An Exploration of the Repressive Module of Sexuality in Modern Indian Women

Writers : Namita Gokhale, Krishna Sobti and Ismat Chugtai

Author(s): Kuhu Chanana
Source: Indian Literature , November-December 2005, Vol. 49, No. 6 (230) (November-
December 2005), pp. 162-176
Published by: Sahitya Akademi

Stable URL: https://www.jstor.org/stable/23346308

REFERENCES
Linked references are available on JSTOR for this article:
https://www.jstor.org/stable/23346308?seq=1&cid=pdf-
reference#references_tab_contents
You may need to log in to JSTOR to access the linked references.

JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide
range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and
facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact [email protected].
Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at
https://about.jstor.org/terms

is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to Indian Literature

This content downloaded from

3.7.232.138 on Tue, 22 Oct 2024 10:56:42 UTC
All use subject to https://about.jstor.org/terms
 An Exploration of the Repressive Module
of Sexuality in Modern Indian Women
Writers : Namita Gokhale, Krishna Sobti
and Ismat Chugtai

Kuhu Chanana

Power politics
a single in theofworld
mechanism ofitsexuality
control; doesandnot
is a malleable operate
mobile force.through
It functions through complex, overlapping and often contradictory
mechanisms which produce domination and opposition, subjugation
and protests of oppositional sexualities, and hence the contradictory
positions regarding the endorsement of patriarchy, feminine sexuality
and homosexuality. According to Carole S.Vance, "Sexuality may be
thought about, experienced, and acted on differently according to age,
class, ethnicity, physical ability, sexual orientation and preference, re
ligion and region."1 No wonder modern Indian women writers like
Namita Gokhale, Krishna Sobti and Ismat Chugtai refuse to see sexu
ality as a unified whole and exhibit various forms of sexualities - class
sexuality, gender-specific sexuality, racial sexualities and sexuality of
struggle and choice. Their fictional works trace the evolution of sexual
identity, the impact of social networks on it, and oppositional sexuali
ties.
These three women writers writing in three different languages
— English , Hindi and Urdu—about the women from entirely different
backgrounds—Pahari, Punjabi and Muslim—explore the issue of com
mon concern viz. the suppression of feminine sexuality. Namita Gokhale's
A Himalayan Love Story is an account of the ordeal of a pahari woman
trapped in a marriage with a gay man, whereas, Krishna Sobti's Mittro
Marjani reflects the insatiable sexual longing of a much-married Mittro

This content downloaded from

3.7.232.138 on Tue, 22 Oct 2024 10:56:42 UTC
All use subject to https://about.jstor.org/terms
and the middle-age sexual crisis of her mother Balo. Ismat's The Crooked
Une, The Heart Breaks Free and "The Labyrinth" succinctly chart out the
issue of 'infantile sexuality', 'lesbian existence' and marriage as a tool
for regulating sexuality.
The first text in question is Namita Gokhale's Himalayan hove Story.
The author is known for taking a radical stand on the much-debated
issue of 'feminine sexuality' in her writings, such as Paro. Both Paro
and Parvati of A Himalayan Love Story deconstruct the stereotypical confines
of sexual boundaries by exploring their identity through exerting their
sexuality. The title of the very first section of A Himalayan Love Story,
"The Dance of the Honey-Bee" is loaded with multiple meanings. It is
indicative of the freedom of sexual choice that Parvati's mother yearns
for. The author is able to draw a very interesting parallel between
Parvati's mother and the queen honey-bee in terms of sexual rendezvous.
It is a well-known scientific fact that in certain species (Australian red
buck spider, praying mantis, drone-bee, angler fish and fig wasp) the
males are solely produced for sex, after which they are genetically
programmed for self-destruction. The males have little or no social
interaction with females and merely function as a sperm-provider.
The plight of the male honey-bee is one of the classic examples
of sexual suicide. This incredible biological story is actually very com
plex and is eloquently explained by Mark Winston in his book, The
Biology of the Honey-Bee (Howard Univ. Press, 1987). Its main function in
the hive is to fertilize the queen-bee and it dies within minutes of the
copulation .However, it does not work in terms of collecting pollen
grains, etc. Its sole purpose of existence is sexual mating. Parvati's
mother, a pahari middle-class Brahmin widow, also wants Shrikrishnji
(her bachelor tenant) primarily for sexual mating and not for financial
and social support. Like the honey-bee, she also wants to explore her
identity by the relentless use of Shrikrishnji's masculinity, bereft of any
love and attachment. But despite her Herculean efforts, she fails to
achieve it. The incidents of ironical loud reading by Parvati of a chapter
in her book entitled "Introduction to Bee-Keeping," and her mother's
getting hurt by a bee sting along with her failure of making money
through bee-keeping are extremely evocative in this context. "She de
cided she had no luck with bees and we abandoned the idea."2 Parvati's
mother finally dies in a miserable situation. Thus, unlike male honey
bee (drone), it is she who meets a tragic end in the efforts of sexual
rendezvous. Here the novelist's intentions are quite debatable. On the
one hand, she shows Parvati's mother as a sexually liberated woman
who, despite her conservative lower middle class background, enjoys

