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IN a billion strong nation, it’s important to be important. Becoming an IAS officer is a direct route to power and influence. This book is a peek into that sought-after existence, as the jacket reads, "Memsahib’s Chronicles: A Story of Grit and Glamour attempts to present the amazing world of these civil servants as it is — full of girt, glamour, tensions, temptations and privileges. "
We see the protagonist Sunaina in an introspective state of mind after spending 25 years as better half of an important man. She evaluates her life choices, fearing she has been reduced to a stereotype. Ironically, power is a word synonymous with the civil services, yet we see her desperately making efforts to take control of her life. We find her trying to reconcile the various aspects of her life and herself. Much of this is a woman rattling around in her head; there is a constant back and forth between what she wants and what she can have. There is a stark contrast between the jovial bonhomie of social situations and Sunaina’s angst-ridden thoughts. Nevertheless, her vibrant spirit shines through as she still seeks out and luxuriates in new experiences. The reader harbouring preconceived notions, expecting Sunaina to be somehow weighed down by privilege, will find a woman yearning for something more. Sunaina and Raghu’s marriage takes centre stage in the book. While she greatly respects his commitment to the welfare of the public, she resents playing second fiddle to his job, the real love of his life. We see her desperately trying to connect with him. Probed and cajoled by his wife, Raghu’s accounts of his experiences in the line of duty provide insight into the inner workings of this powerful profession. The problem is that her husband is a good man, a good provider and a hard worker but also an absentee partner and an uninvolved parent. This story will strike a chord with most people who after raising children often find themselves married to virtual strangers. There is also the scrutiny of the institution of marriage where even privileged working women cannot escape stereotypical gender roles. This is a universal equaliser, all women can relate to constantly sacrificing their desires at the altar of marriage, for a woman’s dreams are not her own only coming after her family. However, the readers who haven’t read Indian Memsahib will not know where this story began and have missed seeing the characters develop fully. We don’t really see Sunaina in her element as a teacher and a mother. Also, the reader looking for something salacious may be disappointed by the lack of juicy details and scandal. The author has demystified
the powerful elite, making the characters enviable yet relatable. The
book puts a human face to the sacrosanct, all-powerful bureaucracy both
envied and maligned in equal measures. At the end of the day, it is not
a story of careers, parties or society; it is a tale of people. The
characters eyes are the reader’s eyes. She is every woman. So, let the
writer, nay Sunaina, take you along on a journey, the grandest journey
of all — life.
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Author
Suchita Malik carries forward the tale that began in her debut novel Indian
Memsahib. The story of Sunaina, the wife of a senior civil servant,
Raghu, is set in Chandigarh. The reader is made privy to her innermost
thoughts as she takes them on a private tour of the well-guarded world
of the sahibs.