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by Disha Books, An imprint of Orient Longman Limited,
India |
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Temporary Answers, Jai Nimbkar's maiden novel was originally published by Orient Longman, India in 1974, who also reissued it in 1995. Nimbkar, daughter of Iravati Karve (whose Yayati is one of my favourite books) is from Maharashtra. She writes in both Marathi and English. "Come Rain", her another novel in English was published in 1993. Nimbkar has also published two collections of short stories in English. "Temporary Answers" tells the story of Vineeta, a young widow. Though a trained paediatrician, Vineeta did not pursue a career after she got married to Nagendra and went to live in Bombay. The marriage was not a great success though to all appearances the couple led a successful life. After Nagendra dies suddenly of a heart attack Vineeta returns to her parents' house in Pune. Vineeta continues to live from day to day. It is not that she really suffers from having lost her husband. Rather I felt that she just mourns the loss of a way of life, however unpalatable it was. The parents' home is far from being a quiet haven for a person in such a condition. Endless arguments between either Vineeta and her mother or Madhuri, her impetuous younger sister, and the mother mark the day. The mother is yet another one of those innumerable women who become bitter as they grow older because they have not had a chance (or have not taken the chance) of getting something out of life. The father, a professor in a local college, is around, but contributes little to the story. Madhuri must be impetuous; she even runs away with the boy who looks after the bicycles at her college bicycle stand, comes back after two days, and ends up marrying Vilas who is twice her age. Surprisingly there is no love between the two sisters - there never was -, and things only get worse once Madhuri marries Vilas who prior to that had proposed to Vineeta only to be rejected by her. Vineeta's love for Abhijit Gokhale, a playwright and a colleague of her father, forms the core of the story. Both of them fall for each other on the very first day they meet at a party hosted by their mutual friend, Kishori. Though the story starts with this party, Abhijit is banished after the first few pages, during which time Vineeta agrees to start workng by sharing the practice rooms set up by Vilas. In the beginning it is Vilas who occupies Vineeta's free time. Vilas who has conveniently returned after a long stay abroad. It is he who convinces Vineeta to share his practice, picks her up from the charity center where she works in the mornings, drives her around, and looks after her needs Pages: 1
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