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Urmila
Recapturing the mythical journey of love and longing in contemporary India
Inspired by the story of Lakshman’s wife from Ramayana, Urmila traces a tale of rejection and a woman’s passionate search for love, rekindling questions of devotion and desire.
The talented and passionate Urmila Karmarkar has recently married into a wealthy, politically connected family in suburban Mumbai. When Urmila’s brother-in-law is compelled to move to Dubai, her husband leaves her behind and chooses to follow him instead. Fuelled by this rejection, Urmila seeks solace in her art as she battles to keep her dreams of love and motherhood alive, waiting for her husband to return.
Pervin Saket was shortlisted for the Random House India Writers’ Bloc award in 2013. Her fiction has appeared in Breaking the Bow: Speculative Fiction inspired by the Ramayana, The Asian Writer Collection, Earthen Lamp Journal and other works. Her collection of poetry, A Tinge of Turmeric, was published in 2008.
Inspired by the story of Lakshman’s wife from Ramayana, Urmila traces a tale of rejection and a woman’s passionate search for love, rekindling questions of devotion and desire.
The talented and passionate Urmila Karmarkar has recently married into a wealthy, politically connected family in suburban Mumbai. When Urmila’s brother-in-law is compelled to move to Dubai, her husband leaves her behind and chooses to follow him instead. Fuelled by this rejection, Urmila seeks solace in her art as she battles to keep her dreams of love and motherhood alive, waiting for her husband to return.
Pervin Saket was shortlisted for the Random House India Writers’ Bloc award in 2013. Her fiction has appeared in Breaking the Bow: Speculative Fiction inspired by the Ramayana, The Asian Writer Collection, Earthen Lamp Journal and other works. Her collection of poetry, A Tinge of Turmeric, was published in 2008.
298 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 30, 2015
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117 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
February 17, 2017
Urmila is the story of a woman who is married into a well-established and connected family. Her life after marriage isn’t what women typically dream of. Wedded into a family where she has no worth and is treated unkindly, she cannot even hope for support from her husband. Giving herself completely to her art is the only way she finds some semblance of normalcy. But when her art lands her in trouble, what or who does she turn to?
I had the opportunity to do an interview with the author for my blog and as such it gave me an insight to the book even before I started reading it. For instance, Urmila, our protagonist is inspired by Lakshman’s wife of the same name. When Ram, Sita and Lakshman left for the exile, Urmila stayed back at the behest of her husband. She is the ‘Sleeping Princess’ of Ramayana, who played her part but no one ever talks about her. In this book our protagonist has somewhat a similar fate and it felt like that she represented numerous women around the world whose sacrifices and contributions go unnoticed. When Urmila’s brother-in-law moves to Dubai, her husband follows his elder brother leaving her behind. To Urmila, it felt like a betrayal as he seemed to have made his decision without sparing a thought for her. She has nothing else to do but to live and deal with unkind family members.
I am not sure whether I liked our protagonist completely. There were moments where I wished she dealt with things differently and then there were moments where I was totally aligned with her. I guess that shows the many shades that the author has used to paint her character. Besides her there are few solid characters in the storyline whose actions impact Urmila’s life; these characters have been developed well enough to not let the reader ignore them. The plot on the whole is quite simple and its climax is totally the best part of it. The tale is beautifully narrated with a dainty language that compliments both the intricacies of each character and the story telling style on the whole.
I know, everything sounds simple and average and you might feel like giving a second thought about picking this one up. But trust me, the simplicity in which everything is handled and delivered is what makes this book extraordinary. Give it a try.
I had the opportunity to do an interview with the author for my blog and as such it gave me an insight to the book even before I started reading it. For instance, Urmila, our protagonist is inspired by Lakshman’s wife of the same name. When Ram, Sita and Lakshman left for the exile, Urmila stayed back at the behest of her husband. She is the ‘Sleeping Princess’ of Ramayana, who played her part but no one ever talks about her. In this book our protagonist has somewhat a similar fate and it felt like that she represented numerous women around the world whose sacrifices and contributions go unnoticed. When Urmila’s brother-in-law moves to Dubai, her husband follows his elder brother leaving her behind. To Urmila, it felt like a betrayal as he seemed to have made his decision without sparing a thought for her. She has nothing else to do but to live and deal with unkind family members.