Kuhu Chanana / 163

This content downloaded from

3.7.232.138 on Tue, 22 Oct 2024 10:56:42 UTC
All use subject to https://about.jstor.org/terms
her drink and delves into the flesh; on the other hand her image of an
evil twin as seen by the child narrator along with her tragic end, makes
the whole situation quite dubious and puts various question marks on
the intentions of the writer.
From here on the story is centered upon Parvati, who after the
sad demise of her mother, lives with her distant relative known as masterji
and pursues her studies under the guidance of a very handsome young
Muslim teacher, Salman. Here we find another conventional stereotype
- a man desires a woman for physical charm and a woman wants a man
for financial and social security-which has been effectively rebutted.
Reversing the pattern, Parvati appreciates his sensuality: "I first saw
Salman and I was dazzled by his beauty."3 The author's use of the word
'beauty' clearly reflects the writer's desire to appreciate the aesthetic and
sensual aspect of unadulterated male-beauty devoid of any social con
struction of 'masculine charm'—money and power make a man desirable
and not physical attributes. She refuses to assign the traditional role of
a provider to Salman and quite uncharacteristically views him solely as
a sexual partner. The point that a very important attribute of 'feminine
sexuality'—that is, unabashed adulation of sensuality—is not a male
prerogative alone, has been succinctly charted out here. It bears a close
resemblance with a controversial scene in Women in Love, where women
are seen appreciating the sensuality of a nude sculpture of a black man.
This reversal of stereotype negates the so-called biological pro
gramming and conditioned thinking. According to Nancy Chodorow,
"Heterosexual fantasy and desire also have an individual component, a
private heterosexual eroticism that contrasts with or specifies further,
the cultural norm."4 This is called 'personal myth'5 by Ernst Kris. It is
this 'personal myth' or 'individual component' that impels Parvati to
lust for a young Muslim without being intimidated by the social
constructs of feminine behaviour. Driven with desire, she loses her
virginity to him without having any so-called ennobling emotion of love
or commitment to marriage. She does not feel the pangs of puritan guilt.
Salman's departure leaves no dents in her being: "I was stoic, even
relieved, about his departure....My encounters with Salman had quelled
some silent hunger within me."6 Thus, the predominance of 'personal
myth' over 'cultural norm' in Parvati exhibits her sexually liberated self.
Moreover, the sudden departure of both Shrikrishnji and Salman bears
close semblance with the drone (male honey-bee) motif. After providing
sexual gratification, they completely vanish from the life of their female
mates.

