Desathile Vidhavayude Veedu

by D Shaji

588 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 1, 2017

Reviews

[Kelvin K · Rating 4 out of 5]

റൊട്ടിക്കട, വിശപ്പ്, ഒരു കൊച്ചു തൊഴിൽ, രാത്രിയിൽ തങ്ങാൻ ഒരിടം.. അങ്ങിനെ തുടങ്ങി നിലയ്ക്കാത്ത ചിന്തകൾ ... വിശപ്പ് കാലുകളെ റൊട്ടിക്കടയിലേക്കു നയിച്ചു.. റോഡ് കുറുകെ കിടക്കണം .. നിരനിരയായി വേഗത്തിൽ ഒഴുകി നീങ്ങുന്ന വാഹനങ്ങളെ എനിക്കെന്റെ കണ്ണുകളിൽ കാണാൻ കഴിയാതെ പോയി ... അലറിപ്പാഞ്ഞു വരുന്ന ഒരു ലോറി .. ആളുകളുടെ ഞെട്ടലോടെയുള്ള നിലവിളികൾ, നാല് ദിക്കിൽ നിന്നും മുഴങ്ങുമ്പോൾ.. വായിൽ ചോരയുടെ രുചി നിറഞ്ഞപോഴും.. ശരീരം ചതഞ്ഞരഞ്ഞപ്പോളും.. എൻ്റെ മനസ്സിൽ ഒരു മന്ത്രം പോലെ മുഴങ്ങുന്ന ഒരു വികാരം.. അരികിൽ 'അമ്മ ഉണ്ടായിരുന്നെങ്കിൽ ...

this is literally translated as …

a bread shop, hunger, a small job, a place to stay at night.. all these random nonstop thoughts kept coming to his mind when he opened his eyes after a tired sleep… the hunger forced his legs to move towards the bread shop. He has to cross the road to reach the shop. Hunger made his eyes not to see the fast moving vehicles on the road. There was this lorry (truck) which came roaring… He heard the scared cries and shouting by the people. Even when he could feel the taste of blood in his mouth, even when his body was crushed, he just had one prayer/mantra in his mind.. “Hope my mother was next to me… !”

One of the most tragic of all the books I have read. ദേശത്തിലെ വിധവയുടെ വീട് – Deshathile Vidhavayude Veedu (The Widows House in the Province ) by D. Shaji. The story revolves around an 8 old year boy (what’s his name? I don’t know). The 4th child in a family. He was considered as a bad omen by his family as his father passed away after his birth. His mother wanted to abort him, but his father didn’t allow. So.. he was ignored & hated by his mother even before he took his birth. And this was shown in the entire book. Mothers blind love towards her elder son who is a drunkard..he don’t work… he destroys all the food made my his mom as she told NO to his financial needs. The younger one gets nothing and others get everything. This story also gives an insight on how a widow was treated in the society, by her neighbors, villagers & even his siblings. Ignorance, hatred & sympathy are just few that she had to face.

We feel pity while reading this. The younger one saves his mother from being beaten by the elder son. Still the mothers love towards the elder son remained blind and she kept on blaming the younger for bringing the bad phase of their life.

The story ends by giving us a lump on our throat because of the imaginative thought that comes to our mind - of the kind of happiness and peace that his death might have brought to his mother & siblings.

Thanks Expressions (DC Books) self-publishing section for bringing out & supporting young new authors.