The Collector's Wife

The Collector's Wife - Mitra Phukan

I had heard neither of the book, nor the author. So, this is one of the rare books that I bought on the basis of the blurb on the cover, and which did not disappoint.

It offers a wonderful insight into the life in a small town in the north-east. Set against the backdrop of insurgency in Assam, it is a poignant portrayal of  the changes brought about by militancy, in the lives of people there.

The protagonist of the novel, Rukmini Bezobaruah, is married to the District Collector of a small town called Parbatpuri in Assam. It is easy to believe that she leads a very comfortable and content life, as part of privileged/elite section of the society. As the DC's wife, she enjoys the luxury of a big house located in a picturesque location, well staffed with servants, and an official vehicle at her disposal for any traveling she wants to do. However, in truth, she finds her life a banal monotone. Her husband is not able to spend much time with her and is becoming increasingly remote, primarily because of the demands of his job, but perhaps also because of the dullness brought about by years of matrimony. She is not yet a mother, and at times, faces contempt because of this reason, despite her elated position. Her own ambition of becoming a writer, or even of holding a regular job, have been thwarted, because of the society's expectations from her as the DC's wife. The only suitable (or perhaps, least disagreeable) work she can find, to fill her time, is as a part-time lecturer at the district college. Even here, though she is able to connect with some of her students, she is unable to interest them in poetry, or even in learning, as they become involved in the agitation. The tasks that she is expected to perform with easy grace - heading various societies, hosting community functions, visiting local club - she finds extremely boring and unsuited to her skills and her intellect. In all, she  is facing an emotional and intellectual deprivation, and has more or less resigned to it.

She is able to beat this monotony and find some cheer in her life, when she finds a friend and a source of intellectual stimulation in Manoj Mahanta, a tyre salesman who visits her town once in a while. Her loneliness and distress leads to an intimacy between the two, and she reaches the cross-roads of life, a great dilemma.

However, the grip of terror has been tightening in the meanwhile, with frequent reports of kidnappings and murders, some of them close home. And then, the great turmoil of her life terminates with horrifying and tragic end.

Usually I do not prefer to outline the story, but in this case I felt a need, to be able to describe my impressions. It left me sad, thoughtful and moved, but overall I found it a good read. I wouldn't say that the story is something new. But the narrative is threaded together well, the main asset of the book though is the author's ability to convey the "mood" - the loneliness and desperation of Rukmini, the excitement of meeting someone new and of defying conventions, the freshness of love, despair and grief in the face of terror, are all very well described, are all very real. One can readily feel and empathize with Rukmini as she moves through various phases. The end is tragic, but then, so is life.