SHE - Episode 6

Yes, Kamla, it is my luck that you chose that link. And here's the link to the writers meet picture
http://www.indusladies.com/forums/announcements/1810-indusladies-writers-meeting-bangalore-12-a.html


Actually there is a reason in my not providing a link to that site because that site contains one of my most controversial stories ever published. In fact Ambika tried to get that story published in that website. As soon as the editor read the story (a middle aged woman) she was so upset that she flatly rejected that story. And finally thanks to the persuasion of Ambika (who is the Editor of the Poetry Section) the story got published. I did not want to show that story here in this site as that was written for a different set of audience. But if you happen to read that story, let me have your views.
Thanks for those kind words. Even now I say women are vain. Only that men are more so.
Thanks my dear friend. With your words, you have made my day.
Love,

 

Dear Vandhana,

I know you would do that and for that I am thankful to you. I only portrayed that particular woman in that particular way. But most women who read the story are offended by this fact, "How can you think a woman would stoop to such a level of moral depravity?"

To those I say (many times within my mind) that moral depravity is not an exclusive male prerogative. In fact to show that women also are capable of such things is to show women at par with men. I am wary of men who keep women in a high pedestal. That only denies them many privileges and pleasures.

Let me make it clear; I don't approve of that woman's act. But I want to say very firmly that a woman is capable of that and much more (in the same way men are capable of doing such things). Just imagine Vandhana, if in that story the main character is a man instead of a woman, it would be a very ordinary lack-lustre story which many would not even cared to read. Because men doing such things is quite ordinary for us; but a woman doing the same things, we are shocked.

I had to give this lengthy reply because in a way Shalini of SHE is a modified, moderated and softened version of the heroine in that story.

As to the title had I called it "The Devious Sex" it would have been a give away. Once you finish reading the story you cannot miss the enormous sarcasm in the title "The Weaker Sex", which in the context of the story refers only to the male sex.

Thanks for your reading the story and your comments,
regards,

 

Dear Swati,

Thanks for your views. In fact the one strength of the forum allotted to me is that it functions as a free discussion board, thanks to people like you who boldy voice differing view points. And thats what a writer wants. Actors thrive on fan clubs; but for writers discussion boards and critics are the life-nurturing nectar.

Now Swathi, I do agree with your view point in full. If I were to counsel a woman in Shalini's position regarding divorce I would have said a big NO. But as of now we are not counselling; we are just looking at a story. The heroine being rash, immature etc. is all part of the deal. Once we identify a little too close with the heroine, we also feel offended by her acts and words.

Secondly, to my knowledge, even with a few hundred years of experience in marriage and divorce laws (Remember the first well known divorce was that of an English King. As Vatican refused to approve it Church of England and Protestant Religion was born) we have not yet codified the reasons clearly. US courts have decreed that a husband snoring in the night is reason enough to grant divorce.

That apart, the main reason varies from person to person. Normally many modern women condone their husband's 'social drinking' habits (a term which I am yet to fully comprehend; still looking for the term anti-social drinking in the dictionary and Thesaurus) but to some orthodox woman that is sufficient ground for divorce. In our place, supposed to be very conservative, a very rich woman divorced her husband - reason- he gets up very late in the morning. Of course the man is filthily rich that even if he never woke up at all, his properties would be earning him some 100 times a normal middle class man earns after working for 10 plus hours a day.

Rishi was not just unromantic. There was no active marital relationship. I suggest that you go to some earlier episodes and read the discussion Shalini has with a marriage counsellor, her attempts at the psychometric test and so on.

Every woman has her own way to search her identity. (Same is with men) You cannot tread the path laid out for me. Nor can I dream of walking your path. Many women find their identity by putting up with not so good, not so romantic marriages. A few like Shalini want to find their identity by breaking them. Thats the only difference.
Thanks for your views. If you are not convinced yet, let me know.
regards,

 

Dear Varloo,

I did miss your soft words of praise in all the earlier episodes. Unlike my earlier serials, this story looks on life as it is. While the other stories would go well for a movie or a novel, this one is a biography, albeit of an imaginary character.

These days life has become so busy that the spouses do not have time for each other. It is true that the salaries have increased, but the working hours and the related stress have increased disproportionately. So many marriages do not have 'life.' And we are bartering our precious lives for higher monetary gains. Sacrificing the standards of life to increase our standard of living.

Thanks for the standing ovation, Varloo. I loved those words even while writing them. And happy that they touched your heart.

Stay tuned Varloo for future episodes. The craft is going to take-off from the next episode.

regards,

 

Dear Mythili,
I replied your dream post first and let this one come in the normal queue. You have realised, like Shalini, that Rishi though a good man of neat habits does not have a strong personality of his own. Even when he invites Shalini to have dinner together he tells her that his Dad wanted it. No woman would tolerate that kind of servitude in her husband.

Shalini's marriage is dead. By asking for a divorce she is only requesting a decent funeral and a neat cremation.

Was Rishi surprised by the D word? Did Shalini regret her decision later in life? How was her life after the divorce, if at all it happened?
Stay tuned, Madam, for the future episodes. I plan to post the next one by Thursday evening.
Love,

 

Dear Sujatha,

This is my theory of how the human mind works. Major decisions like divorce, declaring one's love for another, do not happen all of a sudden. The mind is boiling with the inputs which strongly point out in the direction of the decision. Suddenly something happens, at times totally unrelated to the cause, which acts as a tipping point and the individual takes the crucial decision.

To the outsider it may appear that Shalini had taken an impulsive decision. Remember she has waited for five full years. If at all Shalini can be questioned, we should ask her, "Why the hell you waited for five long years?" and not, "Why do you want to hurry with this decision?"

Let me tell you do not identify too much with the heroine. You can identify with the story but not with the heroine as she is going to take a tangential route in the future episodes.

Remember I asked permission for this serial as a 'controversial' story. That is going to come in the future episodes. Let's wait and see.
regards,

 

Hello Vara,
I am very happy that this serial has made my friend to visit this forum and post her views. And thanks for your views which really add colour to this discussion.
Vara, having problem with a bad husband and a bad in-laws is quite common. Even that, many of our women, are tackling or at least tolerating, for the sake of their children as life gets past them.

I wanted to create my heroine in a different mould. She has everything from an external point of view. But there is neither love nor happiness in the marriage. Months after the wedding, the marriage was dead.

Shalini was not sure about how to proceed. Her talks with her father on the eve of his death gave her the impetus to go ahead with her decisions. After all, Shalini realised, that she had only one life to live and everything is just a matter of her personal choice.

So she wants to change her choice now before it is too late. Her father's death and her financial independence might have made her take that decision.

I know many women who are living away from their husbands not because their husbands are bad per se, but they lack love which is the only cementing force between spouses. These human lead a happy life (one such instance I have described in my articles in this forum).

Shalini now wants to test the waters; wants to go out, to find happiness, love, peace and through them all, to find her true identity.

Thanks once again, dear friend, for your participation. I hope that you will stay tuned to read the remaining episodes and give your views.

Thanks for your kind wishes,
regards,