They never disappoint. In fact they tend to mature with the age of the reader
They never disappoint. In fact they tend to mature with the age of the reader
“Oh, east is east and west is west and the two will never meet…” by Rudyard Kipling ballad of east and west (1889) I was well acquainted since childhood. I didn’t know then that in 1890, Kipling had reconciled the two in a short story, without the benefit of the clergy, i got a chance to read it treasure trove of short stories In 1962 or so.
The story struck me as awkward and clumsy, with quirky dialogue and characters, yet impressive in some ways that I couldn’t fully understand or relate to. There was something raw and endearing about it all at once, especially about its central character, Amira, yet something artificial about it too!
Now nearing 94, I had a chance to re-read the story a few weeks ago. Much to my surprise, the story went dazzling. It made me embrace the reader as a work of art as it were.
It is the story of a British army officer, Holden, somewhere in northern India, apparently well versed in Hindustani, who secretly buys a Muslim girl from her poor mother for a bride price and gives her her. Keeps it safe in an old rented house with mother. Watched by the public and guarded by the watchman. Holden secretly visits his “queen” in his “fort”, entertains her and slowly gains her confidence.
Over time, the illiterate girl comes to avenge Holden’s love and treats him as her “husband”, eventually producing him a child, a boy. It changes the landscape somewhat but also binds the couple. Their love is delightful. Holden is thrilled.
The nest of secret love doesn’t last. At first, the little prince dies of a seasonal illness and soon the queen gets cholera. Holden is devastated. He wants to keep the house a little longer, but his landlord, Durga Das, has other thoughts: “What’s the need to keep the nest when the birds are gone?” He says. “I’ll pull it down…”
Kipling had earned my respect, knowing India from within, including its castes, temples, many deities, works. I especially love his stories Miracle of Purana Bhagat, lispeth, Gods Finance, His later stories – after he left India – had equally fascinated me. For example, Gardner, The Wish House, Mary Postgate,
Great short stories – sorry, the kind of stories I love – they’re getting rarer and rarer, which is why I keep returning to old favorites like Tolstoy, Chekhov, Turgenev, Maupassant… Don’t get disappointed. In fact they, like Kipling, seem to mature with the reader’s age!
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