gently falls the bakula Sudha Murty's novel analysis
gently falls the bakula
"Gently falls the Bakula' is her debut novel.
Themes in the novel are individuality, identity, recognition, and sacrifice.
The Bakula tree is a symbol of love between Srikanth and Shrimati. The title "gently falls the bakula '' signifies that the love between them gradually fades away over time. The story’s main theme is how love loses its shine in marriage over a period of time. The conflict strengthens when she reads Ravi's letter to Srikanth.
Shrikanth and Shrimati are childhood friends and neighbors who belong to rival families. The bone of contention between two families is the Bakula tree in between two houses and their different sects, i.e., Vaishnava, Vishnu devotees, and Smartha, worshippers of Lord Shiva. The story begins in school when the main characters are in class 10. Shrikant is an intelligent and good-looking boy. Shrimati is smarter than Shrikanth in her studies. They both see themselves as rivals in the school, competing and scoring high marks. Shrimati and Srikanth have two different attitudes and perceptions towards education and life. Shrimati is very interested in history, while Srikanth loves science. They gradually became friends when they moved to different colleges and decided to meet under the Bakula tree. The beautiful Bakula flowers have a great fragrance, even though they have dried. They both meet at the tree under the pretext of gathering the flowers. The Bakula is a witness to their love, and love blossoms and spreads its fragrance. On their insistence, both families agreed to their wedding. “Shrimati’s marriage to Shrikant took place on a rainy day in Shravan at the Someshwara temple in Atthikolla" (69)The Bakula tree has a significant place in their lives. Even their wedding garlands are made of bakula flowers. “Normally, wedding garlands are made of jasmine, rajanigandha, or sevanthige. But for this wedding, the garlands were made of bakula flowers''(69).
Gangakka, Srikanth’s mother, always spews venom on her daughter-in-law and belittles her mother in her talk. The couple moves to Bombay. On her daughter’s advice, Gangakka writes a letter to Srikanth to send one lakh rupees in installments, the amount that was taken for his study. Shrikant blindly believes her mother. Shrimati decides to work for a company to pay the installments to Gangakka.
Shrimati obeys her husband’s instructions, takes care of the house and his accounts, and does the duties like a personal secretary to him. Money, power, achievements, success, and fame are important to Srikanth, whereas she realizes that the real wealth is knowledge. Srikanth gives priority to office matters, executive meetings, and business lunch meetings. Shrimati tells the story of Bhamati,a young scholar's wife. The writer foretells the readers the wife-husband relationship of Srikanth and Srimati through this story of unconditional love and an undemanding and submissive wife, Bhamati. The young scholar completely focuses and immerses himself in his work in such a way that he forgets the outside world. The sage, after finishing the book, notices an old woman sleeping on the floor. She identified herself as Bhamati, his wife, who had been working for him without any compensation for forty years. He was unable to recognize her, and her response astounded him. With great respect and moved by her sacrifice, he names his book after her. The sage wouldn't have completed it without her undemanding and unconditional service and sacrifice. On asking whose sacrifice is praiseworthy,Srikanth answers that though two people sacrifice their time and pleasures,the sage’s perseverance and focus on the target without any distraction from earthly pleasures are the great factors. Shrimati likes it very much that the husband recognizes his wife's sacrifice, and in gratitude, he names the book after her.
To Shrimati, her husband is her whole world. If she had pursued her Ph.D. in history in America and continued her career, she would have become one of the top historians in India. Shrimati takes the decision to marry Srikanth with her heart and not with her mind, as a common Indian middle-class woman. In the end, Shrimati contemplates much over her decision to restart her studies and makes it clear to Srikanth. Shrimati doesn't want to be a shadow of her husband. She wonders how her mother continues her relationship with her father, though he is a worthless man. Her grandmother, Ridaakka, used to say she didn't get any freedom from her husband, but she continued the relationship. Indian women are conditioned in the way that they should be submissive in relationships, though they do not get due recognition for their household work. Shrimati breaks patriarchal norms and lives her life in a way she likes. Many women in India sacrifice their interesting careers for their families, like Shrimati. Shrimati craves love, affection, and some time from Srikanth. He is busy with his meetings, enjoys his work very much, and runs after success. Shrimati slowly gets into a sort of depression, comparing her life before marriage and after marriage. All these years, she used to welcome guests, look after the house, and do the duties of a personal secretary for Srikanth. At last, she realizes her goal. ”Shri, I cannot get a better friend than you. She kissed his forehead gently, hugged him warmly, then took her small bag and walked out" (163)
Shrikant thinks that all his success is due to his intelligence, hard work, and own efforts. His wife has no role in his success, but after she leaves him, he ponders over her words. “Now he thought of Shrimati. What was her share of his achievement?” (164). Shrikant recollects what Shrimati said long ago about a young scholar naming his book after Bhamati. “Her husband recognized his sacrifice and named the book after her. That is what appeals to me more" (166). In their relationship, he didn't acknowledge her presence in his accomplishments. ”But in her real life, her husband did not even recognize her sacrifice! How cruel it was for Shrimati." (166).
It rains heavily, and the sea roars while Shrikant answers Harish's phone. “Shrimati, who had walked with him side by side in the same Shravan rain for ten years, had now left him all alone” (169). They are united in the month of Shravan on a rainy day, and they part ways in the same Shravan rain. Though Srikanth is a good human being, he doesn't understand his wife's sensitive feelings and has failed as a modern husband in modern times.
Identity:- Shrimati longs for her identity in the family and society. She is wife of Shri and wife of an MD. She helps Shrikanth to achieve his goals in corporate life but she keep aside her goal. She wants to be identified as an individual woman not as an MD' wife.
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