It is very rare to come across works of literature that don’t try to mimic a woman’s mind or try to be pretentious. For the first time, I have read a story written by a woman, exactly penning down the overthinking angst of her mind. It is simplistic and exists just as it is!
“Yahi Sach Hai” by Mannu Bhandari might just be a Hindi short story from 1966, but it resonates even today. When I first finished reading this story, I wondered whether it was written by a “Gen Z” for a “Gen Z” audience. A story so relatable from another era is rarely strikes a chord!
You can find the short story here.
Mannu Bhandari:
The more I read works of Mannu Bhandari, the more I am in awe of her mind and her brilliant writing skill. She understood human psychology to the T and wasn’t afraid of describing it aptly. If you are interested in learning more about her, do check out my post on Aapka Bunty.
Plot:
Deepa a 22 year old PhD student of Kanpur was in a relationship with Sanjay, a corporate employee. While her days revolved around her thesis, her evenings always involved a date with Sanjay who is perpetually late. Although his tardiness irked her, she didn’t communicate her angst with Sanjay. One fine day, through a letter from her friend Ira, Deepa received a job interview at the University of Calcutta.
While sharing her nervousness for the interview with Sanjay, she also mentioned her fright of visiting Kolkata as it was a completely new city to her, with almost no friends other than Ira. Just to annoy her, Sanjay reminded her that Nishith, her ex boyfriend, too lives in the same city. The very mention of his name, floods her with memories of the past, her innocent and naïve teenage and a broken dream of “forever” with Nishith. She then goes to Kolkata and attends the interview while rekindling her acquaintance with her ex, Nishith. Whether she chose her past or moved on with the times is for you to discover after reading this story.
Themes:
Reality versus Imagination:
Most of the story is an internal soliloquy of Deepa. It is never truly revealed what went wrong in Deepa and Nishith’s relationship. All we know as readers is that she holds him accountable for the failure of a “La La Land” that could have existed.
When she thinks that she has rekindled an old flame, she imagines an entire scenario of a life with Nishith and the excuse she would give Sanjay. There is also a constant comparison of the two men and the different lives she would have had with them. The story depicts the confusion of a chaotic mind very beautifully and ends with the protagonist gaining clarity and coming to a conclusion. This brings her rich imagination to stark reality.
Internal Conflict:
Deepa is mostly caught in an internal conflict with a decision to choose between two men, although no such decision needs to be made. In her mind, she assumes that Nishith has approached her with an offer to rekindle their lost relationship. While in the car, walking or even before sleeping, Deepa makes a mental comparison between the two men in her mind constantly. When she finally makes her decision on Sanjay, he doesn’t understand what the issue was or why she was even crying while embracing him.
The story depicts the struggle of an overthinking mind realistically.
Love:
A question which continuously arises in the story is whether Deepa should choose the first love which was a passionate affair or if she should settle for stability. This is the dilemma that the protagonist undergoes until she comes to a decision.
Rajnigandha Flowers(Tuberose):
The flowers symbolise the tangible pull to the Earth that keeps the protagonist connected to reality. On mentioning once that she loved Rajnigandha flowers, Sanjay brings them every time he sees Deepa. The smell and sight of the flowers keep reminding her of him.
Character Sketch:
Deepa:
The protagonist of this Hindi short story is a 22 year old PhD student of Kanpur. She was originally from Patna and lived with her brother and sister in law after the demise of her father. She was in a relationship with Sanjay but the arrival of her ex in her life changed the clarity of her mind to stagnant, muddy waters.
Sanjay:
A stable corporate employee is everything but punctual. He supports her career and encourages her to visit Kolkata for a better job although he knew of Nishith’s presence in that city. He is associated with the rooted reality of Rajnigandha flowers that he never fails to bring. He anchors her to reality, brings in a feeling of emotional security, provides stability and respects her for the human being she is. He doesn’t judge her about her past and is more interested in building a stable present and future with her.
Nishith:
The ex boyfriend of Deepa, makes a sudden and unexpected appearance in Kolkata in a coffee shop where Deepa and Ira were having lunch. He does everything in his power to get her the teaching job in Kolkata. There is no reason stated as to why he did this. According to Deepa, it was due to the fact that he still loved her. It could also have been that he felt guilty for leaving her the first time but one never gets to know. Towards the end of the story, a clear conclusion of Nishith is made which shows his intentions, lack of commitment, hot and cold behavior and indecisiveness.
In the end, the story isn’t a fairy tale. It is a conscious decision made by Deepa to choose peace of mind and stability over constant chaos and guessing games.
Rajnigandha the movie
The story is indeed a very engaging read. Rajnigandha, a Hindi movie based on this story was made by Basu Chatterjee, starring Amol Palekar, Vidya Sinha and Dinesh Thakur, in 1974. The movie has changed a few things here and there but the crux of the story remains the same.
For the movie aficionados, the songs seem to fit perfectly with the mood of the protagonist. Composed by Salil Chowdhury and written by Yogesh the story is actually woven within the lyrics of the songs. Rajnigandha Phool Tumhare by Lata Mangeshkar depicts the growth of Deepa and Sanjay’s bond with the Rajnigandha flowers while Kai Baar Yun Bhi Dekha Hai sung by Mukesh sums up Deepa’s wavering mind masterfully.
At the end, Mannu Bhandari’s tale Yahi Sach Hai, emphasises that maybe clarity doesn’t come from love itself, but from the courage to see it as it is.
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