Review #169: The Other End of the Corridor by Sujata Rajpal

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



“I am living in hell from one day to the next. But there is nothing I can do to escape. I don't know where I would go if I did. I feel utterly powerless, and that feeling is my prison. I entered of my own free will, I locked the door, and I threw away the key.” 

----Haruki Murakami

Sujata Rajpal, an Indian author, pens an unexceptionally heart-touching and gripping story called, The Other End of the Corridor that reflects light upon the effects of marital violence in an Indian society. It is the journey of one young woman and her mistakes of getting married to a good prospect.



Synopsis:

When your dreams are tainted with lies and deceit, you have no other choice but to walk to the other end of the corridor

Leela has nothing extraordinary about her except the dream to become famous. Her desires take wings when she gets married to a handsome boy from a respectable family in Delhi. But her dreams are shattered even before they have a chance to take flight.
She happens to meet two friends from a long forgotten past, which infuses hope and opens new avenues to realize her dormant aspirations.

Leela delves into previously unexplored paths of deception and forbidden passions that only make her stronger.

In an attempt to rediscover herself, she falls in love with life and with herself but her life takes a sudden turn again…
No matter what, Leela will continue to chase her dreams.

Where does this journey take her?


Leela happens to be the voice and epitome of many Indian women, who silently accepts her horrifying fate of her marital life. Just like any other girl, Leela had her dreams to achieve something bigger and leading a simple life. What was her fault? a) She was born as a girl in India, b) She was a manglik (which means inauspicious for wedding, something with astrology and stars since in India before fixing a marriage people check the groom and bride's stars alignment, if they are okay, then they are good match, and manglik people must marry a manglik only!) c) She was dark-skinned/ olive-skinned. Leela's life revolves around her husband and her in-laws after her marriage, her dreams take a side-step from her life. But her moody husband had his ways to cool down his anger, and despite of the beatings and everything, Leela kept quiet about the beatings and the torture. But a bird can't be caged forever, at some point, it'll break-free, but will Leela break-free? Will she learn to love herself first?

Rajpal voiced the sounds and cries and pain of all those Indian women who go through domestic violence every single day. This book not only teaches us how to take a stand for oneself, but it also enlightens us with the horrifying details of a happy married life from the inside. The writing is fresh and captivating with the right amount of emotions poured in the right places. The plot progresses in a fast pace, and with Leela's life, we see her evolve in her own skin. The plot is layered with intricate details of every moment, thus letting us contemplate with every situation.

The characters crafted in this book are strong, striking and are believable. Leela is a small town Indian girl with dreams of becoming a radio jockey, and being born in a middle class family, her parents had only one worry- "who will marry Leela? Will she get married to a decent guy?" instead of worrying about her education or dreams. The supporting cast brings out the vivid portrayal of any typical Indian men/women. For a first time author, I believe the book is really engrossing with a coming-of-age social trauma that has shaken up the whole nation. Although, at times, I felt, there was strong emotional shift or at times, the emotional content is not that deep enough to contemplate with the primary character's feelings.

Verdict: A must read for all Indian women!

Courtesy: I received a copy of this book, in return for an honest review.