Title – Daughters Who Loved
Author- Maitabi Banerjee
Genre- Drama
Publishers- Evincepub Publishers
Maitabi Banerjee’s ‘Daughters Who Loved’ is an emotional journey into the lives of twins Julie and Mili. Raised in a middle-class family in Jabalpur, they are now based in Hyderabad for higher studies. Their father Naren is a government officer, and their mother Maya is a homemaker. Like every other household, theirs seems to be a happy one too. But is it all so hunky dory indeed?
Set in Jabalpur, amidst the picturesque Bedaghat and Dhuandhar Falls, the plot is about two sisters, Julie and Mili, who are being provided with a good and stable life. They are talented and bright students, and their parents celebrate and encourage them. But in reality, their father Naren is a strict disciplinarian who takes rules and principles to a different level altogether. For all those looking from the outside, Naren is an ideal man, smart and emancipated. Little do they know how petrified the women in his house actually are.
And the sisters eventually fall in love. Julie with Anil and Mili with Raza, a Muslim boy. Despite the two boys being brave and supportive, the girls dread breaking the news at home. Moreover, Anil disappears one day, leaving Julie in the middle of nowhere. Mili doesn’t wish to hide anymore, Julie is looking for closure. Do they gather the courage to confront their father? Does Julie find out why Anil abandoned her? The trust between sisters, is it all that kosher after all? ‘Daughters Who Loved’ is all about looking for answers.
What works most for the book is it’s calm and soft storytelling and the very realistic approach. Be it the conversations in the household when the sisters were in school, the purity of that feeling called love, the subtlety of bottled-up emotions, traversing smoothly between the past and present, Maitabi does a great job of keeping the reader hooked, sans any melodrama.
The story has it’s generous share of mystery quotient as well. After all those promises he makes, Anil vanishes overnight. Julie is heartbroken, but why is there a lingering feeling that her family, especially Mili has something to do with it. When Raza tells Mili that he is an ethical hacker, is he hiding his true intentions? Amidst family and love, Maitabi rouses the reader’s interest with well-placed twists.
Patriarchy- a topic subtly dealt with in the story. Naren Sharma isn’t a visible tyrant, he doesn’t beat up his wife or daughters. But the control he holds over them is strong because it has been exercised over the years. And the ladies at home always complied. Fathers and their Laadli Daughters (daughters being Papa’s princesses) may perhaps be a myth in some families. Even for educated men, the daughters are the safekeepers of the family’s Izzat and reputation. Girls falling in love and marrying into a different caste or religion is an absolute no-no. And the fear that is instilled in their minds without raising a finger, is far deeper.
With ‘Daughters Who Loved’ Maitabi strikes the right balance between love, romance, family, betrayal, and suspense. At no point does the book snag, as the detailing is perfect. The narration is smooth, and the story actually makes you sit up and think, as the readers can resonate with many a matter that’s talked about. The character building is meticulous, as every character has different shades to explore. The language and vocabulary are flawless.
An emotional and realistic tale, with a sprinkling of mystery, “Daughters Who Loved’ is a Must Read. Happily recommending it to all my friends.