I am not sure whether I liked our protagonist completely. There were moments where I wished she dealt with things differently and then there were moments where I was totally aligned with her. I guess that shows the many shades that the author has used to paint her character. Besides her there are few solid characters in the storyline whose actions impact Urmila’s life; these characters have been developed well enough to not let the reader ignore them. The plot on the whole is quite simple and its climax is totally the best part of it. The tale is beautifully narrated with a dainty language that compliments both the intricacies of each character and the story telling style on the whole.
I know, everything sounds simple and average and you might feel like giving a second thought about picking this one up. But trust me, the simplicity in which everything is handled and delivered is what makes this book extraordinary. Give it a try.
November 20, 2016
I just finished this book (very literally just now - 15 min back) and I'm so utterly in love with the words and images. It's a beautifully written book and I've fallen for the protagonist, Urmila. It's like she's right here, with me, living her life around me and we end up feeling like we know her inside out. Her happiness becomes your own, her pain you can feel yourself and by the time the book ends, it's all you can do to not get up and cheer for her, jump up and punch the air and celebrate.
It has been a while since a book made me feel so. The narration was so coherent, so fluent without any impediments in spite of the switching back and forth between the present and past that I'm not able to think of anything that could have made this better. It is just so.
I loved how the characters have been developed. All of them were given due importance and they all leave their mark on us. It is almost as if we can anticipate what they will do or say before we actually read it. I loved Urmila's parents! As the story progresses and Urmila's relationships change and evolve, we're drawn along into it so effortlessly that we don't even realise our own likes and dislikes for the character shifting and changing. (The only other book where I felt this - hating characters and then loving them and then not caring about them or hating them again - was Game of Thrones.)
I enjoyed the way the author has drawn parallels with Ramayana at every step. It's done very artistically and aesthetically without being in-your-face or loud. It's so subtle that it can be interpreted in multiple ways. I loved those layers in the narrative and it's something I haven't read in a while.
OK, I need to stop gushing about this book now. I'm glad I read the blurb and just picked it up on a whim. It's so nice to be surprised like that (again, reminds me of Naomi Munaweera's Island of a thousand mirrors - such a pleasant surprise of a book).
Read!
It has been a while since a book made me feel so. The narration was so coherent, so fluent without any impediments in spite of the switching back and forth between the present and past that I'm not able to think of anything that could have made this better. It is just so.
I loved how the characters have been developed. All of them were given due importance and they all leave their mark on us. It is almost as if we can anticipate what they will do or say before we actually read it. I loved Urmila's parents! As the story progresses and Urmila's relationships change and evolve, we're drawn along into it so effortlessly that we don't even realise our own likes and dislikes for the character shifting and changing. (The only other book where I felt this - hating characters and then loving them and then not caring about them or hating them again - was Game of Thrones.)
I enjoyed the way the author has drawn parallels with Ramayana at every step. It's done very artistically and aesthetically without being in-your-face or loud. It's so subtle that it can be interpreted in multiple ways. I loved those layers in the narrative and it's something I haven't read in a while.
OK, I need to stop gushing about this book now. I'm glad I read the blurb and just picked it up on a whim. It's so nice to be surprised like that (again, reminds me of Naomi Munaweera's Island of a thousand mirrors - such a pleasant surprise of a book).
Read!
November 21, 2016
Urmila, brought up in a traditional family, learns to love her husband "in advance", etching his memories in brush strokes in her mind, but unable to recall his face when she really needs it. Her marriage is arranged to Shree, the second son of an influential business family. By a twist of circumstances, Shree's elder brother marries Urmila's "sister" Vanita the same day that Urmila's wedding was to take place. Shree is devoted to his brother Purushottam, much like Ramayan's Lakshman, and will think of nothing or no one except Puru and Vanita. He leaves Urmila with his parents and follows Puru and Vanita to Dubai. Urmi seeks solace in art. The story, narrated by Urmila, tells the story of how she copes with her husband's desertion and how she builds her life from there.