However, Namita Gokhale's statement that Parvati feels a 'bela

164 I Indian Literature : 230

This content downloaded from

3.7.232.138 on Tue, 22 Oct 2024 10:56:42 UTC
All use subject to https://about.jstor.org/terms
shame' and a sense of rejection after the departure of Salman is intriguing
because the emotion of 'shame' and 'rejection' should be alien to a truly
sexually-liberated woman. Finally, Parvati has to marry Lalit. The most
important decision of her life has been taken by someone else and she
has to succumb to it. She fails to get any physical and emotional
gratification from her homosexual husband Lalit, who in his turn, is
equally subjugated due to the false cultural and social codes that define
heterosexuals as 'normal', 'common' and 'masculine,' and homosexuals
as 'pervert', 'effeminate' and 'abnormal'. Homosexuality is largely seen
as a symbol of weakness. No wonder, Lalit has to hide his homosexual
orientation and is forced to marry a woman and consequently he ruins
his life and as well as Parvati's. Parvati who has enjoyed a passionate
physical relationship with Salman, finds it all the more claustrophobic
to live in a sexually starved marriage. Her ordeal is poignantly portrayed
by the author in these words: "I had tasted real passion, and I could
feel nothing but scorn for this farce. My young husband looked puzzled,
even oppressed, and kept a stubborn, watchful distance from me."7
Parvati tries to bridge the gap created by lack of physical intimacy by
cooking good food. But this conventional solution of bonding fails to
replace the need for carnal pleasure and as a result of this, Parvati finds
the company of mice and cockroaches less hostile than that of Lalit.
Subtle undertones of subjugation and suffering that a gay Lalit feels find
their manifestations in the form of wrath and violence directed towards
Parvati. She has to undergo domestic violence even for such an innocu
ous act as opening his letter. This letter happens to be that of her
husband's childhood fantasy Mukul who, in his turn, is in love with
Parvati. The whole incident reveals multiple levels of sexual oppression
and their inter-connections. At one level, there is a depiction of the
plight of amarried woman who has known the pleasure of physical
intimacy and has to live in a state of sexual-denial due to the unethical
behaviour of her gay husband. Despite the full awareness of his sexual
orientation, he intentionally marries Parvati in order to protect his
stereotypical image of a normal, powerful and socially accepted hetero
sexual male. However, on the other level the reader is compelled to feel
sympathetic towards Lalit who is also at the margin due to the hege
mony of heterosexuals over homosexuals. This complex situation pre
sents a very intricate overlapping of gay and gender politics. The po
sitions of victims are interchangeable depending upon whether 'queer'
or 'feminist' perspectives are applied.
Further, the arrival of their mutual friend accentuates the gulf
between them. Mukul's whole-hearted acceptance is a balm to Parvati's

Kuhu Chanana / 165

This content downloaded from

3.7.232.138 on Tue, 22 Oct 2024 10:56:42 UTC
All use subject to https://about.jstor.org/terms
wounds caused by Lalit's rejection. We find the main characters trapped
in a very intriguing situation. Lalit feels jealous of Parvati, because
Mukul (whom Lalit fantasises about) is attracted towards her. Parvati
is horrified at this disclosure: "...I was indeed surprised to see the most
undisguised jealousy in him. For a moment my spirit lifted. Then the
truth registered, and I realized that I had blundered my way into a
nightmare; for the jealousy was mixed with an expression of intense
yearning, which was directed not towards me but Mukul.''8 The double
marginalization of Parvati — marriage with a gay husband and the
marital status that hampers her from reciprocating to the advances of
Mukul—and the hapless situation of Lalit — (being homosexual in a
world dominated by heterosexuals) reveals that in the realm of sexuality
there is a small common sphere where both man and woman are victims
of patriarchy. The overwhelming burden ol masculinity, which is further
defined by various binary oppositions — heterosexuality/homosexual
ity, active/passive, rational/emotional — functions both as an oppres
sive tool for a woman and at times puts an unnecessary burden on man
as well to fit into the role of a traditional, invulnerable male. Any
deviation from the so-called masculinitv is seen as a weakness and hence,
j '

in
w
w
ar
In
ot
m
w
in
fl
w
to
ca
he
fa
th
th
co
na
W
by
se

16

This content downloaded from

3.7.232.138 on Tue, 22 Oct 2024 10:56:42 UTC
All use subject to https://about.jstor.org/terms
and by the endemic fact of male violence against women. At the same
time, these contradictory definitions have as often provided the oppor
tunity for women to define their own needs and desires."10 Cooking
food and feeding the husband as a substitute for sex, and viewing the
kitchen as a substitute for the bedroom and hence a tool for empow
erment, find their manifestations in the works of many female writers,
such as in Difficult Daughters: A Novel by Manju Kapur. In Difficult Daughters.
the first wife is forced to vacate the bedroom for the second wife but
refuses to leave her hold on the kitchen and tries to eliminate partially
the second wife by not allowing her to cook for the husband and hence
exert her right on him. So, different ways of attaining empowerment
through food are explored by many women writers and Namita Gokhale
also tries to show the futile effort of Parvati to claim at least some part
of her husband's body(stomach) through cooking.
Cooking as a metaphor for sexual acceptance finds its expression
in the elaborate dinner prepared by Parvati. Sometimes when the fresh
gajaras of chameli arouse in her a fever of expectations and desire, she does
not 'give up, cooks and smiles and wears her 'new frozen face'."When
the natural desire to dress up nicely dries up in her because of the
obvious reasons, the only thing which gives her a sense of satisfaction
and empowerment is her culinary skills. She feels that it accords her
some power over his "corpulent body, some part in the dreary domin
ion"12 of her home. However, this conventional remedy for sexual
dissatisfaction fails to work in Parvati's favour.
Consequently, the starved body and rejected soul get fulfillment
in an incestuous relationship with her brother-in-law. He resuscitates
her bodily. He serves merely as a tool for self-acceptance and self
assurance. Naturally his going away gives no pangs of dissatisfaction or
guilt and this feeling is quite similar to the initial feelings she has after
the departure of Salman. They both serve merely as an instrument
(again, the male honey -bee pattern can be traced) for sexual rejuvena
tion. This relationship with her brother-in-law has given her a strange
assurance and she has 'learnt to love her husband.'13 This cultivated habit
of loving her husband is again a reflection of the conventional mindset
of Indian society. The dual image of the patient wife and of the woman
who defies the cultural code by delving into sensual pleasure is beau
tifully portrayed by the author when Parvati sees her reflection in the
mirror: "...I was startled by the face in the mirror. It was an old
face...haggard old face.... It could not be me, I decided. This was an
imposter."14 The socially accepted notion that a sexually passive woman
is the ideal prototype of femininity breeds a lot of self-doubts and gives

