Express News Service
Shaheen Akhtar’s third novel Shokhi Rongomala, translated from Bengali as Beloved Rongomala by Shabnam Nadiya, narrates the tale of Raj Chandra Chowdhury, a petulant feudal king, and the relationship with his childlike wife Phuleshwari, and his lower-caste mistress Rongomala, whose beauty is unparalleled.
The story plays out in the small kingdom of Bhulua in southern Bangladesh, where the king, oblivious to the threat of the increasing influence of the East India Company, plays his idle pleasure games. Owner of
a crumbling estate, he still lives in the glory of erstwhile times, even as his courtiers engage in feuds, somewhat in the vein of the Prince of Bhawal’s exploits.
Set in 18th-century Bengal, the novel begins with the murder of Rongomala by Chanda Bir, who has beheaded her at the behest of the king’s uncle and regent Raja Rajendra Narayan Chowdhury. A part of real history, Akhtar transforms the saga (which was originally a pala gaan or a religious hymn) into a tale of class, gender struggle and feminine wiles, thereby finding resonance with the modern-day reader.
While Rongomala has Raj Chandra irrevocably under her spell, even as the dowry brought in by queen Phuleshwari is the reason for the king’s affluence, the power evidently continues to lie with the man. Although foolish and vain, he dominates the women, including the queen’s mother, who refuses to see her son’s flaws, resulting in much of the tragedy in the novel.
What is seminal about this book is its attempt to give a voice to the voiceless in Bengal’s erstwhile feudal history, and the author achieves this impeccably, without relegating her characters to the realms of victimhood. Kudos to the translator who has effectively managed to hold on to the cultural cues and contexts of the original, rendering it an equally racy read in English.
Beloved Rongomala revisits a story that has been reduced to a forgettable footnote in the annals of history, and only lives on in local traditions. Akhtar has successfully used this fragment of folklore to create a novel that is almost cinematic. The colloquial writing style only enriches the flavour of the storytelling. Several well-etched minor characters dot the landscape of the book, creating a milieu that, although unfamiliar, intrigues and thrills at the same time.
Beloved Rongomala
By: Shaheen Akhtar
Translated by: Shabnam Nadiya
Publisher: Eka
Pages: 499 Price: Rs 282
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