topics: |  fiction | france | lesbian | bengali | translation

When Nilanjana (Nila) arrives in Paris, married to an Indian restaurant
owner, she finds the expatriate Indian life dull.  But then she meets her
French lover, and things gather steam.  

The arrival of Nila serves to highlight a host of Indian prejudices, e.g. a
disgust of black skinned people.  As the story unfolds, she finds herself
flinching at European customs such as eating "raw" steaks.  

Indeed, the entire text is an unending list of flaws of one kind or another,
somewhat in the sense of Lajja, but at least weaved into a plot.  

As Susan Chacko writes in parabaas, "All writers describe
flawed humanity, but Nasrin and her characters see more flaws than
humanity."

Excerpts

[Nilanjana - the woman from Calcutta, leaves her insensitive domineering
husband and falls in love with a French man.  After she finds herself
pregnant, she realizes she doesn't want the baby.  Her lover Benoir is
overjoyed, but this is the end.]

Nila's voice was strangely calm.  "No Benoir, you don't love me."
       . . . 
- "So you are still jealous; you can't take it if I speak to Pascale
	for a few minutes.  You think I love her still."
- "Benoir, you don't love Pascale."
- "So who do I love?"
- "You love yourself, Benoir, your own self.  No one else."
- "Don't be a moron." Benoir shouted. 
. . . 

[To her lesbian friend Danielle] "Danielle, time is never wasted.
This time was spent in acquiring wisdom and I needed it.  Or I would
have spent my life under a misconception. I feel men, of whichever
country, whatever society, are all the same."