The Bastard

Re: # 16

beej mian.


........ look, who cares why the poor woman jumped into bed - there could be a million reasons: impulse, depression, momentary insanity, a tiff with her husband, ``i am fed up with that impotent brahmin ba%4*rd``, too much adrak, a hormonal attack ............ people do stuff all the time that they can`t explain the morning after, let alone twenty-thirty years later ........ and when it comes to sex .... let`s not even talk about it - the children might be listening !

..... and what was the other thing ?........ oh, how could the woman love the child if she hated his biological father ? .......... first, pardon me for saying, ``duh ?!``........... and why not ?........ i know a lot of men and women who cannot stand the sight of their spouses but love their children ?......... ever heard a divorced person talk about their ex ?...... trust me, it is not pretty, specially after they have had a couple of drinks ...............

............ beej mian, people will always surprise you if you wait long enough - sometimes you have to wait till they die to discover who they really were ............. just wait, you are in for a rude awakening .........

Re#15, #14

Hamidm2, don’t be too sure it is a “yarn” – especially in view of the last line in this story! (If it indeed were fiction – I would not consider it a good one, as explained earlier.)

Just explain to me what you find so “good” about a woman hopping into the bed with her husband’s friend – whom she does not love and perhaps hates – to create a baby so that she will get reminded of that same person all the time. The husband comes across as a total turkey.

No, Hamidm2 – as a yarn, this stuff is pathetic! If it’s true though, it is depressingly sad!

Even that dork of a walking library of Hindvi can get that basic fact – but YOU don’t – see where that adrak has got you to?!

I am sorry if I hit any raw nerves around here with my candid statements in #13 and here.

As some people know, the janitor tells it like he sees it – the labels are for others to choose – the reality does not change.

Hamidm2, you can put aside your morbid fear of the broom and the mop – the janitor has been favorably touched by Behram’s humility and is trying to cut back on the sharp stuff – but as always, no promises regarding the future – this is just a fleeting attack of sentimentality – I’ll get over it!

before the janitor mops the floor with me .....

..... he is more qualified to be a literary critic ..........

Re: # 13

mop the floor !


the janitor should stick to providing sanitation services instead of trying to be a psychologist or an ethicist ............ there is no need to spoil a perfectly good yarn with amateur analysis .......

One needs to be a bit careful in commenting on something like this – it may be autobiographical or perhaps biographical. From the level of details, it appears to be at least partially based on true event.

However, first let me deal with it as pure fiction (note: I have ZERO literary credentials!)

From a little boy’s perspective, the events appear to be described realistically. The woman’s dislike for the person who provided her the offspring is difficult to fathom – it probably would involve some “deep” psychology well outside the range of janitorial depths – you have described her acts but not dwelt much on why that issue would not have been resolved between the married couple over the considerable length of time involved – although it is possible – but unlikely!

I also find it less than credible that a woman would hate the person who impregnated her without shifting some of that hate to the product of that act! Most women would have mixed emotions regarding the child that reminds them of somebody who took advantage of them. Period.

And it is also unclear why the husband – who from all accounts appears to be a less than dominant figure – would keep bringing back this “friend” again and again – just to get news of the city! The only explanation can be that in his mind, he is not able to claim the position of fatherhood – even though he is going through all the motions.

A lot of motions, but no emotions! Perhaps physical impotency is just one part of it!

Now, having got that out of the way let me react to this write-up as if it were a true autobiographical event.

And sorry if I sound harsh!

I am glad that you are comfortable with the situation – not that there was an element of choice, but I can not be glad that an event like that would occur! It illustrates some general weaknesses in our society but mostly some real weaklings among your family members.

Your legal dad was physically impotent. No big deal! The sad fact is he was also a coward, so instead of adopting a child – and the Lord knows how many deserving children miss out on life – he went along with the pretense of your mother going through this heinous act (sex without love) so he could go around claiming you as his product – of his loins, to live out this charade.

And I do not extend any sympathy to your mother – which some others here seem to do! In fact, your mother comes across as the perfect hypocrite! A woman who spreads her thighs willingly to a man she does not love has no claim to acting virtuous – and even less claim to act holier than thou around the person she “used” – as a sperm donor!

Having said all that – the individuals who BRING UP a child are the real parents – pure and simple – not the ones whose linkage is biology and nothing else. Therefore, it was extremely wrong of your dad to make you go through those meaningless rituals!

In the end, it matters little who you come from – only what you make of yourself – and even that effect lasts for a small time only, in the scheme of things!

Hey Nabendu,

I`ll have to agree with some people about the title spoiling the suspense. But hey- we learn right? I guess it`s a choice between making it attractive enough for a person to click on it (The Bastard certainly caught my attention), and keeping them reading once they`re in it. News papers do the former because nothing`s new, nothing`s a suspense per se.

All that being said, the story kept me thinking about your mother at work. I`m sure she made the only choice she could think of at that time. I tried puttting myself in her place- his visits sure must have been painful. But I find it hard to accept that your father was still ok with him being a family friend. Awkward awkward.

Aruna

Excellent keep going

Very nicely written!

............... very nice !

the title killed the first twenty paragraphs, and the writing style is not thing to rave about. Only two things make this a worthwhile read: the way the climax was brought out, and the detached emotions of the narrator that allowed the shame, acceptance and silence of the father to reverberate.

I feel badly sorry for your mother.. poor woman.... caught between the inhuman desires of two men...

The title is too literal gives away the story in the first para. as soon as kaku is mentioned. This piece can be improved with some suggestion & metaphor.

Title killed the suspense

LOL.. nice story.

Psychologically taut, spare, well developed characters with their own silences, a building mystery, twist revelations, several levels of conflict.

Excellent work!

disturbing. was her coldness towards bijoy out of possesiveness for the child or in order to reassure her husband?