Page 113 - DENG503_INDIAN_WRITINGS_IN_LITERATURE

Unit 13: Rupa Bajwa: Sari Shop—Psychological Study

uncomplicated home-shop-home life, until one trip outside this routine, changes his outlook. Thus Notes
begins a journey - a search for a meaningful existence, which brings with it an empathy for others.
Juxtaposed with him, is another character, who hasn’t had a great childhood herself, and manages
to fall deeper into the morass of her life, when she tries to rebel against the unfairness of it all.
Their meeting brings about the next turning point in the story. Throughout the story there are
several instances that show the superficiality of the people around him, especially the upper
classes, and their innate selfishness. The climax has been treated extremely well - closing the door
to the larger world. Tragic, but realistic. And it is perhaps that streak of realism that runs through
the book, that forces the reader to feel for the characters, and their pain. Meanwhile, I think the
author has managed to be a part of the novel too, literally, through the character of Rina Kapoor.
A very good read, especially if you’re into Indian fiction. This is a poignant story of real life India
and real life Indian people. It was completely believable. The protagonist, an earnest & simple
sari-walla named Ramachand, works hard everyday, studies English on his own, lives a clean and
modest life dictated by his beliefs in right and wrong, accepting the simple truths of his life and
history.... the circumstances of his birth and sudden orphan status, the fact that his schooling
abruptly ended with his parents’ death, the loss of his inheritance through unscrupulous relatives,
the limitations which became his reality by virtue of circumstances. Then his whole belief system
is upended by an encounter with a colleague’s wife and the reality of her brutal and bitter existence.
I felt the story was incredibly realistic, a story about the real India, not the India we see through
the eyes of Indian immigrants to the West, or those educated in the West or with western values.
No, this was an India I have not read about before. It was very eye-opening and tender and sad.
When it comes to contemporary fiction, I seek out the uncelebrated little novels more often than
the awards shortlisters. This is one such book. It’s the story of Ramchand, who is bestowed with
a thrilling opportunity to experience the world outside his employer’s sari shop. Rupa Bajwa has
yet to publish a second novel, but I’ll be ready to read it when she does Ms. Bajwa’s debut novel
is a poignant tale to say the least. She has a compelling ability to write about and portray daily life
in her hometown of Amritsar, India. She caputures the culture and transfers it into words that
make you feel YOU are THERE, in Amritsar. I could hear the sounds, see the sights, smell the
smells and listen to the people. I will be looking forward to future novels by this author.
From back cover: ”When Ramchand is sent to a new part of the city to show wares to a wealthy
family preparing for their daughter’s wedding, he is jolted out of the rhythm of his narrow daily
life. His glimpse into a different world gives him an urgent sense of possibility. He begins to see
himself, his life, and his future more clearly. And so he attempts to recapture the hope that his
childhood had promised, arming himself with two battered English grammar books, a fresh pair
of socks, and a bar of Lifebuoy soap. But soon these efforts turn his life upside down, bringing him
face to face with the cruelties on which his very existence depends.” Ramchand is a quiet, slightly
withdrawn clerk at the Sevak Sari House, the most elite sari shop in the small city of Amritsar.
Slowly sinking into apathy because of the drudgery of his day to day existence, Ramchand is
startled back into life when he is chosen to deliver saris to the soon-to-be-married daughter of the
most powerful family in town. Drawn to the elegance of Rina Kapoor’s life, he vows to better
himself to improve his lot in life. Using his valuable savings to purchase used books, Ramchand
teaches himself to read English. In the midst of his self-improvement project, Ramchand is sent on
another errand, a journey which takes him to the depths of Amritsar society. Dispatched to find an
absent coworker, Ramchand learns more than he ever wanted about the tragedy of his colleague’s
home life. The more he learns about the crazy drunken wife of his coworker, the more disaffected
Ramchand becomes with his life and the inequalities of Indian society. This book is a well-drawn
picture of the extremes of Indian society. A quick read, The Sari Shop nevertheless provokes
deeper reflection on the ties that bind us all to the life we know. In an interview at the end of the

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