Chokher Bali

Chokher Bali – best translated as “A grain of sand” according to the translator is one of the first novels from Rabindranath Tagore. The reason I picked up this novel was to see how Tagore writes (badly forgot all his poems; and then poems and novels aren’t same). In addition, I was impressed with Rituparno Ghosh’s Raincoat and he has also directed Chokher Bali.

I haven’t watched Chokher Bali yet, but its story is in stark contrast with Raincoat. Raincoat was a slow moving story where the end literally completes the movie’s story. Chokher Bali on the other hand is a non-stop drama.

Chokher Bali revolves around six characters:

1. Rajalakshmi: A widow mother who has spoiled her son.

2. Mahendra: The spoiled son, who thinks everyone is there to fulfill his wishes (or as my dad jokes: “When anyone is born, God whispers in his/her ears: you are my best creation.”).

3. Aunty: Mahendra’s aunty – widow as well, a devout and peaceful lady.

4. Behari: Mahendra’s best friend – a very practical and skillful person.

5. Asha: Mahendra’s wife – an orphan wed to Mahendra at the age of 14-15; good at heart but hollow at mind and worldly dealings.

6. Binodini: The life of the novel – a widow, but a very intelligent, quick-witted, bold and beautiful woman. She knows (most of) her powers!

The novel starts a bit low in the sense that Tagore presents a lot of background information at the outset without weaving a story and then coming to central characters and events. However, that is understandable, because the novel was originally written as serialized articles for a Bengal journal and you probably wouldn’t want confuse people too much in beginning otherwise their interest will wane! But after 40 pages or so, he starts to pull strings and weave the web.

The incomplete story in short is thus: Mahendra and his mother are very dear to each other. Mahendra is married to Asha and their magical honeymoon life begins. The boy forgets the mother after marriage (as it normally happens!). The desolate mother goes for a retreat where she meets Binodini. Mahendra was once proposed to marry Binodini, but he declines her because he wasn’t interested in marriage at that time. Binodini becomes a widow as her husband dies prematurely. Mother brings Binodini back home. Binodini and Asha become friends. Mahendra is drawn towards Binodini due to her beauty, wit and charm (plus her efforts). Binodini likes and wants this, but she is really attracted towards Behari as he is good at heart and is a very practical person. Aunty comes and disappears from the scene as a source of peace or consolation.

Lot of drama goes around these people and there is a lot of to-and-fro from one situation to another and back to the same situation. However, nothing looks futile because, for instance, the time that Mahendra takes to advance towards Binodini, her ways of keeping distance while charming Mahendra at the same time, the confusion of letters, the faith in husband and many such events are so natural of that time (100 years ago!).

The novel’s real USP is Tagore’s portrayal of people’s emotions and thoughts and their analysis. He proves himself true to his self-portrait I had seen in Kolkata – a wise old man who knows everything. Some of the very practical and basic nuances of life he explains by means of the story are:

1. How differences and formalities are forgotten at times of misery. On the other hand, how friends and well-wishers are ignored when joy is in bounty.

2. How everyone thinks and justifies he is right.

3. How those who don’t learn things early have to learn it later in life (usually the hard way).

4. How veils of illusions are shattered by shock of reality, and even then, how strong illusions still maintain their place in our life.

5. Patience bears its own fruits and right actions lead to right consequences.

6. How the mood can colour the weather and circumstances (e.g. how a good weather may feel sulky because I am sulky). The other way around is also true, of course.

7. Natural surrender of woman to man and God, which by the way is much misused by man.

All characters in the novel are very realistic, except may be that of Mahendra, who is shown to be too loose and much too dependent on others. However, all probabilities are probable according to the Maxwell bell curve! Binodini’s character is very strong with her extreme goodness and stark darkness shown at different times. In fact, she convinces me even more that women folk can never be understood or predicted. Behari’s character emerges out the strongest at the end and he really gives a fight to the classical Rhet Butler from Gone with the Wind (my favourite character to date after Mahabharata’s Lord Krishna).

The ending is also superb – joyful and sorrowful at the same time; this is really where Tagore really stands out. It has always been difficult for me to accept sad endings and this too made me a bit sad (I was VERY sad after reading Gone with the Wind). However, for the first time, I understood that things cannot be just undone by joining hands once again and living happily forever (dream). The tangles that are created by too much involvement / indulgence are to be best undone in separation. For probably the first time, I have accepted the harsh, sad end of Gone with the Wind.

An enjoyable, fast reading novel with many things to learn about life, how people think and do. And yes, I do look forward to watch the movie.