Ladies Coupe by Anita Nair

Trying to read this book some years back, but not being able to and having put this aside; for some reason was tempted to read this in full this Christmas season.

Well though not highly recommended; better than the three trending Engineering+MBA trending authors.

Something that I perceived, which I had not before were -

1) Though it speak of 5 ladies; it actually had stories of 10+ ladies and their (Anita Nair's) perceptions.
2) The train knew where it was headed. The train would stay awake while the passengers slept. The passengers need not tell the train what to do. (This resembeles life - we need to make choices; which there are in plenty - decision making matters; and when we feel we are not on the right track - change)
3) There are 5 elements that constitute life : and one can classify oneself into each of them - Like Margaret considered herself to be water.


The five ladies sharing Ladies Coupe were the old and experienced Janaki, Rich Prabha Devi, Margaret (Maragatham) the Chemistery Teacher, the young Sheela, poor (sister to the real thing) Marikolanthu, and the Central Character Akhilandeshwari or Akhila who sets out on a journey to Kanyakumari at the age of 45, single an income-tax clerk, who had to step into her fathers shoes, when he passed away; and was never allowed to live outside her roles as a daughter, sister, aunt a provider. She wonders: Can a woman stay single and be happy, or does a woman need a man to feel complete?

How does one know if one loves, hates or is merely indifferent to a man? How does one measure what one feels? Love is a colourless, volatile liquid. Love ignites and burns. Love leaves no residue - neither smoke nor ash. Love is a poison masquerading as the spirit of wine. Love beckons with a rare bouquet. Love demands your drink of it. And then love burns the tongue, the senses. Love blinds. Love maddens. Love separates reason from thought. Love kills. Those who can't have love have to settle for need. What is love if not a need disguised?

Do every womam desire for the meeting of the sperm and egg which are parts of the potential human life and create zygote the biological human life?

Once you stop worrying what the world will think of you, your life will become that much easier to live. You have to look out for yourself. No one else will.

Also the other women in the story are Akhila's mother - who married her Uncle, and was so much in love with him, that Akhil felt, if the couple are very much in love through out their life, their children would need to live the life of an orphan? Sarasa Mamai - when the head of the family dies, the family dies with him - will any mother want to go through what Sarasa Mamai had to? Karpagam - Akhila's friend - who made her dream and think of change. Sujatha Akka; Ladies K & L.

Well there are men as well - and I wonder if the cover page is Akhila waiting for Hair or is it the Ladies Coupe? Though had taken the book the second time to know the ending - it leave with a question mark.

Who made Akhila realise - Happiness is being allowed to choose one's own life, to live it the way one wants. Happiness is knowing one is loved and having someone to love. Happiness is being able to hope for tomorrow.

Women are not weak. Women are strong. Women can do everything as well as men. Women can do much more. But a woman has to seek that vein of strength in herself. It does not show itself naturally.

Akhila is Akhilandeswari decimated into ten entities:

Kali - Ready to destroy all that comes between her and the flow of time.

Tara - With the golden embryo from which a new universe will evolve. She will be her own void and infinity.

Sodasi - Fullness at sixteen. Nurturing dreams and hopes. Even now at 45.

Bhuvaneshwari - The forces of the material world surge within her.

Bhairavi - Seeking to find ways and means to fulfil her desires before all is null and void.

Chinnamasta - The naked one continuing the state of self - sustenance in the created world; making possible destruction and renewal in a cyclic order.

Dhumathi - Misfortune personified. An old hag riding an ass with a broom in one hand and a crow on her banner.

Bagala - The crane-headed one, the ugly side of all living creatures. Jealousy, hatred, curelty, she is all this and more.

Matangi - Seking to dominate.

Kamala - Pure consciousness of the self, bestowing boons and allaying fears...

Together and seperate this is Akhila.