Lives of strong women

It Happened Like This is a story of three women, set in post-Independent India. Suraksha Giri, the author, says the book will give the youth a sense of their roots

October 01, 2014 07:30 pm | Updated May 23, 2016 07:32 pm IST

Suraksha Giri with her book, It Happened Like This

Suraksha Giri with her book, It Happened Like This

Suraksha Giri’s first novel It Happened Like This is set between 1947 and 1980, but the book will speak to readers of every age group. “Given the kind of strides the youth has made and the fact that they are much more vocal and concerned about present-day problems, my book will take them to a time period of their parents and grandparents. The book will give them a continuum,” says Suraksha, who has earlier published a collection of essays and verses titled Rope, snake – pot, Space .

It Happened Like This centres on three women, Zarine, Hema and Sister Margaret, a nun. Each character is well etched, giving the story much depth. “Hema belongs to a middle-class South Indian family. She is educated. Her husband is whimsical and she is of definite views. She takes up a career to support her children. She refuses to stay with her parents and is independent. Zarine is a Bombay girl. She is twice widowed. She marries a UP Rajput boy. The decisions these women take are, to a great extent, supported and sympathised by Sister Margaret who is their friend. My characters refuse to become victims of their circumstances. They rise above every challenge.”

True that there weren’t many working women in the 1950’s, but women of that time were strong-willed and possessed deep convictions. These qualities are evident in Suraksha’s characters. “Zarine is from Bombay. She goes to Ooty on work and her in-laws are in Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh. Zarine’s daughter works in Kolkata. We think that young women today are leaving home to settle in other cities to pursue their dreams. But this was true of women of those times as well. Sister Margaret believes women should live their lives joyfully and creatively. ”

The backdrop is blend of politics, wars, agitations and international events. But Suraksha points out that at the time, there was an acceptance of multi-ethnicity. “There was a sense of nation. Divisions were unheard of. People were always aware of what was happening in the Nation and there were in-depth discussions.”

Suraksha has dedicated the book to Amma, Mother and Ma. “Amma is my birth mother. Mother are the nuns of the school where I studied. And Ma is my country. The three are inseparable for me,” says Suraksha.

Suraksha’s articles have been published in Speaking Tree. It took her six months to write It Happened Like This . “I have worked in a corporate, but I’ve always written my quota. The book is self published. When I wrote the book, I knew it has its destiny. I thought, let it find its way. It will resonate with the youth. It’ll give everybody their ancestry and a sense of roots. The book will speak for itself. The book is the main character,” Suraksha concludes.

A reading and conversations around It Happened Like This will be held on October 4 at Atta Galatta, Koramangala, 134, 1st A Main Road KHB Colony, 5 Block at 6 pm. Suraksha will be present for the event. Copies of the book will be available. Call 41600677.

0 / 0
Sign in to unlock member-only benefits!
  • Access 10 free stories every month
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.