Edition Details:
Format: E-book | Publisher: Juggernaut | Page Count: 33
Book Link: Juggernaut
First Sentence:
Phulwa Devi stepped out of the Department of Stamps and Registration's office, a gloomy building on the outskirts of Gorakhpur.
Story
When Malti was called by Bhole Baba's associate and was asked to visit the ashram she knew something was wrong. Baba never called his devotees on his own unless he had something of utmost importance to tell them. And when Malti reached the ashram and met Baba she found out that her apprehensions were true.
She found out that Bhole Baba had had a vision regarding her. He told her that in the coming week her husband Sitaram Chaudhry, a corrupt goverment official, would be responsible for murder of one of her loved ones.When asked for help Baba just told her that whatever is written in destiny will happen regardless of what we are do to avert her.
But Malti is not going to sit still. She knows Baba's visions have come true in the past but this time she'll make sure nothing like that happens.
What is Malti going to do? Will her husband really murder someone? Who is going to be the victim?
My Views
I like reading single shorts whenever i have little amount of time with me. For me short stories are little snacks that one can have whenever one has got a little bit of time on their hands. I ususally read them while i'm waiting for someone, or am travelling or am stuck somewhere or i'm simply bored but need quick relaxation. The good thing about single shorts is that you can simply read them in five to ten minutes and then can go back to the work that you were doing. Plus, it also helps me to sample newer authors. In this day and age when we have so many authors whose work we can read i have developed a filtering system of my own. If the author is new to me i like to read a short story or blog or article by him/her because that helps me decide whether to consider reading the longer works like novel or novella by him/her. Longer works demand comittment and i don't want to commit to them unless i know that i like their writing style.
Sweet Murder by Tanvi Athawale is one such short that i had read while i was waiting in a hospital. My wife and i had been to a clinic and the staff was asking anyone coming with the paitent to wait outside the clinc so that they can ensure covid protocol's are being followed. This led to me being outside the clinic with nothing to do. Since wifey was inside i went to a neary by tea shop, asked for a glass of tea and opened my reading apps. I had downloaded new stories by authors that were new to me on Juggernaut app and among those this one roused my interest. I thought Sweet Murder would be a murder mystery (I rarely read synopsis of a short story before reading it) but when i started reading it i found out that it's a humourous story about how our superstitions can make us behave.
The story is about Malti Chaudhary. She's a huge devotee of Bhole Baba and belives in him with all her heart. So when he tells her about his vision regarding her she knows the vision has full chances of coming true. But it's her family that is in danger and she has decided that she'll do whatever she can to thwart the fate that lies waiting for their family. Malti has one week time and how she spends these days forms the story.
Malti's husband Sitaram Chaudhary is a head registrar at Department of Stamps and Registration, Gorakhpur and is corrupt to the core. Malti knows she can't share what Baba has told her with her husband because her husband doesn't have very good opinions about the Baba. Her husband thinks baba's a crook. So malti has to do what she needs to do while keeping her husband in the dark. This in turn leads to very funny situations which would definitely bring smile to your faces.
Some of the funny situations also arise because of Malti's husband's corruption. Malti knows what her husband does is wrong. Also, she's the one who takes care of the money that is bribe when they come in Mithai (Sweetmeat) boxes. She knows this is wrong but she does it partly because she likes the comfort that bribe money brings to their family and partly because she has to do what her husband asks her to do. But she in her heart knows that they are sinning as she's a god fearing person and hence feels guilty about it. So after meeting with baba the guilt starts chewing her up and it's because of this guilt and her belief in karma few of the comedy situations arise.
The also tries to show how if a person is superstitious he/she will try to see things with those glasses only. The way story ends and how Malti and Phulwa see it is a good example of what i'm saying.
Although, the story is a black comedy it does take a look at the rampant corruption present in our government offices and how the poor suffer because of it. Phulwa is an example of this. She is a poor woman who is being tormented by her in laws after her husband's death as they want to take over her husband's house. The things she has to go through to get is what is hers and how goverment officials are just waiting like vultures to tear what ever they can from her shows us the sad state of our society and how much we as humans have decayed.
In the end i'd say that i enjoyed reading Sweet Murder by Tanvi Athavale. Although it turn out to be way different than what i was expecting from the title but i liked how it turned out. I like reading stories which can make you chuckle and this one did make me one or two times. I would like to read other longer humourous works by the author. If you haven't read it, then do give it a try.
Question of the day:
Do you like black comedy? Which are your favorite black comedies?
‘This post is a part of Blogchatter Half Marathon’
