Bartered Lives

'Bartered Lives' is a work of fiction, narrated against a backdrop of prominent historic events. It is a story of modern India, a nation that is neither shining nor dismal. Very little happens according to the Rights and Duties enumerated in the Indian Constitution. The vacuum and paralysis created by a largely ineffective, democratically elected, coalition government, is pitted against the sometimes benign, often cruel authority of a drug-lord, 'Commando.' He lives by his own set of rules, that get results which are at variance with the state machinery. He is powerful because corruption is rife and well constructed laws are not backed by meaningful action. For him the worth of a person is gauged by her response to him, status in society and the monetary benefits that ensue. Neither caste, colour or creed matter. 'Hindutva' is the new word coined to draw people under one banner, sometimes exclusive of the minorities. Clashes occur, blood is shed and fear rules the day. Power on both sides, emanates from the barrel of a gun, a bag of cash and a packet of Afghani heroin. The story touches upon the material progress India is making at the cost of moral values and basic human decency. Poverty, illiteracy, inequality and the ever present shadow of caste, hampers progress and emancipation. It is a tale of contrasts and clashes, destitution and riches, and barters based upon necessity. Set in Punjab, North India, spanning a period of six decades from the 1940’s, to the present, it describes the lives of two young women... Shaku Baksh, an affluent, educated Brahmin girl, as opposed to Gulabo, the green eyed, low caste, illegitimate, Americo-Indian teenager, who works at the Baksh bungalow. The reader cannot help but change his perception of morality through Gulabo's life story. After a traumatic incident in the market, Shaku chooses to marry Hakim, a Pathan, forced by circumstances to work as a gardener at the 'Bari Kothi.' Their life is affected by the outrage of what used to be a very tolerant community. Her visit to Afghanistan, when the US backed government is losing its grip and the Taliban is regrouping, triggers tragic consequences. Well aware of the fractured society she lives in, Shaku chooses to teach at a slum school, hoping to improve the lives of future generations. Though there is an underlying wave of violence and desperation, each character strives to rise above their destined positions in a very tough life. Shaku epitomizes the ideals that can end terrorism and raise people from the paralyzing grip of poverty. Commando's rules make the reader accept shadowy truths as long as the ends are acceptable. The book ends on a note of hope for the future. To a large extent, 'Bartered Lives' is autobiographical. Incidents take place in areas the author visited or lived in. The Caste System has been an issue all her life, even amongst the Christian Community, where it is kept largely under wraps. Her parents' inter-caste marriage forged new, liberal perspectives, but never totally overcame the consequences. The maids Gulabo and Durgi worked in the ancestral home and were served leftovers after every meal. The Persian wheel was manned by the 'buffalo boy' whose father was the personal valet to the author's grandfather. The author, at age four, found a human skull in the fields behind the house, and wanted to bring it home, much to the disgust of her mother. She did see bloated bodies in the river. All these horrifying visions, added a kind of perverse immunity from tragedy, to her life. Most people who witnessed the horrors of Partition, suffer from the same syndrome. Five generations of women in her family were tutored at home and some went to college. The men were sent to England or the USA after completion of school education. Deepak Baksh is a tribute to the author's father. Her great, great grandmother was regularly 'leeched' to bring down high blood pressure. Her diminutive grandmother chased a mob to save a Muslim. He may not have survived the train journey to Pakistan. Mai Phoolan Gate is similar to the area where the author's mother grew up. It has a grass root flavour and created a milieu of survival, pragmatism, generosity and sharing, the four pillars of a joint family. The political scene described is current. The author witnessed the Aanganwadi at close quarters while working in a slum. Government and Private schools are startlingly unequal in most instances. 'Bartered Lives' deals with many complex issues and seeks to activate its readers towards simple solutions and thought processes.