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SOCIETY

And as I went through several other life of Yasodhara. I began to understand not just her pain,
recently released volumes on our As the author Vanessa R Sasson de- but the pain that is life’s complexity.
historical past and the personalities tailed during the course of an interview The pain of the story does not belong
that came along, the role of the spouse — “The pain is indeed immense. I felt exclusively to her. Everyone suffered
was held high. To quote from the latest her pain and sometimes felt as though — the kingdom, the king, the horse
book on Mughal Emperor Jahangir – I was getting lost in it. I had a very dif- Kanthaka, the chariot driver,
‘An Intimate Portrait of a Great Mughal ficult time relating to the Buddha for a the ministers. His decision to leave
Jahangir’(Juggernaut) author Parvati while as a result. I could not understand home broke everyone’s heart. And
Sharma writes- “Nurjahan’s influence, his behavior, his selfishness. But with because of that, I had to imagine that
then, is irrefutable. Its causes are less time, that passed. it also broke his. It was the only way
clear. Is it possible that Jahangir lost I could come to terms with the story.
his heart and his head so completely I could not relate to a Buddha who
to his wife that he gave away all the The upcoming walked away without a second glance.
power he had so long craved? Or is it I had to imagine his pain, imagine the
possible that Nurjahan had such a flair generation should torture he must have experienced as
for governance that Jahangir found it know about the role he negotiated the call he felt himself
both convenient and advantageous to pulled to follow. He had the best pos-
share his rule with her? Could it also be, played by Kasturba sible life, with the most loving compan-
perhaps, that as the emperor lost more Gandhi not just in ion. It had to have been painful for him
and more of his oldest and trusted to leave, as much as it was painful for
friends, he became increasingly reliant life of her husband her to be left behind.”
on those that remained?” but also in bigger ♦ ♦ ♦
♦ ♦ ♦ context. That way, Alas! Today, in these developed times,
And in this particular volume - Yasod- we no longer talk of the role of the
hara- A Novel About The Buddha’s Wife Kasturba Gandhi spouse in the life and times of the
(Speaking Tiger), which — A bio-fiction is who’s who!
was launched last summer, there is
focus on the emotional pain in the a must read LETTERS@TEHELKA.COM

TEHELKA / 15 FEBRUARY 2019 61 WWW.TEHELKA.COM

60-61 Opinion Humra.indd 3 2/1/2019 8:28:53 PM