"Urmila" narrates the story of a wife who rises above herself to become an individual. Art liberates her. The narrative flits through the past and present until you're lost in time. Time, unrelenting time, is as much a character in this book as the protagonist Urmila, her parents, Vanitha, and the family she married into. The narrative is full of pathos and chokes us up with its poetic descriptions. I was overwhelmed. I cried in parts and choked up in others, even when the situation was not aligned with my principles.
The characterisation is superb - the way Urmi's parents and parents-in-law grow with her, how the situations change subtly from traditional to modern, how Urmila moves from being melancholic about the absence of a husband to discovering herself in fits and starts - it is a subtle but touching advancement, it creeps up on you slowly and surprises you. The language is poignant, and never feels repetitive despite much of the book being the pathos of an abandoned wife. The narrative can get unclear because of the changing timeline, but I think it adds to the beauty of the book. "Urmila" does not invoke The Ramayana on every page, but the myth is hidden in every passage. This is how I like my mythology - with subtle references, rather than overt retelling.
There are a few inconsistencies - such as, the tale begins with protests against one of Urmi's artworks that depict (possibly) Ram-Sita-Lakshman. For almost half of the book, you can't decide whether Urmi likes Vani or not because she criticises her as much as she claims of adoring her.
Nevertheless, this is a book I'll remember for long. Here are some lovely sentences from the book:
About Dhanushkodi: "The spot where history, legend and mythology churned together, where one half of a couple embarked on a journey to find a beloved in a foreign land. Where a bridge once possibly stood, marking a union, however brief, a hope, however lost, and a love, however doomed."
"The moment a desire dies is a sharp one. As pointed as the splutter of a mustard seed, as shrill as a whine, as heavy as a star on a clear night. I had delayed that moment for as long as I could, looking away when it threatened to burst. Its fear lurked around my dupattas and beneath my slippers, covered but heady."
"I wished for that moment to stretch on, the one moment when we stood without pretences, in full sight of the baggage we carried – the instant when we had stripped ourselves and gazed at the sorrowful nakedness of our minds. We were victims, both, and inflicted stings on each other to forget our own attachments."
"My husband not only hated scenes, he hated every little fragment that went into them – dialogue, expressions, people, repartee, issues, groups, banter, questions."
"It is ironical that I cannot bear to see the face that I sought for so many years. Perhaps what we covet and what we despise are two sides of the same coin, and I have flipped my fate."
"Urmila" narrates the story of a wife who rises above herself to become an individual. Art liberates her. The narrative flits through the past and present until you're lost in time. Time, unrelenting time, is as much a character in this book as the protagonist Urmila, her parents, Vanitha, and the family she married into. The narrative is full of pathos and chokes us up with its poetic descriptions. I was overwhelmed. I cried in parts and choked up in others, even when the situation was not aligned with my principles.
The characterisation is superb - the way Urmi's parents and parents-in-law grow with her, how the situations change subtly from traditional to modern, how Urmila moves from being melancholic about the absence of a husband to discovering herself in fits and starts - it is a subtle but touching advancement, it creeps up on you slowly and surprises you. The language is poignant, and never feels repetitive despite much of the book being the pathos of an abandoned wife. The narrative can get unclear because of the changing timeline, but I think it adds to the beauty of the book. "Urmila" does not invoke The Ramayana on every page, but the myth is hidden in every passage. This is how I like my mythology - with subtle references, rather than overt retelling.
There are a few inconsistencies - such as, the tale begins with protests against one of Urmi's artworks that depict (possibly) Ram-Sita-Lakshman. For almost half of the book, you can't decide whether Urmi likes Vani or not because she criticises her as much as she claims of adoring her.
Nevertheless, this is a book I'll remember for long. Here are some lovely sentences from the book:
About Dhanushkodi: "The spot where history, legend and mythology churned together, where one half of a couple embarked on a journey to find a beloved in a foreign land. Where a bridge once possibly stood, marking a union, however brief, a hope, however lost, and a love, however doomed."