Kuhu Chanana / 167

This content downloaded from

3.7.232.138 on Tue, 22 Oct 2024 10:56:42 UTC
All use subject to https://about.jstor.org/terms
birth to identity crisis in both Parvati and her mother. Parvati finds
duplicity in her mirror image and her mother has been seen as an 'evil
twin' by her. These two conflicting forces tear her apart in opposite
directions and create an identity crisis in Parvati. Apparently these two
contradictory spheres are unable to negotiate to bring reconciliation and
the subsequent formation of a unique third space. And here lies the
problem of placing Namita Gokhale as a champion of feminine sexu
ality.
Likewise, while the marginalization of male homosexuality has
been portrayed quite assiduously, there is no mention of lesbianism.
Adrienne Rich in her seminal essay "Compulsive Heterosexuality and
Lesbian Existence," has discussed how all human-beings are instinctively
bisexual and it is the conditioning that results in the larger number of
people being heterosexuals. Mukul's reaction on seeing an old man being
dressed like a woman is worth mentioning. Describing him he asserts:
"He was swaying sensuously to the music, his lean hips looking strangely
attractive under the billowing skirts. I felt a momentary tremor of sexual
excitement, which I quelled with a stern rebuke."15 Here, the suppres
sion of an instinctively bisexual leaning is very subtly and potently
delineated by the author, but despite the remarkable exposure of sexual
taboos, the issue of 'lesbian existence' remains untouched in this novel.
Through the character of Mukul, the writer is able to evince the
role of caste, creed, and cultural codes in determining and formulating
sexual proclivity. Mukul was unable to marry Parvati, primarily due
to the difference in caste and he always nurtures a grudge against Hiranand
masterji, for he has 'gifted' Parvati to Lalit. The word 'gift' clearly
reflects the conventional acceptance of woman as a sexual property to
be appropriated by a male owner and this ownership is governed by
cultural codes and customs. Hence the suppression of sexuality due to
cultural norm once again brings forth the variegated aspects that mould
sexual orientation. Discrimination by Hiranand masterji on the basis
of caste results in an unresolved sexual complex in Lalit. Consequently,
he is unable to form any fruitful relationship in the absence of Parvati
and this makes him uncomfortable about his own sexuality. During his
brief sexual entanglement with a woman from Hong Kong, she men
tions that he suffers from 'unresolved Childhood Romance.'16 Again, the
hollowness and deathward drift that he feels during his physical inti
macy with a Tibetian girl, Pasang Rampa, further explains the reper
cussions of sexual complex. Parvati's attitude, on the other hand, is
quite uncharacteristic of a conventional Hindu woman. She is able to
experience sexual pleasure without the over-glorified and overwhelming

