A Teacup in My Hand

im a 19 yr old guy.... not sure abt a lot of things in life...
but still can go on to say that this was as touching an article i`ve seen

Re: # 8

Everyone`s entitled to their own opinion...thank you for your feedback.

Touching as it was, the story unfolded with extreme predictability. It was as if i had come across almost all parts of it here and there before. But the flow, the diction and the writing style drew immediate admiration out of me and despite the predictability, kept me reading till the end. Keep writing!!

Re: # 9
`Age` they say, `is a matter of feeling, not of years`... Learning is a life-long process...if we keep an open mind. We learn as we go, each day at a time... enriching ourselves with exposure - evolving, growing and developing into individuals of diverse temperaments and perspectives.

Thank you for your comments. I`m glad you liked my piece.

Re: # 11
Thanks for the comment. Yes, perhaps it was a bit predictable considering the current senario of women`s lib and all...or perhaps only as predictable as life itself, at times!!! Many thanks for appreciating my style, nonetheless! :-)

Just my a comment. I disagree about critiquing the author for ``predictability``. It is the mindest of deeply entrenched gender biases and how they manifest in South Asia that is so predictable (unfortunately). I guess for some they know it so well that it becomes obvious what happens next. I think it rung true because that is how things evolved. What made the story disturbing/compelling is how even a seeimingly devoted couple and a man so in love with his wife finds it so difficult to stand up to familial/cultural pressures. the author is working with limitations of space. Yes the story and mindsets are all to familiar but the structure and form was taut and moved seemlessly from one situation to the next which is an achievement.

I remember reading Jhumpha Lahiri`s stories in ``Intrepreter of Maladies`` and just cringing at the pretentious contivances she attempted to avoid ``predicabilty``. Far more Americans were enthralled and captivated by her tales than Indians. I heard ``Namesake`` is far better.

Re: # 14

which contrivances? i.e. examples

Tahera -

I was thinking about this story yesterday and how I would like it to end (in an ideal situation). But then a lot of these short stories are the results of what our women see or hear around them.

The most interesting aspect of the story focused on Sonya`s transformation from a careless housewife to a punctual care-taker.

In a way, you are also saying that unless women are granted responsibility or have to take steps in life on their own, they do not become mature to take care of themselves.

I am not a fan of fiction, but this was a sweet story.


Hamidm -

I find it real amusing that you remember all the forgotten women magazines from yester- years. It seems that you were really into them...hiding in a corner flipping through the pages before an elder saw you... You are becoming too predictable now. You need to oil the hinges and revive the spark. It`s kind of fading :)

Author, pay no attention to mian Hamidm2`s remonstrations. He is merely jealous of your heart-felt writing skills and abilities - and he is trying very hard to remember where he misplaced his own - but having understandable difficulty on account of his senior moments!

BTW, it will be useful if you told us a bit about how you came to write this piece - for example, is it based on any real life events? also, what is the likelihood of things in real life turning out the way you describe here?

Ideally, I would have liked to see Sonya growing into a responsible individual in her relationship with her spouse than once she got out of it. It also left a bad taste about the institution of marriage. Is that institution only supposed to inculcate dependency on each other ?

I was not very happy with Sonya`s communication with her in-laws. I found that part really weird that she ended up giving in what the mother-in-law prescribed for her husband. And t after 10-years of marriage the husband had to follow his mother`s guidelines to abandon his wife on a superficial level was a little off. Why couldn`t the husband stand up (provided he had a stable spine) to preserve the sanctity of his marriage with Sonya? Is this a cultural fatoor?

Re:#15 lets see it`s been a while since I read them. What stands out is the story about the newlywed Indian yuppie couple (I think they were an arranged match) and the wife insists on showcasing a tacky bust of Christ in their living room much to her husbands annoyance but blithely dismisses any reservations he expresses. Lahiri was demonstrating the misunderstandings that can arise out of anywhere when two people who do not really know each other marry one another. Also the ? ``Sexy`` story seemed really cheesy. A Malaysian Chinese friend who is very familiar with Indian culture stated that the stories did not ring true and was not suprised to learn that Lahiri herself was born in the States. She tried hard to re-create the pathos of dislocation which she is more successful at in her novel.

Dear Readers,

I can see the story has generated quite a bit of controversy and steady comment-traffic here...well, I would like to say what a lively bunch of critics we have here!!! It is truly insightful to see one`s work through other people`s eyes...dissected and run mercilessly through the shredder!!!! Wow... a great learning experience, no less! :)

Thanks for your time. :)

I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of writing and the story.Tahera , you observe and express with the delicacy and compassion typical of a woman. This was a lovely read.
Why was the story predictable,pray? At any critical point in the story, there could have been at least 2 alternative and completely plausible routes.We also see Sonya changing her stance during the story.
There is just one small thing. You have very carefully and lovingly developed Sonya`s character.The story is almost in first person. Perhaps it would have been good if you could have given some insight into Umar`s character.
Anyhow, thanks for sharing this lovely piece.Keep writing.

Re: # 18
``Ideally, I would have liked to see Sonya growing into a responsible individual in her relationship with her spouse than once she got out of it.``
Zahra, In my opinion, the lines about punctuality which are mentioned in the end, are more to signify that Sonya cherishes her present life too, than with becoming responsible.
The germination of her responsible and independent persona would have been the day she took the decision to go for a divorce.

I really enjoyed the story. The writer created perfect imagery which is what i think good writing is all about. I felt sorry for Sonya - i should have felt inspired by her. this aspect could have been worked on.

Tahera, you should write more often

Regards,

Dee

khula and talaaq are two separate things....
even if a woman does not reserve the right for talaaq while signing the nikaak contract, she always has the right for khula....

since u seem to be not so familiar with the Islamic Shari`ah, let me tell u this, the wife can ask for khula for no reason at all, but can not ask for divorce on the basis that her husband has married another woman....

now go and do some homework to learn the difference between talaaq and khulaa....