"The moment a desire dies is a sharp one. As pointed as the splutter of a mustard seed, as shrill as a whine, as heavy as a star on a clear night. I had delayed that moment for as long as I could, looking away when it threatened to burst. Its fear lurked around my dupattas and beneath my slippers, covered but heady."
"I wished for that moment to stretch on, the one moment when we stood without pretences, in full sight of the baggage we carried – the instant when we had stripped ourselves and gazed at the sorrowful nakedness of our minds. We were victims, both, and inflicted stings on each other to forget our own attachments."
"My husband not only hated scenes, he hated every little fragment that went into them – dialogue, expressions, people, repartee, issues, groups, banter, questions."
"It is ironical that I cannot bear to see the face that I sought for so many years. Perhaps what we covet and what we despise are two sides of the same coin, and I have flipped my fate."
July 12, 2017
I know a book is going to be really good if it grips me right from the first sentence. But little did I know that I would still be in the grip of this particular book even after the last page has been turned and the story is over. So I finished this book early this morning at 1 am and I have been itching to write my thoughts on this book ever since.
Pervin Saket's Urmila has done perfect justice to the novel form as far as plot, structure, narrative, style and characters are concerned. Very rarely does a book fulfil ALL these in one book for me. Written in lyrical, insightful and refreshing prose, it's the story of Urmila, a woman of admirable strength and indomitable courage, so much that she takes on a larger than life form. She is the epitome of patience, perseverance and equanimity. Married to Shree (who I felt like slapping many times), a distant and insensitive husband, she lives on in the Karmarkar household even when her 'husband' leaves her to fend for herself and take care of his parents.
The novel is divided into seven parts; each part representing each of the seven vows of holy matrimony (Saptapadi) in a Hindu marriage ceremony. We learn, early on in the novel, that these vows are in name only; that these vows are taken unconsciously by the pea brain that Shree is and never once does he fulfil them.
I loved the book right from the start for its vivid engaging prose. Many of the sentences in the book are thought provoking too. Like...
"Perhaps the two most distrustful inventions were the clock and the calendar. Both were a sham, giving an illusion of order and uniformity, but actually dividing us from ourselves. We don’t live evenly and neatly. Each moment is distinct. One moment may stretch on , another just gallop by; one may be a distant memory and another may expand until it spreads across every experience."
While some are plain beautiful like...
“The moment a desire dies is a sharp one. As pointed as the splutter of a mustard seed, as shrill as a whine, as heavy as a star on a clear night.”
and many many more.
This book is just replete with sentences many of which are eye openers and honest to the core. Not just that, the gripping plot ( what's going to happen next?), the very strong female character, flowing narrative and the perfect ending make it for a wonderful weekend read. Very rarely does a book fulfil all these parameters for me. This is the first book of 2017 that I completed reading in four days. All because I managed these - selective deafness, household chores left undone, takeaways these past two days, plenty of threats to the husband and kids, feigning headaches and exhaustion.
One thing this book could have done with was an appendix explaining some of the Indian words like 'bhishi', 'manglik', 'saptapadi' etc. if I were to recommend this book to non-Indians, they would be at a loss as to what they mean.
All in all, this is not a must read. But a MUST MUST READ. And for me a reread because of the amazing phrases and lines. This is a loud shout to all those who love a good Indian family story and a very strong female persona. Thanks to Priya and Tejaswini for this awesome reco. And most of all thanks to Pervin Saket for this splendid book. This will be one of my top ten Indo-Anglian recos to my friends. Hoping and hoping you bring out more such beautiful works.
This book is available on Kindle Unlimited. The thing is like me, you might not want to let go of this book. So, I will be getting the paperback soon.
Pervin Saket's Urmila has done perfect justice to the novel form as far as plot, structure, narrative, style and characters are concerned. Very rarely does a book fulfil ALL these in one book for me. Written in lyrical, insightful and refreshing prose, it's the story of Urmila, a woman of admirable strength and indomitable courage, so much that she takes on a larger than life form. She is the epitome of patience, perseverance and equanimity. Married to Shree (who I felt like slapping many times), a distant and insensitive husband, she lives on in the Karmarkar household even when her 'husband' leaves her to fend for herself and take care of his parents.