168 / Indian Uterature : 230

This content downloaded from

3.7.232.138 on Tue, 22 Oct 2024 10:56:42 UTC
All use subject to https://about.jstor.org/terms
emotion of love. Her rejection fills him with a deep sense of insecurity
because of which he feels that he is unloved and undesirable. Here, by
showing Mukul as a victim of unrequited love, trapped in sexual crisis,
and a prey in the hands of Adeliene, (his wife who sleeps with him before
marriage in order to trap him into marriage) Namita Gokhale traces
the various effects on his sexuality due to a single incident of not being
able to marry Parvati.
Another dimension to the whole issue is added by showing the
signs of neurosis in Parvati. It is a well-known fact that sexual subju
gation can lead to mental illness. The references to Sigmund Freud and
schizophrenia in the text further explain the writer's intentions. Parvati's
madness, caused by sexual denial, draws a close parallel with Bertha's
insanity. Such suppressions are quite common in pahari community: "
Mental illness was like a secret rivulet through the genetic pools of
Kumaon. No one is secure from its visitations."17 The author describes
the mental ailment of not only Parvati but a whole generation of her
female ancestors. Parvati's insanity is the reflection of the inhuman
treatment that she suffers at the hands of her homosexual husband and
society. Mohan Mischief states: "Parvati's widowhood and breakdown
had met with no compassion. She was abandoned...She was in bad shape
and no one wanted to have anything to do with her."18 Constant sexual
denial, and social indifference lead her to madness. Ultimately she is left
by her so-called devoted lover, who leaves her in a lurch saying that
"country and conditions do not permit."19
Sexual oppression is not only limited to the marriage of a -hetero
sexual woman with a gay man alone, but can be traced in the so-called
normal heterosexual marriage as well, and Krishna Sobti's Mittro Marjani
bears witness to it. Written in 1967, it is perhaps the first Hindi novel
that exposes the forbidden terrain of the all-consuming female desire.
Mittro is a married woman living in a traditional middle class Punjabi
family. There is a considerable sexual incompatibility between her and
her husband Sardari Lai, who desires her only/öccasionally and this
leaves her thoroughly dissatisfied, but she refuses to accept it as her lot
like many other married women. Unlike Parvati of Himalayan Love Story,
she is married to a heterosexual man and yet conjugal bliss is eluding
her. She vociferously revolts against it and her repression of desires leads
her to mild flirtations, which are severely objected to by the husband
and the family members, and she becomes the object of incessant domestic
violence. She, on the other hand, unabashedly asks for her right to be
sexually satisfied in the marriage. Addressing her elder sister-in-law, she
asserts: "My dear sister-in-law, you have no idea of the subtle nuances

Kuhu Chanana / 169

This content downloaded from

3.7.232.138 on Tue, 22 Oct 2024 10:56:42 UTC
All use subject to https://about.jstor.org/terms
of raunchiness ...there is no one a greater fool than your brother-in
law...had he been a real man, he would have tasted, licked and devoured
me with utmost passion."20 Extracting pleasure out of her own sensu
ality, she mentions the names of her lovers who, unlike her husband,
eulogizes her femininity and sexual charms. She asks a rhetorical ques
tion to her sister-in-law: "Have you ever seen such breasts?"21 Comment
ing on this statement, Krishna Sobti states in one of her interviews: "It
was the new woman revelling in her physicality, Yaar, I was impressed
with her."22 This clearly reveals the writer's intentions of portraying a
rebel like Mittro who lays bare the hypocrisy and double standards of
sexual morality explicitly.
Mittro, unlike her brother-in law and his wife, who appropriate
family property and money, sells her entire jewellery in order to save her
husband from financial crisis and humiliation. But she is still regarded
immoral and bad just because she is not ready to suppress her biological
needs and is quite vocal about them. Like Gokhale's protagonist Parvathi,
she also refuses to accept household authorities and materialistic creeds
as panacea for sexual deprivation. She asks poignantly: " Why should
I burn my precious body slowly after materialistic desire for jewellery or
household authorities?"23 She is not even afraid of exposing the partial
impotency of her husband and when once asked by her sister-in-law as
to where her husband is, she immediately retorts: "He must be running
after some doctors and quacks for the ailment."24 However, she is ex
tremely sympathetic to him in the times of financial crisis and bails him
out of this situation. The writer attacks the duplicity of the social norms
through Mittro when she introspects: " What sort of social norm is this?
When your own son lays the seed it is a blessing, whereas when it is
someone else's seed, it is a sin."25
Utterly disgusted with her lot, Mittro finds some solace with the
news of her departure to her mother's house. Her mother, Balo is a
courtesan and Mittro's in-laws have been unaware of it at the time of
marriage. Mittro is enthralled with the prospect of going to her home,
for it will give her ample opportunities to satisfy her physical hunger.
As soon as she reaches there, some ruffians start staring and commenting
on her butt; unlike a typical middle-class married woman, she enjoys
the sexual embellishments endowed upon her by these young men. Her
husband feels crushed under such sexually explicit remarks, but these
sensual advances are extremely pleasurable to her, for they reassure her
of her sexuality which is incessantly rejected by him. She relishes Raval
Singh's suggestive comment: "O Attar Singh, I am paralysed. My friend,
prepare your body well, otherwise how will you go for the combat?"26

