By Rajshri Raajgopal. Grade A+
Sometimes, personal tragedy makes a person express himself/herself through the medium of the written word to exorcise ghosts of the past. Sometimes, one needs a creative medium to help heal one’s wounds. This is what the author of Boomerang does in the novel and well. With a sad and unbearable marital life in her past, Rajshri Raaajagopal has made a courageous effort to live life afresh with renewed vigour. And this is evident in her book, Boomerang.
Boomerang
Set in a scenic village on the outskirts of Trivandrum, the capital of Kerala, this is the story of the struggles of a woman in its hostile society. The journey of Anna through her battle for freedom from an unhappy household, her first love, a debilitating marriage and a stressful divorce shows the reader how difficult life is for a young woman even in this modern era. Her re-marriage is a blessing in every way but it comes with a curse too … Anna finds an unusual friend who is determined to destroy her new life
The novel takes you headlong into the mire of life, the hostility of a mean society and a stressful lifestyle of a modern woman. The novel pushes you into the life of a woman struggling to survive in a loveless, demeaning marriage. The novel hurtles you into a battleground of superficial standards, meaningless values and dreams crushed under the wheels of a life gone haywire.
“Standing lone on my side of the battlefield
Frightening eyes scaling a threatening horizon
With only a strong heart for a steel shield
The bloody sun had risen
Its rays, burning arrows, preparing to consume me…..”
Anna, the protagonist of Boomerang is forced into marrying into a particular family largely on the insistence of her drunkard father and the man who professes that he loves her but about whom she herself has her doubts. However, unable to bear the ostracisation that her family, especially her Christian mother faces for having married a Hindu man who is an utter failure in life, Anna gives in. And then, her torture begins. Keeping a facade of an extremely religious Christian family, her in-laws, including her husband, torment her immensely.
You might wonder what kind of review is this that reveals the whole plot? But friends, the story has just begun, something like “picture abhi baaki hai mere dost” (the movie is still left to be seen, my friend) from Shahrukh Khan’s movie, Om Shanthi Om. Anna’s torturous life appears to be coming to an end on the appearance of somebody who promises freedom. Will she get the promised freedom? Ever? That’s where the boomerang steps in bringing with it an unexpected twist. While the story begins in the middle of nowhere and we are left wandering/wondering in no man’s land, suddenly, the reliever of all troubles surrounds Anna. She is promised hope. But, it comes with a price somewhat like Shylock’s demand from Bassanio. Will she be able to pay such a price? Will the sacrifice be worth it all? Who is this person who wishes to help Anna? Is the person as good-intentioned as claimed? Does the person exist at all? Or, is it just a figment of her imagination arising from her subconscious fears and desires?
The novel stands out for its story plot, a realistic portrayal of a modern woman’s predicament in a society bent on making her follow the roles just to appease its ego at the cost of the woman’s self respect and life itself. The author is to be appreciated for introducing an unique element in the story that weaves the thread of twilight hope amidst chilling suspense.
Read the book to find out who has the last word.
