Menaka's choice by Kavita Kane

"Menaka's choice" by Kavita Kane. This book is published by Rupa Publications in 2016 and has 290 pages. This is Kavita's third book.

As the title suggests, this is the story of Menaka, the most beautiful celestial Apsara. An Apsara who dares to live and dares to marry against the law.

Indra feels very territorial about Menaka but she is in love with Vishwa Vasu, King of Gandharva's. He curses him to become Kabandh, a demon, and banishes him to earth on a flimsy pretext. Menaka is incensed and distraught but helpless. The tussel between Indra and Menaka is the main stay of first half and her torrid romance with Vishwamitra and then her choice forms second half of the book.

Author has tried to bring forth the plight of Apsaras, who were created to entice, seduce, dance and entertain in short creatures of pleasure. They were not supposed to develop feelings for anyone. Neither marriage nor children were for them. So despite living in heaven they lived a cursed life.

Menaka is most beautiful of the Apsaras, she is intelligent, quick thinker, confident and knows her craft very well. Despite being part of Indra's court she does not subjugate herself. She is feisty, fiercely loyal and ready to go to any length for her love and loved ones.

When Indra comes to take Menaka away from Vishwamitra, her arguments and subtle prodding and inciting fear in Indra to drive him towards decision she wanted is the high point of this book.

Author purports the theory that Menaka left Vishwamitra on her own accord, not because Shakuntala was born or because she wanted to return to heaven but because she felt guilty that Vishwamitra deviated from his goal of becoming Brahmarshi because of love and lust for her. She loved him so much that she let him go. It was a choice she made.

Since it's the story of Menaka, the most beautiful seductress, it has to be erotic. And so it is. But the romantic scenes are not vulgar.

Special mention should go to the book cover where a sensuous bare back Menaka is shown from behind.

Although this book is good, it is not as good as the two previous books of this author.

Recommend reading.

Sita's sister by Kavita Kane

"Sita's sister" by Kavita Kane. This book is published by Rupa & Co in Mar 2014 and has 320 pages.

Everyone knows Ramayan. How Kaikeyi sent Ram to forest for Vanvas (वनवास) and how Sita and Lakshman voluntarily spent 14 years with Ram in the forest. But very little is known about Urmila, Lakshman's wife and Sita's sister; who spent all those years alone in Ayodhya.

Kavita has highlighted a character that is mostly ignored by history. How was Urmila? What did she feel when Lakshman left her? How did she cope? What did she do for 14 years? What was her contribution?

The book is about Urmila. Her life was divided distinctly in three parts. One before marriage, One during Ram's Vanvas and one after their return to Ayodhya. Author has covered first in detail, second in time leaps and third in epilogue. Second part should have got more page space.

Urmila is one of the most unfortunate characters of Ramayan. Sita was with her husband, Urmila was away from Lakshman. It was very easy to portray her as a tragedy queen and cry horse about the injustice meted out to her by making the book melodramatic. However author has commendably avoided such temptation and portrayed her in a different light.

Author has portrayed Urmila as the binding force of the house. She is fiercely loyal to her loved ones, has quick temper, is a learned pandit, is a good painter, is hopelessly in love with Lakshman, doesn't shy from speaking out her mind and has firm opinions.

Urmila asks some difficult questions to Raghuvanshi's and gurus on Chitrakoot (चित्रकुट) parvat, when Bharat and everyone else goes to request Ram to come back to Ayodhya. This section is a masterpiece of argument. Author has put forth arguments by Urmila that have no answers. Her anguish and anger are genuine.

Author has glorified Kaikeyi and her actions in the book unnecessarily. Unnecessarily not because I did not like it, but because it digresses from the topic of Urmila. The story or its impact would not have altered without it.

Characters of four sisters Sita, Urmila, Mandavi, Shutkirti and Lakshman, Kaikeyi, Kausalya, Sumitra are very well developed. Bharat and Shatrughna remain under developed. The story is nicely paced with occasional slow down. End seemed a little hastened.

Sita plays a very small part in the story of Urmila in this book, but still the book is called Sita's sister. Probably only because Sita is more famous, but it's unfair to Urmila. It appears to be a populist, rather than meaningful, title. Was it done to match with her previous book 'Karna's wife'?

Good book. Recommend reading.

For complete review, please visit:
Mandar's Book reviews
http://mandarbookreviews.blogspot.com/

Karna's wife by Kavita Kane

"Karna's wife : The outcast's queen" debut novel of Kavita Kane. This book is published by Rupa Publications India in Aug 2013 and has 295 pages.

Uruvi princess of Pukeya & daughter of King Vahusha and Queen Shubra was a beautiful, brilliant, kind, brutally frank, lively and tempestuous lady. She fell in love with Karna at first sight. When her Swayamwar was due she declared her intention to marry him. Obviously there was a lot of resistance from her parents to marry a low cast and be at the receiving end of insults and ignominy of the society. Moreover Karna was already married and had 6-7 sons. Despite all the attempts to convince her otherwise, she had her way and married Karna to become his second wife (His first wife was Vrushali).

Karna is a classic case of a capable, kind and brave person yearning for recognition. Uruvi understands this, worships Karna for what he is, is indignant about the injustice meted out to him, wants his well but is unable to save him from clutches of Duryodhan and his definition of 'right'.

Uruvi can not believe that Karna can stoop so low during Draupadi's disrobing (वस्त्रहरण) and wants to leave Karna. Author has given an interesting angle to the tale at this juncture that Draupadi and Kunti try to persuade Uruvi not to leave Karna. Her father eventually succeeds in convincing her but can not make her go back to him. This section (her father's speech) is a master piece of wisdom and full marks to the author for putting up such a convincing argument. Another master piece is Uruvi's spirited berating of Bhishma Pitamah for allowing unspeakable and unpardonable things to happen under his watch and not trying to stop them from happening.

It was very brave of Uruvi to marry Karna for love. She knew that he will always be considered inferior due to his parentage and will always be insulted. She being his wife will have the receive same treatment and would be additionally hated by Khsatriyas for choosing a low cast over them. Her anger and sorrow know no bound after Karna's despicable behavior at Wastraharan.

Interestingly, author has emphasized that Karna new the outcome of impending war and his inevitable death since the Draupadi vastraharan fiasco. Uruvi loves him, wishes him well but can not change his destiny.

Mahabharata is full of larger than life characters. It is very difficult to establish an unknown character in the same story and  and that too a central character, in the melee of such personalities. Author has mostly succeeded in this attempt.

I don't know if the character of Uruvi existed in Mahabharata or its a fictional character created by Kavita. As I remember Karna's second wife was Supriya.

A good book. Recommend reading.