A Grain of Sand. Review on Chokher Bali - Rabindranath Tagore

I read...and was desperate to write.

== A Grain of Sand ==

I was desperate to write about my beloved: Binodini.

She was educated. She was good at all the house hold chores. And she was beautiful. That Mahendra did not see her was the reason why he rejected from marrying her. She was married off to an old man who passed away soon leaving her widowed at a ripe age. At an age when a girl wishes to wear colorful robes and enticing jewelry, she dressed herself in white and stayed with other widows in her village.

Circumstances brought her to Asha. Asha, a newly married, was confused between her amateurish way of life and the demanding house-hold chores. She was pleased to be with Binodini, who taught her everything and shared the chores. When Asha was thinking about a name for her friendship with Binodini, the latter put away all the out-dated names like ?Ganga- Yamuna?, etc and decided the name for their friendship as: Choker Bali. Innocent Asha, ignorant of the meaning (a grain of sand in the eye which causes irritation and tears) gets closer to Binodini. She acquaints Binodini to her husband, Mahendra.

Behari, being a good friend to Mahendra, initially was against Binodini?s presence in the house. Later he was pleased to see Binodini taking good care of everyone and everything in the house. But what skipped from his mind was Mahendra?s attraction towards Binodini.

Mahendra could not control his emotions when he realized that Binodini has feelings for him. He was ready to leave everything for her. He thought twice about leaving Asha, but Binodini?s allure was more enticing than Asha?s chastity. And circumstances lead him to elope away with her. Then..... it was too long, when he realized that Asha was the only person who loved him. Some realizations end up to be misunderstandings: Binodini?s feelings for him are uncertain. She, in fact, had a secret passion for Behari.

== I am ? ==

Now, who am I? I am ???. a common man. And while reading the novel, I was?

? Mahendra when Binodini enticed me to talk to her. I saw her for the first time when she was asleep and from that moment I wanted her to respect me. I wanted her to keep me in her heart. But I wasn?t inclined towards her. I loved my Asha and in no way I will betray her. I was proud to sit on the throne in Asha?s heart. And I never guessed that I would slip myself for the temptress (Binodini). When I read Asha?s letter to me, I realized it was Binodini?s feelings for me. (Binodini helped Asha write the letter to me). Thence, I began to rejoice the fantasy of possessing Binodini, not minding the disgrace I was bringing for myself and my home. And I hated Behari whenever Binodini uttered his name.

I was ?

? Behari when she knocked on my door that night to express her love for me. She wrote letters to me. She wanted me to accept her love. There is no greater satisfaction for a man than to have a perfect woman like Binodini want him. But I could not accept her proposal. I didn?t want to possess someone who broke the relationship of my dear friend Mahendra with his wonderful wife and shattered their marriage. I do pity her situation of a widow in this merciless society; but nothing more than that. Or, is there anything more than that?

== Tagore?s Pen ==

And what lied between me and Binodini was Tagore?s Pen. Tagore?s pen flowed in waves of smooth clarity. The characterizations were authentic and the loops interweaved within them were complex; yet, the story was simple. This Clarity of Complexity is what speaks volumes of Tagore?s pen.

Tagore?s characters are clock-full of sensibility. Binodini, the Choker Bali, oscillates violently between renouncing and reclaiming her desire. When all her womanly perfect ness is rendered naught by her widowhood, her rage boils when she sees an unsophisticated Asha enjoying what could have been hers. She overthrows the norms of widowhood to make direct appeals to the men she loves. This novel makes an appeal to the society (the readers) to see things in her point of view.

And it was Sreejata Guha who was in between my understanding and the Bengoli language. Sreejata?s words flowed in perfect sync with Tagore?s story. (Sreejata Guha also translated Sarat Chandra?s ?Devdas?).

== The Cover Details ==

Book Title : A Grain of Sand - Choker Bali

Author : Rabindranath Tagore

Translated from Bengoli by : Sreejata Guha

Publishers : Penguin Books India.

Cost : Rs.295

Pages : 287

I wrote?. and was desperate to recommend. I recommend this book to all those who prefer real protagonists to ideal ones.