Behind the walls of a house in a North Indian
town a whole world thrives—of the joint family, their attendants, their
visitors. Three generations of women and their men live different strategies of
adjustment and achievement to accommodate or challenge patriarchy. They seem to
fit in recognised frames, but what are the subtle machinations behind the
apparent stereotypes? It is that which the novel uncovers, in a tale told in
deceptively simple terms, using smells, sounds, tastes and flavours, scenes and
tiny signs, and incidents of a daily and ordinary existence to build, weave by
weave, a rich and layered tapestry, saying always more than is apparent. At the
centre is Mai, the mother, seemingly weak and silent, but it is she who holds
together the subtle patterns of relationships and agencies, and quietly carves
out a life for herself as also for those around. Her New Age children are obsessed
with rescuing her from the ‘prison’ and escaping themselves; but as the story
unfolds, any simplistic notion of bondage and freedom goes for a toss. Profound
stories of love and loss are lightly delivered.