Novel the Golden Tree has stories of five
different women characters-all associated with an old profession of
the
world-prostitution.
The area where all these characters used to
run their shop is located in one of the Kolkota oldest and busiest area, known
as the Golden tree. Unlike any other Indian suburban market the morning of this
area doesn’t start earlier but with big yawning, stretching and twisting into
late hours of the day, with cleaning and washing the garbage of night-the empty
cheap
liquor bottles, cigarette butts, spats of Paan on the walls and all over
the floor and used pieces of condoms. Every nook and corner of the shop has to
be cleaned and should look fresh before the start of business hour.
The character number one is 72 year old
woman Rani-a former prostitute. It’s said that when this Rani was young she was
rated as the most beautiful and talented item of this red light area and had
lots of rich and royal clients visiting her. But now she’s become old and
fragile and considered as garbage! Every morning she comes out from her dingy
room and gets settled down at the front of shop and stay there till the evening,
abusing and cursing everyone. Around evening hours when business of the market
starts picking up two big burly goons lift her up and used to dump her back in
backyard room. This is not an unusual ritual but a necessary routine as her
presence could disturb the trading in which only young skins and fresh sells.
And while those two goons lift her up forcefully and take her to dump, she
doesn’t protest with body but spells out endless abuses for them and all.
Interestingly due to her weak vision, she couldn’t distinguish the difference
between her great grandson-Roshan and a street dog called Moti-often calling
dog as Roshan and shooing away Roshan as dog in utter confusion.
The second character of this novel is Tara. Who’s different problem. She’s getting old and out dated and fast
losing her ability to woo her clients. In fact, her old and traditional tricks
of seduction are proving flops before young generation of skins. Meanwhile
during these struggling periods she met with a young school boy. A rich family
guy who wanted to seek her service because Tara’s face and
body structure resemble with one of his school teacher! The aged and almost
outdated Tara has no problem at all as she was getting
her much needed money for that act and resemblance. The
economic condition of Tara home was going on upward trend until the boy keep coming to her shop.
But the day the boy stopped visiting her due to a misunderstanding Tara went into deep depression and had to commit suicide out of
frustration!
The third character of this novel is Maya-a
young breed but she’s a different kind of problem. She’s a doubt that she’s AIDS.
Out of fear and shyness she doesn’t consult or confirm her disease but instead
she tries to ward of her disease and fear of death by reading religious book
and prayers. And one day she died not due to that dreaded disease but simple
heart failure! There is yet another character-Sona who loves a criminal and
wanted to elope with him and settled her life. But unfortunately she couldn’t
do so as she got killed in a police encounter along with her man! Although
there are several twist and turns and tales in this novel but these four stories
are base on which this entire novel plot has been woven around and make it
interesting to read.
* http://writingcampus.com/referral/777269d8