170 ! Indian Uterature : 230

This content downloaded from

3.7.232.138 on Tue, 22 Oct 2024 10:56:42 UTC
All use subject to https://about.jstor.org/terms
 The writer delineates a very potent dimension of feminine sexu
ality and that is middle-age sexual crisis. Because of the diminishing
physical charms, Balo who was once able to trap any man, is now
completely devoid of male company. That is why when she sees her
daughter with her husband, she, unlike a conventional mother, feels
jealous of her daughter: "After seeing her daughter sitting closely with
her son-in-law, her body feels the pain of the bites of the several snakes.
Balo has been able to ensnare many men but could not find any hus
band."27 Here, sexual acceptance becomes more important than the so
called ennobling emotion of maternal love. The writer clearly deconstructs
the conditioned notion of motherhood and exhibits herself as the true
champion of feminine sexuality. Here the desire for the husband is also
closely related to sexuality, for in young age one gets many admirers
but in middle age when one is devoid of physical charm the husband
is the only one who, primarily due to the cultural training (especially
in the Indian scenario), accepts her as an object of desire. This situation
is further explored by the author in a deftly crafted scene. Coaxed by
her mother, Mittro intoxicates her husband in order to be physically
intimate with one of her mother's former lovers. As soon as Mittro
leaves to meet the former paramour of her mother, the sense of rejection
and deprivation creates excruciating pain in Balo's heart. She reproaches
herself: "Oh Balo! This man who used to beg before you for physical
favours will be involved in sexual rendezvous with this young girl.
Shame on your life Balo! Shame!"28 She calls back Mittro and cries before
her, and cursing her age she ejaculates vehemently: "Oh God! Why have
you deprived me of physical charms and sensuality."29
The author effectively demonstrates the multiple levels of sexual
depravity. The man, even in the middle age, is able to enjoy the sexual
favours of a young woman, whereas such opportunities are not granted
to a middle-aged woman. She is forced to go for spiritual dieting and
is compelled to subdue her physical needs. Overawed by her mother's
plight and insecurity, she returns back to her husband. Now, this act
of Mittro is seen by feminists as a regressive move, but explaining her
position, Krishna Sobti states: " Feminists have criticized the book just
for that. But I feel that she would need to be educated first, to be more
discriminating. To me she seems to show remarkable sense in the context
of her circumstances. I have no reasons to be unhappy with the choice
she makes ultimately."30 However, despite being overtly progressive
writers, both Namita Gokhale and Krishna Sobti fail to portray the
subtle working of alternate sexuality and lesbianism as means of sexual
gratification and probably the reason for it lies somewhere in the

Kuhu Chanana / 171

This content downloaded from

3.7.232.138 on Tue, 22 Oct 2024 10:56:42 UTC
All use subject to https://about.jstor.org/terms
cultural and religious training. Sita Aggarwal, in her remarkable book
titled Genodde of Women in Hinduist», effectively argues that the reason for
the suppression of lesbian existence lies in the religious training given
by sacred Hindu religious texts, such as the Vedas and Manusmriti: "It may
be supposed that Hindu women could escape these ghastly punishments
by avoiding men and seeking solace in Sapphic relations. Alas! The
bigoted Brahmins had foreseen this possibility and severely persecuted
these women also. Thus, lesbians are cruelly punished by the Brahaminists
Vaishnavas by having their fingers chopped off {Manusmriti: viii 369-370).
A damsel who pollutes(another) damsel must be fined two hundred
(panas), pay the double of her (nuptial) fee, and receive ten lashes with
a rod. But a woman who pollutes a damsel shall instantly have her head
shaved or two fingers cut off, and be made to ride (through the town)
on a donkey."31 This probably could explain the considerable absence
of the depiction of lesbian relationships in works by various Hindi
women writers.

