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Mayadevi's London Yatra : New and Selected Stories
When Mayadevi, aged 70, 75 or 80, depending on her mood, decides to go
to London, she knows it will mean a year of penance to wash away the sins of
crossing the ocean. But if her son will not come to her, Mayadevi must go to
her son.
In ‘Fish Curry Memories’, Leela spends her nights cooking curries on order,
so that she can buy a ticket back from London to Delhi, and escape the life of
unpaid maidservant to her nephew and his wife.
In between these two stories, are other journeys, ghosts, and a murder or
two. Anadi crosses the river from Bishtupur to cities far away, only to find that
it takes a chance meeting with a bedraggled stranger to transport him back
home. Roopbala makes a pilgrimage to Badrinath to atone for a crime she had
committed years ago—or had she? Soni in ‘A Murder in the Wedding Season’
is faced with a dilemma—is Banno Bua victim or criminal? Just as the reader
must ponder whether it is Pinky and her brother in ‘Child-thief’ who should
be punished, or the people from whom they steal.
Spanning a period of 30 years, from ‘Rites of Passage’, written in 1992, to
new stories published here for the first time, this collection showcases the
finest stories by a writer famed and loved for her gentle humour, lightness of
touch and compassionate understanding of the human heart.
to London, she knows it will mean a year of penance to wash away the sins of
crossing the ocean. But if her son will not come to her, Mayadevi must go to
her son.
In ‘Fish Curry Memories’, Leela spends her nights cooking curries on order,
so that she can buy a ticket back from London to Delhi, and escape the life of
unpaid maidservant to her nephew and his wife.
In between these two stories, are other journeys, ghosts, and a murder or
two. Anadi crosses the river from Bishtupur to cities far away, only to find that
it takes a chance meeting with a bedraggled stranger to transport him back
home. Roopbala makes a pilgrimage to Badrinath to atone for a crime she had
committed years ago—or had she? Soni in ‘A Murder in the Wedding Season’
is faced with a dilemma—is Banno Bua victim or criminal? Just as the reader
must ponder whether it is Pinky and her brother in ‘Child-thief’ who should
be punished, or the people from whom they steal.
Spanning a period of 30 years, from ‘Rites of Passage’, written in 1992, to
new stories published here for the first time, this collection showcases the
finest stories by a writer famed and loved for her gentle humour, lightness of
touch and compassionate understanding of the human heart.
- GenresShort Stories
220 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 20, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
April 14, 2024
Rating 4.25*
Review -
Mayadevi’s London Yatra - New and Selected Stories by Bulbul Sharma are simple stories, there is nothing earth shattering about them, no open ends or metaphors that need brainstorming or analysis, definitely no punch in the gut. And yet, you want to savour them slowly. These stories linger on for sometime in your head, if not for the plot, definitely for its memorable characters, especially the strong and resilient women. The burden of societal expectations and traditions/beliefs weighs upon them but they devise different ways to wriggle out of the many problems that beset them. A wistful longing for a bygone time also is evident in many stories here.
An easy camaraderie among women in these stories is heartwarming. In ‘Fish Curry Memories’ Leela is invited to London by her nephew to pay his family a visit. Soon, she realizes she has been trapped into working for free as a maid cum cook for the family. She manages to return to India with the help of Mira, a woman she befriends in London. In ‘Mayadevi's London Yatra’, strong-headed 70+yrs old Mayadevi makes a trip to London to meet her son who hasn't visited India for years because he is afraid of flying long distances. Considering anything remotely foreign as impure, she eventually warms up to her English daughter-in-law & says ‘When I die, you come to Calcutta for my funeral. Let my fool of a son be. You come’. Women traveling in a group on a pilgrimage to Badrinath develop a beautiful bond in ‘Trials of a Tall Aunt’.
Food plays a pivotal role here - be it Leela atoning for her leaving London without informing her nephew and his wife by preparing a pot full of flavourful mustard fish curry; a platter of puri-sabji & kheer enticing our taste buds in ‘Food to Die For’ that ends with a recipe for Phool Makhana & Paneer curry or jaggery & coconut sweets as a medium of expressing love in ‘Hiding Away’. ‘In Possession’ sees a newlywed woman hellbent on cooking for her husband, locked in a tussle with the old, faithful family cook.
