This book was gifted to me by my daughter-in-law knowing my interest in the Malayalam movies, music and small books! The book contains13 stories. They are all excellent. The plots are very simple and familiar to our day to day life. The characters are all people around us. Among all the stories my special interest goes for three stories. They are ’Meenakshiyammayude maranam’, ’Shasthrakriya’ and ’Nastapetta Neelambari’ (the cover story). I might have read them all at least for twenty times by now!
Meenakshiyamma is an old lady of eighty - lived as a Gandhiji follower all through her life - from the tender age of fifteen! She donated her golden ’kammas’ to Gandhiji when he visited Guruvayur as Panikkar says.. There is a lively discussion on getting a Khaddar cloth to cover her or to go for a National flag! You must read and enjoy!
Now, she is on the death bead in a corner room in her house. Madhavikutty excellently painted the entire scene and we can see the story as a mini movie in front of us! Specially with characters like Appukuttan Nair (her only younger brother), Panikkar, Panchayathi president, Bhargavi Teacher, ayyar....many lively characters and their suggestions and comments at the scene! all preparing for the funeral before Meenakshiyamma really died! When asked by Ramya (Appukuttan nair’s daughter) ’Valyamma! What is your wish?’ Meenakshiyamma murmurs loudly ’Pachcha jacket" and a ’Palyakaumodirum! Everyone gathered there stunned at her wish! It is for us to understand that though she lived as a spinster for eighty years the inner wish of her - to dress like a ’bride’ at least once before breathing her last?
My inference on this story is that even though she lived in Gandhian style all through her life, the inner urge of a woman to be a bride remained till her death.
The other story Sasthrakriya: Perhaps the smallest among all, is about a twelve year old girl being taken to the hospital by her parents and aunt for an surgery.
There is nothing special apparently when read this story.
The beauty of this small story is that author does not tell us what is the operation itself!. While reading the story you also will moving with the family members to the hospital to admit the girl there! In the last the girl says that she is afraid to be alone in the night. Her father assures her that he would tell the nurses not to switch off the lights. But girl’s mother’s eyes are smeared (with tears)! Great ending.
A mother alone can understand the inner fears of her daughter! Well, that is how I concluded.I shall write about the cover story in my next review. This book is published by D.C. Books, Kottayam. ISBN 81-713-0655-1