Book Review - Yashpal's Meri Teri Uski Baat

Meri Teri Uski Baat

I was with this book for more than month. And I miss that time. It took me that long because one,I was reading in Hindi after ages and two, the beauty of the 'manuscript' as one my friends said, was a welcome change from the usual English. 

It is a grand book which touches the subjects of Indian family life, youth and their insecurities, parents and their sensibilities ,religious divide, friendships, profession, gender equality, education, marriage and ofcourse freedom. A book about freedom for the country and freedom of self.

About the author

Yashpal, (1903-1976) was a revolutionary author, freedom fighter and political commentator. He was actively involved in the Indian independence movement along with many others.

The novel starts as a story of a family and ends with the story of a woman. Based in the old time Lucknow of early 1930s, it’s a candid and wonderful account of the life and times of the young, the old and the society strata during the march to freedom. Not necessarily a complete book on independence movement rather it is on the personal and social system prevailing at the time.

I loved the book for many reasons. Firstly the Hindi language took me back to my school days, probably the only time I actively read the language. As you read and dwell in the characters, you start to get the whiff of old world charm. Something which we all run after nowadays. The simplicity of life then, the respect while addressing elders and the intellectual non-flippant talks at the dining table.

The story

Ratanlal Seth stays in a joint family system and has a son. Eventually his wife dies and because of property altercations with his brothers and family he stays ,in the same locality, separately with a wall between the houses. His son Amar, the protagonist, grows up knowing the differences but not acting on them and thus is very friendly with his cousins Narendra and Mahendra.

Amar is the perfect son and friend. He is brilliant student and virtuous in his thoughts and behaviour. He is passionate about the freedom movement but is not prone to violence. At the same time he gives value to family and the quandary he faces many a times is how to take both family and the fight for freedom together. Amar goes on to become a doctor in Lucknow.

The next part of the book is about Usha, her life and family. Usha is a Brahmin Christian and studies BA. Her father is a professor and in her family of three siblings and parents, the father and daughter are the procreative minded people. Her story begins with her having an accident, spraining her leg and ending up in the care of Doctor Amar. At this particular time she is engaged to another boy. Initially she has typical girly romantic feelings about the guy and is all set to follow the path laid out by her parents,the one of marriage and unquestionable settled life.

However her life changes here onwards. Her fiancé breaks off the engagement as his parents do not want, according to them, a handicapped(not caring to know it is only a minor accident) daughter-in-law. They do not bother to clarify the matter with Usha and thus two families go their separate ways. A heartbroken Usha, all romanticism washed away, unknowingly gets attracted to a different course of life. A girl who already loves to read and because of the highbrow and cultured conversations with her dad and Amar(who indulges in her reading by getting her more), she is increasingly aware of the realities the country is facing. As she tells her friend Chitra, that 'matters of the heart are so flimsy compared to matters of life'. Real life.

Her leg takes several weeks to heal during which Amar visits her, first as a doctor and then as a friend. These visits happen mostly when her parents are there and they welcome his concern, initially. 

However, the neighbors do not take it in good stride. They end up noticing that the times Amar comes are when her parents are not there and thus create a mountain out of a molehill. A lot of misunderstandings emerge between Usha and her mother. Her father possessing a calm and liberal demeanour tries to bring peace in the family.

Matters take a gruelling mode when Usha realises she cannot coexist with her mother. This isn’t so much because of any hate between the two as much as it is want for an unrestricted living. Post months of arguments one day the matters took a chaotic turn.

After another argument Usha ended up hurting herself in an impulsive moment and decides that she has to leave home. She confesses her attachment to Amar, but uncertainly. He reciprocates and they decide to marry,against their parents' wishes,but naturally.

And thus starts the journey of their life. It is a saga of their differences and personalities which give the novel a brilliant harmony of family values vs freedom struggle.

Meri Teri Uski Baat does not have the drama of contemporary fiction. At the same time it is not a volume of nationalist activities. The story ends with a sad surprise, leaving us greatly admiring and believing that the actual protagonist is Usha.

At the end of the book I was dismal(partly whenever a good book finishes) with certain realisations :

•        Why isn’t such book given more publicity? Yes this got Yashpal the Sahitya award but how many of us(this generation) are aware of him and the book?
•           Why aren’t the books on independence movement the first choice for us? Books like these are not exactly boring civics textbook with lots of dates and political events listed. Such books  meld stories, opinions and thoughts in a readable and engaging way.
•        Most vital conclusion, why don’t we read more in Hindi?

Pictures from Indipin and alchetron