Jhumpa Lahiri is a reknowned writer. Several American journals have published her prize winning stories. The present book
is her first published collection of nine stories. She has been brought up in USA, though born of Bengali parents in London. Many of the Indian families have left Indian shores in the past and then settled abroad. Accordingly, her stories mostly talk of Indian families having cultural linkages with India, but now living in other countries, partly under their influence. They are facing confusions and problems every day, between the Indian traditions and the modern free world. In “A temporary matter”, the writer spins a story about power supply not being available for five days during 8-9 PM, for some repairs, affecting some houses. A couple Shoba and Shukumar think that with no lights, they will have to take dinner in candle light, and that too together, and also the only candles available may be used birthday candles. In the past, when Shoba was pregnant and Shukumar was away in conference, she had a premature delivery before his return, but the baby was born dead. Shoba’s mother had come from Arizona for two months, after Shoba’s return from the hospital. The couple has been living in a casual and careless manner, many times avoiding being together. He locates a wine bottle and fills glasses for both of them. In the darkness, they want to talk something to each other. Shukumar thinks of their meeting by chance in a lecture hall in Cambridge. Birthday candles were going off one by one. So next day Shukumar arranges candles. They take food together, before 8 PM. They lit the candles at that time, but they sit outside for fresh air. It is time for confessions. Shoba says that one night she had falsely stated about late night work, though she had gone out with Gillian. Also Gilllian had taken her to hospital at the time of her delivery. Then Shukumar tells her about his cheating in oriental civilization examination in college fifteen years back. They sit together till 9 PM. On other days also, it appeared to be a time for confessions. Shukumar had torn a photo of a girl and kept with him, even when Shoba was pregnant. Also he had given away his vest for a drink. Shukumar tells her about these two things. The third night after dinner when they were sitting on sofa together, they kiss each other. And on the fourth night they go upstairs for making love
desperately, which they had forgotten. In the morning, when notice comes that electric supply has been restored, he is disappointed. She says that we can still light candles. Then she tells him that she has found an apartment and signed the lease. He tells her that our baby was a boy. Then Shoba turns the lights off and both weep together for the things known now. The story “The treatment of Bibi Haldar” revolves around Bibi Haldar, who is suffering from a baffling ailment for 29 years. She falls unconscious any time and enters into convulsions. Apart from this, she has no other health problems. Various medical tests, medicines and spiritual efforts have failed to cure her. She sits in storage room and does some inventory work for her cousin’s shop. It appears that she wants a married life. After one more such serious incident and more tests in a poly clinic, Doctor concludes that only cure for her is marriage. She even starts to make advance preparations for her marriage, though she has no knowledge and experience of daily duties of women. Her cousin places an advertisement in newspapers, but no response comes even in two months. Her mother had died at her birth, her father looked after her later but then, he also died. When Haldar’s wife becomes pregnant, Bibi is treated as an outcaste. Haldar’s wife gives birth to a baby girl. Later this baby girl is sick and she is not getting cured. Haldar’s business has also been going down. Hence suddenly one day he winds up, leaves the place, leaving Rs. 300 envelope at the door of Bibi. A letter sent to her relative in Hyderabad comes back undelivered. Then she continues to live in storage room, without coming out. After some months the neighbours notice about vomiting for two consecutive days, and her lying in the cot. She is about four months pregnant. She says that she did not know as to who had done it. After the full period she delivers a son. People help her. She gets the room renovated and looks after the child. People further help her by buying from her stocks of items and also in replenishing. Investigations are made as to who did it to Bibi, but without success. But at least and at last, she is cured. There are other stories narrating about cross cultural affairs, American family looking for their ancestors in India, NRI worrying about his family back home, a nervous lady finding difficulty in learning driving which is required for her job etc. She has an interesting style of
presentation of the stories, providing adequate details, which make the reader to go through them in one go. .