Book Review: Bhaunri by Anukrti Upadhyay

Title: Bhaunri

Author: Anukrti Upadhyay

Publisher: Fourth State India

ISBN:  978-9353570033

Pages: 150

Source: Publisher

Genre: Literary Fiction

Sometimes when you read something so delectable, you hesitate to put your thoughts on it. You don’t want to spoil the magic, book contains itself.

Bhaunri is a mesmerizing character. Anukrti Upadhyay painted contours of her journey of love and desire, Author crafts the facets of her life with crystalline clarity. This is not some mushy love story but it surely shows that love is difficult ride to follow. It has upside and downside too. Sometimes love is messy but worth to put your heart into it.

“There is more than one way for hearts to meet; sometimes they are twisted together, hurting each other but inseparable. You are a child, I pray your happiness thrives, but you must let go of everything at once and become so immersed, I am afraid for you. You must keep safe”

I really enjoyed meeting, Bhaunri, a daughter of lohars- the ironsmiths, lived in a village of Rajasthan. Although, story begins with her mother’s background. Author tried to depict the character of those empowered women, like mother-like daughter. They are fearless; they are brave, how they prioritize their freedom to love. Somewhere the boldness of protagonist enthralled me. 

“My mother said to me, before all else, hearts must meet. Unless hearts meet everything else is a burden of sin and must be thrown off”

Bhaunri got married at very tender age, now she has to move to Sasural, her husband’s home. She found Bheema handsome like some Greek god but ill-tempered too. She tried to interpret their relationship eventually, and felt passionate love towards her husband. Soon, the story is seeped into tension. 

“No, my share is the same as his. He and I are two parts joined together. How could his share be different from mine? I shall not suffer, Mai. If I do, so shall he.’ Bhaunri throat filled with sobs”

Along the way, we see Bhaunri’s relationship with her loving mother-in-law. Author managed to capture the shades of everyday vibrant life of Rajasthan, what stands out amount of detailing.

There is something so empathetic about her struggle. Some hidden stories also waited for readers as she got to know about jeth-ji and his dismembered past.

I instantly fell in love with the protagonist, who came to life in these pages. It touched a nerve in my heart with its raw honesty and delicate simplicity. Story is so rich with colloquial words and metaphors used in ways I have never felt as refreshing.   

There is nothing over-the-top about storyline, no heavy drama, no roller-coaster ride, but story thrives in its effortless writing, clean sentences and hidden insights. Beautiful imagery of Rajasthani culture resonates so deeply within your psyche that as though you are at home.

Author has great command on inner lives of rural women, turned this book into an engaging tale. Depth of women’s unseen strength is the core of the story.

Also, I love how author has played out the climax, Writing is fluid and natural. Narrative is so absorbing I found it difficult to put it down. Anukrti Upadhyay created a character you can live with.

I would certainly recommend. I adored this book to eternity and beyond.

ABOUT AUTHOR

Anukrti Upadhyay has post-graduate degrees in management and literature, and a graduate degree in law. She writes in both English and Hindi; Daura and Bhaunri are her first publications in English. She divides her time between Mumbai and Singapore.

CONNECT:  Facebook | Twitter | Amazon

Book Review: Daura by Anukrti Upadhyay

Title: Daura

Author: Anukrti Upadhyay

Publisher: Fourth State India

ISBN:  978-9353570019

Pages: 160

Genre: Literary Fiction

What I loved most about Anukrti Upadhyay’s Daura, was how mystic folktales of Rajasthan was integrated into the story.

Author has written this book in a form of series of documents and journal entries. I liked the way characters were explored and dissected. It transports you deep into their lives.  Writing is clear and unique without any dramatic peaks.

Story begins with an excerpt from the journal of Collector, who got posted into rural Rajasthan, while working on the water-canal project amidst desert he felt instant connection to lives of tribal people.  

As the story progresses, Collector Saheb meets with a wonderful set of characters, Saranagiya, Camel-herder, Chief Secretary, Nat Girls and Guard. There are bits and pieces of everyone journalized throughout this book, representing their foils and reflections. It made me feel happy inside, author even worked on minor characters with so much dedication, and managed to capture the heart of nomadic lives.  

“The Sarangiya used to come often, I think oftener than he does now. He does not need roads to travel, the desert is full of paths, but it seems that none of them led to the place, he is trying to reach… Then as now, he used to come to the Dak Bangla, sit under the tree or by the large rock you can see at some distance, and play his sarangi. Sometimes especially on full moon nights, he played until the moon set. When morning came around, his arms would be as stiff as the wood of sarangi and his eyes would be like sun-mirrors. His sarangi has learnt to speak due to his penance. It has learnt to cry. Not everyone knows how to cry. The Sarangiya himself doesn’t know how to – he is too proud. His eyes burn but not a drop falls. That instrument of his has to do all the crying for him”

When Collector met with this nomad sarangi player, he understood an art is the answer and immersed himself into their world. Author shows his new perception about art and beliefs, collector’s obsession about folktales, and his longing to get a single glance of a princess, trapped into mystic tree.

“Who has told me that collector saheb has been bewitched? Why would anyone need to tell me? Don’t I keep my ears open all the time, and keep one eye open even when I sleep? The people around are illiterate and most of them are full of nonsense, gibbering about this and that, but they are as cunning as they come”

Besides that, In Anukrti’s Daura, the subject of bureaucracy in India treated in the most glancing way.  Author played on the ground of freedom and courage. She explored human emotions, greed and disheveled morality as well. Many parts of book read like a monologue, with startling cadence of desert. Her sentences are hum and vibrant, ability to suck you into the story. It makes you think and suffer and then leaves you with questions that don’t need to get answered.    

“To me, though, everything that has happened in the past is fresh, as if it has just happened. Each day, as my age increases, my memory burnishes, grows lighter like silver coins published with use, I can’t explain why it is so, I know that the older you grow, the less you are supposed to remember. Age gives you Maan – the honour to be remembered and the right to forget. At time I think I myself am the memory from the past… I am the only one left who knows the past now, the only one who can tell old stories, and with each telling, I remember them better. Usually, I tell them to myself, for who else is there to hear them” — The guard’s story

Like, Author’s twin novel, Bhaunri, it offers the taste of Rajasthan by delivering story with colloquial words, though it didn’t interrupt the reading, even enhanced the beauty of prose.

Anukrti upadhayay has woven her characters with so honesty, it won me over instantly. With her sparkling writing, author managed to keep me hooked till the end. If you are music lover, you are going to savour it.

Daura is surely a riveting tale. I applaud the author; she dealt an important issue in such an interesting way. I couldn’t wait to read her next one.

ABOUT AUTHOR 

Anukrti Upadhyay has post-graduate degrees in management and literature, and a graduate degree in law. She writes in both English and Hindi; Daura and Bhaunri are her first publications in English. She divides her time between Mumbai and Singapore.

CONNECT:  Facebook | Twitter | Amazon 

पिता

तुम्हें एक दिवस में

समेटूँ कैसे

तुम्हारा होना

पूरा युग है

सपनों की नींव

उम्मीद के सिक्के

नींदों में धूप

इन्द्रधनुषी बस्ते

शब्दों की डुगडुगी

कागज़ की नाव

गेहूँ की गमकती बाली-सा

तुम्हारी यादों का गाँव

― पिता

Sketch by Nirmal Saxena