The novel is divided into seven parts; each part representing each of the seven vows of holy matrimony (Saptapadi) in a Hindu marriage ceremony. We learn, early on in the novel, that these vows are in name only; that these vows are taken unconsciously by the pea brain that Shree is and never once does he fulfil them.
I loved the book right from the start for its vivid engaging prose. Many of the sentences in the book are thought provoking too. Like...
"Perhaps the two most distrustful inventions were the clock and the calendar. Both were a sham, giving an illusion of order and uniformity, but actually dividing us from ourselves. We don’t live evenly and neatly. Each moment is distinct. One moment may stretch on , another just gallop by; one may be a distant memory and another may expand until it spreads across every experience."
While some are plain beautiful like...
“The moment a desire dies is a sharp one. As pointed as the splutter of a mustard seed, as shrill as a whine, as heavy as a star on a clear night.”
and many many more.
This book is just replete with sentences many of which are eye openers and honest to the core. Not just that, the gripping plot ( what's going to happen next?), the very strong female character, flowing narrative and the perfect ending make it for a wonderful weekend read. Very rarely does a book fulfil all these parameters for me. This is the first book of 2017 that I completed reading in four days. All because I managed these - selective deafness, household chores left undone, takeaways these past two days, plenty of threats to the husband and kids, feigning headaches and exhaustion.
One thing this book could have done with was an appendix explaining some of the Indian words like 'bhishi', 'manglik', 'saptapadi' etc. if I were to recommend this book to non-Indians, they would be at a loss as to what they mean.
All in all, this is not a must read. But a MUST MUST READ. And for me a reread because of the amazing phrases and lines. This is a loud shout to all those who love a good Indian family story and a very strong female persona. Thanks to Priya and Tejaswini for this awesome reco. And most of all thanks to Pervin Saket for this splendid book. This will be one of my top ten Indo-Anglian recos to my friends. Hoping and hoping you bring out more such beautiful works.
This book is available on Kindle Unlimited. The thing is like me, you might not want to let go of this book. So, I will be getting the paperback soon.
September 24, 2020
I really liked this book. It sets Urmila, Laxman's wife from the Ramayana, in a modern day, upper class Maharashtrian family in Mumbai and explores the fourteen year abandonment thrust upon her by her husband's decision to accompany his older brother and sister in law on their exile. The writing is fluid and intimate, told entirely from Urmila"s point of view. A richer detailing and building up of the secondary characters was all I felt the book lacked. Even so, a very interesting read.
November 20, 2018
The eye-grabbing cover is what first caught my attention. And the intriguing premise of a modern-day take on the age-old legend of Urmila, wife of Lord Rama's brother Lakshman, got me to start reading what turned out to be a emotional and powerful story.
By turn heart-rending and cheer-provoking, you'll quickly find yourself deeply identifying with the female protagonist who tackles everyday challenges of epic proportions with aplomb, maturity and class.
Melodramatic twists and turns keep the story wending relentlessly towards a quite satisfying climax - before which you'll have a chance to frame your own choice of how it all ends... and then seeing what Urmi actually does. A fine debut novel, indeed.
By turn heart-rending and cheer-provoking, you'll quickly find yourself deeply identifying with the female protagonist who tackles everyday challenges of epic proportions with aplomb, maturity and class.
Melodramatic twists and turns keep the story wending relentlessly towards a quite satisfying climax - before which you'll have a chance to frame your own choice of how it all ends... and then seeing what Urmi actually does. A fine debut novel, indeed.
March 12, 2021
I found this as a free Kindle book and read some good reviews on Goodreads. It was a slow start, but kept me riveted as it progressed. It is a (re)telling of the never-mentioned agonies of Urmila, Lakshman's forgotten and forsaken wife from the Ramayana. The author casts the character of Urmila, the protagonist, on the basic frame of Urmila's desertion by her husband for his brother. Pervin Saket portrays the agony so well, that after a point it blurred even my reality. And Urmila did get her life back on her terms, which makes this story even more beautiful.