Travel too features here - either a journey to a faraway place or a journey within - a realization. In ‘Anadi’s Journey’, Anadi who cannot wait to leave his village as a child, resides in Calcutta, London, Freiburg in Germany, Bhilai, Giridih in India over years owing to his education & work only to yearn for anything related to his village, his home. Traveling in a train pulled by a steam engine comes alive in words in ‘To Shimla in Tonga’.
While food is a main thread connecting most stories in the first half, an element of suspense lurks around in the latter half with little twists popping up every now and then. While ‘Murder in Wedding Season’ has a woman avenging the wrong done to her through a well-planned murder, ‘A Revenge in Thread’, an expression of a mother's loss & deep angst shows her extracting a silent revenge without violence or bloodshed. ‘Roses for my Love’,‘The Invisible Child’ and ‘Radha and N Dead’ toy around with the supernatural.
Written with flair, these easily readable stories give us suppressed giggles/content smiles even as they leave a little afterthought. A beautiful collection!!
Review -
Mayadevi’s London Yatra - New and Selected Stories by Bulbul Sharma are simple stories, there is nothing earth shattering about them, no open ends or metaphors that need brainstorming or analysis, definitely no punch in the gut. And yet, you want to savour them slowly. These stories linger on for sometime in your head, if not for the plot, definitely for its memorable characters, especially the strong and resilient women. The burden of societal expectations and traditions/beliefs weighs upon them but they devise different ways to wriggle out of the many problems that beset them. A wistful longing for a bygone time also is evident in many stories here.
An easy camaraderie among women in these stories is heartwarming. In ‘Fish Curry Memories’ Leela is invited to London by her nephew to pay his family a visit. Soon, she realizes she has been trapped into working for free as a maid cum cook for the family. She manages to return to India with the help of Mira, a woman she befriends in London. In ‘Mayadevi's London Yatra’, strong-headed 70+yrs old Mayadevi makes a trip to London to meet her son who hasn't visited India for years because he is afraid of flying long distances. Considering anything remotely foreign as impure, she eventually warms up to her English daughter-in-law & says ‘When I die, you come to Calcutta for my funeral. Let my fool of a son be. You come’. Women traveling in a group on a pilgrimage to Badrinath develop a beautiful bond in ‘Trials of a Tall Aunt’.
Food plays a pivotal role here - be it Leela atoning for her leaving London without informing her nephew and his wife by preparing a pot full of flavourful mustard fish curry; a platter of puri-sabji & kheer enticing our taste buds in ‘Food to Die For’ that ends with a recipe for Phool Makhana & Paneer curry or jaggery & coconut sweets as a medium of expressing love in ‘Hiding Away’. ‘In Possession’ sees a newlywed woman hellbent on cooking for her husband, locked in a tussle with the old, faithful family cook.
Travel too features here - either a journey to a faraway place or a journey within - a realization. In ‘Anadi’s Journey’, Anadi who cannot wait to leave his village as a child, resides in Calcutta, London, Freiburg in Germany, Bhilai, Giridih in India over years owing to his education & work only to yearn for anything related to his village, his home. Traveling in a train pulled by a steam engine comes alive in words in ‘To Shimla in Tonga’.
While food is a main thread connecting most stories in the first half, an element of suspense lurks around in the latter half with little twists popping up every now and then. While ‘Murder in Wedding Season’ has a woman avenging the wrong done to her through a well-planned murder, ‘A Revenge in Thread’, an expression of a mother's loss & deep angst shows her extracting a silent revenge without violence or bloodshed. ‘Roses for my Love’,‘The Invisible Child’ and ‘Radha and N Dead’ toy around with the supernatural.
Written with flair, these easily readable stories give us suppressed giggles/content smiles even as they leave a little afterthought. A beautiful collection!!
February 26, 2024
'Mayadevi's London Yatra' presents 19 captivating short stories delving into human relationships and experiences. The titular tale follows Mayadevi, an elderly woman embarking on her first journey from Calcutta to London. Each story offers a unique window into diverse characters facing challenges. 'Fish Curry Memories' explores loneliness through Leela's journey in a foreign land, while 'Trials of a Tall Aunt' reveals societal pressures on Roopbala due to her height. 'Friends Forever' depicts unity amidst partition. Sharma's evocative storytelling weaves superstitions and cultural traditions offering profound insights into Indian life and the human condition.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews