A kaleidoscopic collection of stories by an outsider
Storytelling is not easy, especially when a few words portray a character with depth and just enough strokes to etch the social milieu for certain classes and creeds and the outcomes of political ideologies in post-independent Bangladesh. A copy of Modhu was handed over to me by the author, who happens to be my brother-in-law. It took me a few hours to enjoy the slim volume of less than 100 pages. I seldom read Bangla books, and I was glad it kept me hooked. It strings together a series of short accounts by Modhu to the author. While it offers glimpses into the author's social and economic class, it sits squarely on the shoulders of the central character, Modhu, who belongs to the minority Hindu community. Each story takes the reader into the lives of various relatable characters. However, the backdrop remains the same, always reminding us of the brunt of classism that minority community members have to bear in every society.
The first-person conversational style of the stories made it immediately endearing to me because it felt as if I was witnessing the unfolding of the life events of the wealthy Begum Aziz, Abrar Shaheb with a past, or Khokon with his shirt—and his family—tainted by the stain of an innocent bowl of black plums.
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The author and the readers are sitting very much on the same side of the table, as Modhu shares chunks and snippets of these characters. In the process, he recounts his own life story. Each story deals with a different set of characters, but through them all, the author reveals various sides of Modhu like peeling the layers of an onion, slowly revealing what lies at the core. His character is gradually unraveled from a slightly timid person until we see his bold, principled, intelligent, responsible, emotional, and enlightened sides. His characterisation and the plot of each storyline are juxtaposed perfectly so that the reader doesn't lose interest in either. On the contrary, all the plots pique our interest to a crescendo and then leave the rest to our imagination and interpretation.
Besides the characters and plots being immensely relatable, Mujtaba uses Modhu to throw light on the vulnerabilities and insecurities of the less privileged class. The smatterings of wit enhance the storytelling and keep things simple and entertaining, although there are deeper meanings to be gleaned for the astute reader. Another literary device the author has used cleverly is continuing the plot of a previous story into the next one, as well as referring to characters we met before. The reader's interest runs in parallel lines until they reach the vanishing point. Detailed descriptions of characters and their thoughts and actions uncover the deepest human psychology and also share a glimpse into the backstory of every person, with enough bait to help the reader put two and two together.
Modhu is a sensitive and sensible person. Despite being a barber by generational profession, he is educated and enlightened with strong political ideologies and a keen sense of art appreciation. The last quality comes out beautifully in the story titled "Chobi", my favourite. The power of observation and in-depth analysis emanates like a glowing lamp from Modhu, spreading a soft light all around, and reaching the murky shadows behind which hide lives and loves. This is the second-last account in the series and rounds up the attitudes, self-images, and feelings of those shackled by the caste system. Modhu and his likes are always on the move, rarely getting an opportunity to settle down anywhere. Their linear trajectory is aptly titled "Ora Jabey Onek Dur" in the concluding section of the book.
Zertab Quaderi is living her dream life: reading books, dabbling in art, spending me-time, and guzzling coffee.
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