It is a beautiful, poetic book. If you haven't read it, I would suggest you take this up.
It is a beautiful, poetic book. If you haven't read it, I would suggest you take this up.
September 12, 2020
It was a good book, well written and explored complexities well. Still somehow, the end left much for me to desire. I wish the end was a bit more nuanced, it is overall a really good book though.
June 28, 2024
I picked this up in Mahila Haat, Delhi because I am fascinated by mythological retellings and seeing Urmila's name and then after reading the back of the book, I decided to buy it.
The writer Pervin Saket isn't that well known. I found her on Instagram and texted her because there was no mention of this book on her profile to confirm if it was really her. Thankfully she replied.
The book takes inspiration from the relationship of Laxman and Urmila from the Ramayana and is a story told through Urmila's lens. I really admired Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni's book "The Forest of Enchantments" written through Sita's lens. So, I was really looking forward to it.
It is set in the 2000s India, mostly Mumbai. Unlike Divakaruni's retelling, this is set in the contemporary world, which is something I hadn't come across before. It is not a story about rebirth of divine figures, just that they have similar family dynamics.
Coming to the characters, I've a hard time gauging them well. I really sympathised with Urmila's charcter because it made me realise how in Ramayana, Sita left her in-laws to live with her husband, not giving up on her sexual or love life, whereas Urmila was left behind by Laxman to take care of her in-laws. (In some Ramayanas, they left immediately after the weddings, which for me heightens the sorrow Urmila faced)
Regarding the writing, the first half, or at least two-fifth of the book was hard to read. Sentences did not blend together well, lack of flow. In the absence of dialogues, the sentences were quite jarring to read, not coming across well. This might be harsh, but it felt like a poor attempt at being Dickensian or Victorian. This could have been trimmed.
But the book really picked pace in the second half and with every page, I felt more and more for Urmila. Her strained relationship with her husband, how she was exiled into a loveless relationship, her bonding with her in-laws, it was really well done and some of the family dynamics from the Ramayana were ingenuously incorporated into the contemporary world. I can see myself rereading it again someday.
The writer Pervin Saket has not delved in the genre anymore. She writes children books now. I've a eerie feeling that a book like this, mimicking divine figures, in today's political climate would not be well-received.
PS - This is my first attempt at writing a review. Would appreciate some feedback.
The writer Pervin Saket isn't that well known. I found her on Instagram and texted her because there was no mention of this book on her profile to confirm if it was really her. Thankfully she replied.
The book takes inspiration from the relationship of Laxman and Urmila from the Ramayana and is a story told through Urmila's lens. I really admired Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni's book "The Forest of Enchantments" written through Sita's lens. So, I was really looking forward to it.
It is set in the 2000s India, mostly Mumbai. Unlike Divakaruni's retelling, this is set in the contemporary world, which is something I hadn't come across before. It is not a story about rebirth of divine figures, just that they have similar family dynamics.
Coming to the characters, I've a hard time gauging them well. I really sympathised with Urmila's charcter because it made me realise how in Ramayana, Sita left her in-laws to live with her husband, not giving up on her sexual or love life, whereas Urmila was left behind by Laxman to take care of her in-laws. (In some Ramayanas, they left immediately after the weddings, which for me heightens the sorrow Urmila faced)
Regarding the writing, the first half, or at least two-fifth of the book was hard to read. Sentences did not blend together well, lack of flow. In the absence of dialogues, the sentences were quite jarring to read, not coming across well. This might be harsh, but it felt like a poor attempt at being Dickensian or Victorian. This could have been trimmed.
But the book really picked pace in the second half and with every page, I felt more and more for Urmila. Her strained relationship with her husband, how she was exiled into a loveless relationship, her bonding with her in-laws, it was really well done and some of the family dynamics from the Ramayana were ingenuously incorporated into the contemporary world. I can see myself rereading it again someday.
The writer Pervin Saket has not delved in the genre anymore. She writes children books now. I've a eerie feeling that a book like this, mimicking divine figures, in today's political climate would not be well-received.
PS - This is my first attempt at writing a review. Would appreciate some feedback.
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