I, the ghost writer, having been the avid reader that I have become over the ages, have come to postulate a theory about the extraordinary relationship some readers share with their dust jacketed companions. This theory states that there are very randomly thrown lucky instances in every reader's life, when a book chooses you instead of you choosing it.
Madhumita Mukherjee 'The other side of the table' was another of those rare defining moments that reconfirms the validity of this theory, for me.
It was just a few days back that I was browsing through FlipKart to order the much marketed hype-of-a-book 'The Other Side' by one Mr Faraaz Kazi, when Google guided me to accidentally discover this gem, sitting quietly in a silent corner of the screen. Now contrary to the high profile marketing strategy applied by the former, this book by Madhumita caught my intrigue mainly because it had a beautifully written synopsis to its credit.
End Result: I ended up ordering "The other side of the table" and that is one choice I am not regretting.
Lines from the book blurb that managed to pique my interest:
A world drawn and woven with words...
a bond punctuated by absence and distance...
Two continents, two cities, two people...
and letters...hundreds of them...
...
................
.......................
Cut to present moment, I have finished reading the book and believe you me, I am so proud of my decision to have picked it up or like I said earlier, I have come to believe it was the book that picked me.
Author: Madhumita Mukherjee
Publisher: Fingerprint Publishers
Genre: Fiction (contemporary)
Price: Rs 195/-
Much indeed, 'The other side of the table' is a wonderfully crafted epistolary between two beautiful people that creates an equally magnificient world of heart felt emotions we all experience in the mundane affairs of life. It is a portrayal of the chastity of the platonic relation between two childhood friends separated over time and distance; Abhi, a neurosurgeon in London and Uma, who is just entering the world of medicine, back in Kolkata.
As Abhi and Uma travel their journeys together (yet apart), it is only this stamp ink communication that help them maintain their sanity in an insane world of chagrin and chaos---hand written letters to each other in which they express their dreams, desires, professional dilemmas, expatriate loneliness, personal tragedies and longings. As Uma struggles through the disappointing marriage and professional politics, it is only Abhi's experience and advice that helps her shine through. Just like Uma's non biased opinions and sturdy support help him tide many a personal crises. However, despite the incapacitating interdependence, there is an unwritten code---a line of personal space and self respect that is never crossed or allowed to be crossed. It is the dignified and mature quality of their relationship that makes you love them all the more.
As the story proceeds, you find yourself waiting for the next letter (just like the protagonists), traveling their journey as a silent spectator--sometimes laughing at ABhi's dead pan sense of humor and comic details, while other times smiling at the mysterious fragility of their unnamed relation (which leaves you guessing...re-guessing...and finally just smiling), biting your fingernails at the intensity of the crossroads they are at, and even shedding a silent tear at some unforseen circumstances (which are best left undiscussed for fear of revealing TMI)
Madhumita Mukherjee's writing is crisp and each letter has an air of freshness about it. The poignancy in the plot is maintained without making it seem monotonous. The subtlety of a sensitive relationship is depicted in a manner that makes the reader want to label it as a bond much larger than friendship...and yet stop reminding himself of the pristine selflessness the two have shared time and again--two people separated by miles and times...never knowing of the future of their relationship except for the silent promise that they will be there for one another whenever needed, as critics, confidantes, chroniclers, story-tellers...as witnesses to each other's life...two friends who mean everything to each other...two soul mates who help each other grow through their words and experiences, unable to define what they mean to one another for fear that no one name can suffice.
...and yet, as I put down the book, I could not help but hum a song from long ago...
"Its only words and words are all I have...to take your heart away..."
Well written Madhumita!!! :)
About the author: Madhumita Mukherjee spent her childhood in Delhi. She studied medicine from Calcutta National Medical College. She has been living in England since 2001, and is currently working as a Paediatrician there. The Other Side Of The Table is her debut novel.
Personal Rating: 4 out of 5
Signing off with love,
The Ghost Writer...
No comments:
Post a Comment