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Kathmandu,Sunday January 30, 2000 Magh 16th, 2056.
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Khushwant
Singh's Senile Fantasy
-By
Sagun S. Lawoti
It
needs guts to speak your mind. Even more so if you are doing that
beyond closed doors, and especially through a medium which inevitably
will attract attention of thousands or millions.
The
attention to an individual’s speak-your-mind attitude will
definitely be amplified, especially if the talk hovers around the
subject of sex — steaming hot, human carnal need and love included.
That holds true, even in a country like India where the legendary Kama
Sutra was authored. And 1915, Hadali, Punjab-born Khushwant Singh,
putting his “senile fantasies” into words is no exception.
But
this man in his mid-eighties has his way. He has style. This India’s
“best known columnist, journalist and one time Member of Parliament
(1980-1986)” has a wholesome approach to his narration. Like a
master chef, he mixes spices, ingredients and concoction to prepare a
hearty reading meal.
In
other words, in case of The Company of Women, he introduces Mohan
Kumar (the main character) to different and diverse secondary
characters (mostly women) with their equally varied personalities,
culture, beliefs, values, ethos, background, physical attributes and
abilities. The variety is such that, even while all of his women share
love, sex and passion with Mohan, the details of each experience is
intriguingly different. And indeed, it is an “inhibited, erotic and
endless celebration”.
The
author’s note, itself, could prove an indication to what is to
follow. It reads: “As a man gets older, his sex instincts travel
from his middle to his head. What he wanted to do in his younger days
but did not because of nervousness, lack of response or opportunity,
he does in his mind.
“I
started writing this novel when I was eighty-three. I finished it at
eighty-five. And equally apt title for it could be: The Fantasies of
an Octogenarian.”
He
then goes on to acknowledge his debt to four ladies, Sharda Kaushik,
Mrinal Pande, Usha Albuquerque and Sheela Reddy to whom he had turned
for advice. A thorough (gentle)man, he does not miss to spell out that
he considers all of them to be “beautiful in their own ways”.
The
Company of Women, “figments” of the author’s senile fantasies,
opens with The Secret Life of Mohan Kumar where millionaire
businessman Mohan Kumar, just separated from his nagging ill-tempered
wife of thirteen years, is on a new beginning of his life.
But
somewhat surprisingly, even to Mo (as his US return friends call him),
instead of rejoicing in his new-found freedom, the loneliness sans the
screams of his children and loudmouth (now ex) wife Sonu leave him
weary. But not for long.
Mo
has the looks and the sophistication. His business brings him over
twenty lakhs every month. It is the company of women what’s lacking
in his life. He is ready and eager to share his bed and life, provided
women not be demanding and possessive.
No
sweat, he has his plans set right. So in less than a month after the
separation, he moves on to reinvent his life and advertises:
Forty-year-old product of an Ivy League College (USA) living
separately from his wife and two children. Divorce petition filed.
Seeks a live-in companion for a mutually agreed time-duration. Willing
to pay air fare to Delhi and back and Rs. 10,000 per month for
expenses. Free board and lodging in comfortable home with three
servants and chauffeur-driven car. Religion no bar. Relationship to be
without strings attached on either side. If interested, enclose
photograph and biodata. Correspond to box no —.
The
first response to his call surprisingly comes to his house and not in
the mentioned post box. It is from Sonu with a single word message:
“BASTARD—all seven letters in capital”. But even before this
disappointing beginning, Mohan Kumar has made a start. He has found a
companion in maidservant Dhanno.
Then
enters Sarojini Bhardwaj, Professor of English. The demure lady, from
small town Haryana, who also brings along her love for literature. She
surprises Mohan with her sensual self and in the meantime reads him
poetry:
Ah
love, if thou and I could with fate conspire
To change this sorry scheme of things entire
Would we not shatter it to bits
And remould it nearer
To our hearts’ desire?
After
Sarojini makes her exit, Mohan Kumar walks down memory lane. From
American Jessica Browne (to whom he lost his virginity) to married and
older-than-him idealist Pakistani Yasmeen Wanchoo, he recalls of his
US-experience. This man with titanic libido also recollects of his
time in homeland. That includes how he got married, his honeymoon and
how the marriage died to Mary Joseph, a Tamilian nurse, who kept
saying, “Aiy Aiy yo Saar”.
With
the flashback over, another of his advertised-for companion Molly
Gomes comes to the fore. She’s a carefree, inhibited masseuse from
Goa who takes Mohan to dizzy heights. Eventually, Molly also leaves.
That incidentally mark the end of his paid-companionship but no, not
his (love) life. Susanthinka Goonatilleke, a diminutive but
proportionately built Sri Lankan diplomat, soon readily surrenders to
his charm. And what follows is a low-profile affair that lasts till
she gets transferred.
Then
enfolds The Last Days of Mohan Kumar where a crisis strikes. The
lustful man encounters loss of sex drive. So he tries tonics, massages
to reactivate his libido — but in vain. It is a bai in Bombay who
comes to his rescue and frees him from frustration. But some six
months later, a fatal illness strikes him. Health gradually
deteriorates and upon consulting Dr. Malhotra, it is learnt Mohan is
HIV positive. Like all good things must come to an end, Mo too
eventually dies due to full-blown AIDS.
That
marks the end. But what is remarkable is, Khushwant is unpredictable,
smooth and enticing all the while. Doesn’t beat around the bush to
drive home his point. This boldness combined with non-native
writer’s flair, makes The Company of Women a remarkable book to
read. A crypt, no-nonsense and absorbing tale from the octogenarian
who began his literary journey through Train to Pakistan.
(S.
Lawoti is Editor/Publisher of Shree Ruprekha Weekly)
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