calcutta and restore his business and also asks Sarmila to trust him again. Sarmila begs him to train her to be "worthy" of his love and you as a reader are disappointed in Sarmila rather than being sympathetic. Just when you are about to forgive Sarmila for this, and start feeling "Alls well that ends well" when Sasanka pulls out two letters adressed to each of them from Urmi where she informs her brother-in-law that she is leaving for Europe and apologizes to her sister for the hidden disaster she had caused in her life and tell her that knowledge is what will make her happy.
With this end you hate Sasanka more than Nirad. You feel betrayed as a reader. You again sympathize towards Sarmila for being the back-up plan but somehwere you know that she will make peace with this idea too and will strive towards being a worthy wife. I think the zeal of excitement between the relationship of Sasanka and Urmi was the missing piece in their respective partners. Sarmila and Nirad were people who saw things in long term and acted upon them with their respective nature. Why do individuals not change themselves and be the second side as well? Why do they expect the second side from their partners? These questions keep you engaged even after the end......
A well written review of the old classic.
ReplyDeleteWell written and portrayed.
ReplyDelete- Rohit Tiwari
www.rohitsdiaries.blogspot.in