However, unlike her Hindu counterparts, Ismat Chugtai assidu

ously paints the various shades of lesbian existence. Apart from her (in)
famous short story "Lihaf", a well-known example of this is The Crooked
Line, which traces the evolution of the lesbian instinct through the
character of Shamman , who is an unwanted rebel child of the family.
She is extremely attached to her nurse, Unna .An infant, Shamman
involuntarily becomes a witness to the clandestine, wild love-making
on the haystack by Unna and her lover. She resents it and her crying
exposes the secret physical proximity of Unna and her lover, and
consequently Unna is thrown out of her job immediately. Though
Unna does her work to perfection, yet she is sacked by her employers
primarily for satisfying her natural physical cravings. Similarly, during
her growing years, Shamman feels a fatal attraction for her teacher, Miss
Charan, who has to lose her job after the exposure of the so-called
abnormal relationship between her and Shamman. Hence, the negotia
tion between the economic empowerment and the regulation of sexu
ality is potently revealed by the fictionist. Ismat portrays the various
shades of lesbian longing in the form of amorous cravings that pervade
the girls' boarding school. After the departure of Miss Charan, Shamman's
room-mate falls in love with her. One night she tries to sleep close to
Shamman and tries to touch her at various body parts: "While she was
half-asleep, she felt the mouse crawling on the bed again. She peered into
the darkness and realized that it was not a mouse, but Rasul Fatima's
hand groping...it seemed like a dream that the mouse crawled on her
again and before she could shrug it off, it overpowered her. All the veins

172 / Indian Literature : 230

This content downloaded from

3.7.232.138 on Tue, 22 Oct 2024 10:56:42 UTC
All use subject to https://about.jstor.org/terms
in her body became taut like a fishing line; all her energies left her....
Rasul Fatima's bony fingers dug into, her like nails but she could not
restrain her."32 Disgusted with Rasul's advances, Shamman changes her
room and her new room partner Saddat is again involved with another
girl Najma. Shamman herself feels terribly attracted to Najma and her
lesbian tendencies are explicit in her penetrative eulogy of the physical
attributes of Najma: "She was so warm and soft that it seemed that if
anyone held her in arms and pressed her, she would slip off like a boiled
egg'"33 . . . . )
Obviously, the school is full
reasons for such tendencies are
of instinctive bi-sexuality of wom
Ismat shows lesbianism as an alt
in the absence of heterosexual par
the boarding school who are ke
conventional Muslim bringing-up
regard, for, as soon as Shamma
homosexual leanings evaporate. L
choice of homosexuality is com
Nawab is a gay and fails to render
Though not comprehensive from
yet her fearless delineation of lesb
moral values of her times is remarkable.
Yet another story by Ismat that deals with the theme of sexual
denial is "The Heart Breaks Free." It revolves round the life of two
sexually starved women, Aunt Qudsia and Pathani Bua. Pathani Bua is
a child widow, whose sexual suppression leads her to religious frenzy.
Her libidinal longings find their manifestations in the form of her
undying love for Ghazi Mian (Salar Masud Ghazi Mian, one of the most
celebrated Indian saints), who became a martyr four hundred years ago.
Since forbidden desires for a saint are acceptable in the society, her
deprivation seeks satisfaction in this form. It is a well-known fact that
sometimes religious frenzies are the result of the subjugation of libidinal
desires. Thus, an entirely new dimension of the release of the suppressed
sexuality has been painstakingly portrayed by the author: "Bua had
retreated into a world of dreams. She refused to shatter her bridal
bangles; she was a bride, and Bale Mian was her bridegroom. No one
had the courage to tangle with Bale Mian. 'He is calling me,' she'd
suddenly say and wander off into woods, singing songs of love. Con
sidering her desire to be Bale Mian's, no one dared to stop her."34 The
other woman in question, Aunt Qudsia, has been abandoned by her

