చిట్టి కథ- మనస్పర్థలు

చిట్టి కథ : చెయ్యి పట్టి బతిమాలుతున్న అతని చేతిని విసిరికొట్టి, వెళ్ళిపోయిన ఆమెను, అతను నిస్సహాయంగా చూస్తూ  ఉండిపోయాడు. 

మనస్పర్థలు

వాసంతి, ఋతురాజ్ లకి పెళ్ళయ్యి ఏడాది కావస్తోంది. వాళ్ళిద్దరూ కుండ బద్దలు కొట్టినట్టు మాట్లాడతారు కాబట్టి అప్పుడప్పుడు మాటా మాటా పెరగడం జరిగిపోతూ ఉండేది. కొంత సేపటికి ఇద్దరూ సర్దుకుపోయేవారు. పెళ్ళి రోజుని ఇద్దరూ ఏకాంతంగా వాళ్ళింట్లోనే గడుపుదామని ఆశపడ్డారు. కానీ, ఆ రోజు పొద్దున్నే ఋతు వాళ్ళ బాస్ నుండి ఫోన్ వచ్చింది. ఆనివర్సరీ విషెస్ చెప్పదనికేమో అని ఫోన్ ఎత్తాడు. తీరా చూస్తే, అమెరికన్ క్లైంట్ ఏదో బగ్ ని ఫిక్స్ చేయమని కోరారట. అది ఆఫీసులో ఋతు తప్ప మరెవరూ చేయలేని పణత. ఆఫీసుకి రమ్మని కోరాడు.

పెళ్ళంటే?

1.     పెళ్ళంటే ఖరీదైన దుస్తులు, నగలు కాదు

పెళ్ళంటే అవగాహన అనే ఒక పవిత్ర బంధం

Teenage and Pimples

          All of us heard of second childhood. I thought I’ll tell you a story of a person in her second teenage. We’ll stick to the same old heroine, Padma.

********************

          Padma turned off the TV after her channel- surfing habit showed her the commercial of “No Pimples- Softy Skin” cream for the umpteenth time. The advertisement featured a fair complexioned girl with red eruptions all over her face, looking eagerly at boys of her college, wondering if any one of them, who were busy with other girls, would throw a second glance at her. Suddenly another girl pops up from nowhere and gives her a bottle of the “No Pimples- Softy Skin” cream and lo and behold, the indifferent girls of the previous scene are now trying desperately to hold the attention of their boys, even as the latter are unable to take their eyes off this “No Pimples- Softy Skin” girl.

Book Summary- The Bachelor of Arts by R.K. Narayan

The Bachelor of Arts

                                                                             By R.K. Narayan

                   31^st Reprint 2012

Indian Thought Publications, Chennai

                   Introduction by Graham Greene

                                      166 pp, Rs. 100/-

          I have now taken it upon myself to read (or re-read) the entire collection of R.K. Narayan.  My first view of the book was when I was a child (it was my grandfather’s copy of the 1^st Indian edition, if my memory is still good).  I wanted to be a Bachelor of Arts before reading it.  Somehow, this book missed my eyes after I completed my B.A. (not that I have a great memory of the ones I read before), so I decided to start with this one while revisiting R.K.

Book Summary- One and a half wife by Meghna Pant

One and a half wife

By

Meghna Pant, Westland Ltd. 2012, 296 pp, Rs. 250/-

          Meghna Pant’s debut novel is interesting and deals with social and marital issues that the middle class face, but shy away from.  It traces the story of Amara Malhotra, who arrives in US and tries to live her mother’s version of American dream (posh and polished lifestyle yet Indian in values).  Her efforts to impress others by living someone else’s life always meet with failure, and her ‘Indianness’ makes her the bride of an ivy-educated millionaire, being his mother’s choice.  Then follows a life of Jekyll & Hyde – trying to be her Indian self from within and seeming to lead the husband-friendly lifestyle from without.  She forces herself to compromise on her likes and dislikes and tries to adjust to her husband.  She ends up with a double whammy – failing to rise up to his expectations as well as being herself.  All her efforts to ‘save’ the marriage prove futile, because her husband never wanted her in first place.  The truth of the failed marriage is something she has to come to terms with and at the same time, face the adversity of her parents and the ostracism of the Indian American community.