There are times when you’re at a library or a bookstore when, on a whim, you pick up a book by a writer you haven’t heard of. Sometimes it’s the name of the writer that attracts you, sometimes it’s the title of the book, other times it’s the exotic location the book is set in or maybe it is the cover design. But more often than not, it’s the blurb that draws you in. These books can either turn out to be gems, or they can disappoint, but the thrill of picking up a book by an unknown author remains unsurpassed.
I recently chanced upon a book by Kannada writer Vivek Shanbhag called Ghachar Ghochar . While the writer wasn’t unknown to me, I still hadn’t read any of his books. It was the title that drew me to the book. At first, I mistakenly thought that the words in the title actually meant something in Kannada. It was only after reading the book that I realised they were just nonsensical words which can be viewed as a metaphor of how inextricably messy ‘normal’ life can be.
The cover design was interesting too – a plate in bone china with a large coffee stain and a few ants converging on it. The writer was also compared to Chekhov and RK Narayan on the back cover of the book – high praise indeed.
The plot
Ghachar Ghochar is a beguilingly simple story of a middle class family in Bengaluru whose fortunes are transformed almost magically overnight, and the repercussions of this on each member of the family. The protagonist (who remains unnamed throughout the book) lives with his wife, parents, a sister who is estranged from her husband and his uncle (his father’s younger brother or Chikappa ). After spending an economically trying childhood on the father’s meagre income from being a salesman, the protagonist finds his family’s fortunes transforming overnight, thanks largely to the uncle’s successful business venture which had been partly funded by the father’s severance package.
But the family, not surprisingly, seems to be struggling to cope with its new found wealth as it brings with a host of unseen problems. Much like a political party, the family too sees new alliances being formed and old ones breaking down. In this case, the uncle becomes the most powerful person in the family being the sole earning member. The protagonist, his mother, and wife are acutely aware of this and do everything possible to keep Chikappa happy. The father retreats into a shell as he finds his brother’s business dealings too murky for comfort, despite being a partner in it. The protagonist works for his uncle’s business and has little to do there, but seems to be perfectly happy with the situation, especially with the sizeable monthly allowance he gets.
The protagonist’s wife, on the other hand, is not happy with the situation, as she is not a docile person who gives in meekly to the family’s rhythms. She is a feisty, independent woman who never hesitates to speak her mind, causing further turmoil within the family. It is her seemingly casual remarks that threaten to tear apart the fragile fabric of the family.
Though the protagonist can understand his wife’s frustrations and even sympathise with them, he is unable to defy the power structure of the family as he knows he has much to lose by doing so. His only refuge from the turbulence at home is the coffee shop where he spends substantial amounts of time chatting with an almost oracular waiter.
To top it all, the protagonist, his mother and sister also live in the constant dread that the father, on a whim, might end up giving away his substantial wealth to charity!
As the protagonist says, “It’s true what they say – it’s not we who control money, it’s the money that controls us. When there is only little, it behaves meekly; when it grows it becomes brash and has a way with us.”
Poignant tale
Ghachar Ghochar is a poignant tale of how inextricably complicated ordinary lives can be. The author has deep empathy with every character of the book as there are no easily identifiable heroes or villains in this story.
Srinath Perur’s translation is superb in bringing out all the nuances and cadences of the story. This book is a true gem.