>>REVIEW
DANCING WITH THE TWO-HEADED TIGRESS
Tina Biswas
HarperCollins Canada, 296 pp.
In a middle-class home in Calcutta, the husband suddenly dies of a heart attack. But before his ashes have cooled off, the widow Rekha starts dating the first guy who stumbles into her life. Hastily, the two move in together.
The idea of a mother in her mid-40s jumping into another relationship after her husband’s death is more common in the West. In India, social pressures would prohibit a spouse from seeing anyone for at least a year until the official mourning period is over (mainly for the immediate family). But the credit goes to author Tina Biswas for letting her imagination soar above the strict confines of tradition. Without it, Dancing with the Two-Headed Tigress would be a sheepish, humdrum novel without flair or punch, similar to a big cat with no claws.
Actually, this latest turn of events boldly points out that the craving for companionship is universal. Rekha is presented as a submissive, naive housewife who spends her life "preparing her husband’s meals and ironing his trousers."
Somehow, she finds the courage to quickly fill the void left by her husband. As expected, the sheltered Rekha is a poor judge of human character. She relies on her boyfriend to handle certain tasks but he botches them intentionally to fulfill his long-term scheme. She is also blissfully unaware of his devious reasons for sticking around.
The story moves to London, where you see a stark contrast between Rekha and her successful sister-in-law. Tuhina calls the shots at home and at work. Her professionalism and strong no-nonsense personality allow her to control every situation. As an investment banker, her income is higher than that of Prakash, her doctor husband. Interestingly enough, their spoiled daughter Darshini always sides with her mother. Together, mother and daughter are an intimidating force.
Prakash prepares gourmet meals for the family every evening with no appreciation. While cooking with wine, he often self indulges as a release from his daily work stress. In his inebriated state one day, Prakash drops a fork full of food in red wine sauce on his crisp, clean shirt. That does it. The mother-daughter duo, aptly named as the Two-Headed Tigress, pounce on him for his bumbling behaviour.
Tuhina’s stiff sophistication seems misplaced at home. Like her mother, Darshini, too, appears cold and snobbish towards her easy-going father, making him the odd man out.
The dynamics change as soon as Mousumi comes to live with them from India. Prakash finds an ally in his niece. Mousumi is plump, dresses funny and speaks broken English but comes across as a breath of fresh air in an atmosphere of claustrophobic propriety for Prakash. He becomes her mentor, teaching her formal British etiquette without condescension. Wrapped up in her own little world, initially Darshini fails to notice the strong bond that develops between her father and the new guest. Darshini eventually begins to see her importance as a daughter slipping in her father’s eyes. This realization sparks a jealous confrontation between the two girls.
In her debut novel, Oxford-educated Biswas humorously highlights certain Indian gestures that are totally misunderstood by the Brits. For example, "Mousumi wobbled her head from side to side. Seph took that as a yes. Mousumi meant no."
Of course, the miscommunication is comical.
Biswas attempts to mesh many characters with different issues together and, as a result, she creates a number of subplots that divert attention from the main story. Glean out the superfluous parts and you are left with an interesting narrative driven by complex personalities, their struggles, romances and breakups. Although the book is a tad too long, it was a jolly good first attempt. |
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