Kuhn Chanana / 173

This content downloaded from

3.7.232.138 on Tue, 22 Oct 2024 10:56:42 UTC
All use subject to https://about.jstor.org/terms
husband, who has taken a white woman as his wife in England. A very
interesting overlapping of colonialism and feminism is evinced by the
author. Marriage to a white woman immediately leads to upward social
mobility: "Usually Aunt Qudsia was introduced to people like this:
'This is Qudsia, her husband has taken a white woman.' People were
quite impressed. At that moment Aunt Qudsia too would forget her
own misfortune and experience a certain degree of pride. Her rival was
the daughter of the rulers, who knows, may be she was even distantly
related to the King. Not every one can take in a white woman. In a
way her husband had honoured her by bringing a white woman to be
her rival; he could have taken in a washer-woman or a sweepress.'^The
unexpressed physical cravings turn Aunt Qudsia into an unadorned,
lifeless creature at the age of twenty-five. However, she resuscitates in
the company of uncle Shabir. But the family members object to her
meeting with Shabir. To this, the oppressed Qudsia leaves no stone
unturned to exert her rights to be nurtured, loved and sexually gratified
by the man of her choice. She tries to kill herself but symbolically the
touch of uncle Shabir saves her just before she tries to take her life:
"Shabir calmly placed his hand on her shoulder. For ten years no man
had touched her. Her hands fell helplessly to her sides. She turned and
looked into Shabir Hasan's eyes. This was the moment when she would
have returned from heaven. Shutting her eyes, she swooned and fell
upon his chest."36 The plight of a woman, who has spent the prime of
her youth untouched and unloved by any man, is poignantly delineated
by the author. As a truly liberated woman she finally runs away from
the house and gets married to Shabir and bears his children. However,
the marriage is illegal in the eyes of the law, for her husband does not
divorce her. But Qudsia refuses to regulate her sexuality by the confines
of the so-called legal marriage and lives on her own terms and begets
children.
Thus we see that these three women writers try to show the
struggles of women to break the culturally imposed identity by asserting
their sexual needs. But their regressive modes — viz. Namita Gokhale's
portrayal of the insanity of Parvati, the tragic end of her mother,
Adelene's and Pasang Rampa's use of their sexual prowess merely as a
tool to find a provider and the exhibition of homosexuality as a means
to put a heterosexual woman in the margin; Krishna Sobti's depiction
of Mittro's return to her passive husband without her being sexually
rejuvenated by any other man; and Ismat's demonstration of lesbianism
as a compulsive choice in the absence of heterosexual partner, and not
as an instinctive choice — make these fictional works a one-dimensional

174 /' Indian Uterature : 230

This content downloaded from

3.7.232.138 on Tue, 22 Oct 2024 10:56:42 UTC
All use subject to https://about.jstor.org/terms
study of sexuality and show that the pattern of male privilege has not
been completely broken. These writers are able to present through
Parvati, Mittro, Shamman and Pathani Bua, that, to be a woman is to
be constantly addressed and scrutinized. Though the female desire is
crucial to our social fabric, yet it is recast and reformulated by men,
and the depiction of a truly sexually liberated woman is still a tantalizing
dream.

References

1. Carole S.Vance, Pleasure and Danger: Exploring Female Sexuality (Boston and
London: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1984), p. 17.
2. Namita Gokhale, A Himalayan hove Story (New Delhi: Penguin Books India,
2002), p.ll.
3. Ibid., p.23.
4. Nancy Chodorow, "Heterosexuality as a Compromise Formation," Literary
Theory: An Anthology, ed. Julie Rivkin and Michael Ryan (London: Blackwell
Publishers, 2002), p.772.
5. Ernst Kris, "The Personal Myth," Journal of the American Psychoanalytic Association
4 (1956), pp.653-81.
6. Namita Gokhale, A Hitnalayan Ijive Story, p.31.
7. Ibid., p.33.
8. Ibid., p.36.
9. Ibid., p.37.
10. Jeffrey Weeks, Sexuality (London and New York: Routledge, 1986), p.39.
11. Namita Gokhale, A Himalayan Love Story, p.38.
12. Ibid., p.39.
13. Ibid., p.45.
14. Ibid., p.50.
15. Ibid., p.84.
16. Ibid., p.121.
17. Ibid., p.137.
18. Ibid, p.138.
19. Ibid, p.207.
20. Krishna Sobti, Mittro Marjani (New Delhi: Rajkamal Prakashan, 1966), p.17.
21. Ibid, p.18.
22. Interview given by Krishna Sobti at the website of Katha http://
www.fictionindia.com/interview.htm.
23. Krishana Sobti, Mittro Marjani, p.39.
24. Ibid, p.44.
25. Ibid, p.71.
26. Ibid, p. 100.
27. Ibid, p.127.
28. Ibid, p.108.
29. Ibid, p. 109.

Kuhu Chanana / 175

This content downloaded from

3.7.232.138 on Tue, 22 Oct 2024 10:56:42 UTC
All use subject to https://about.jstor.org/terms
30. Interview given by Krishna Sobti at the website of Katha http://
www.fictionindia.com/ interview.htm.
31. Sita Aggarwal, Genoáde of Women in Hinduism, www.dalitstan.org/ books
gowh3.html.
32. Ismat Chugtai, Trehi Lakeer (Lahore: Naya Idarah, 1945), p.96.
33. Ibid.

34. Ismat Chugtai, The Heart Breaks Free, trans. Tahira Naqvi ( New Delhi: Kali
for Women; 1993),p.21.
35. Ibid., pp. 5-6.
36. Ibid., pp.55-6.

176 I Indian Uterature : 230

This content downloaded from

3.7.232.138 on Tue, 22 Oct 2024 10:56:42 UTC
All use subject to https://about.jstor.org/terms