Book Review of The Leaving of Things by Jay Ananti
The Leaving of Things by Jay Antani is the story of a boy named
Vikram whose family, after residing in the U.S. for more than 10 years, returns
to India to settle. Leaving behind his friends and a promising future back in
States itself was hard for him, though he considers himself greatly responsible
for his father’s decision to shift to Ahmedabad. Though the prospect of his
father having a permanent employment looked dim, the family hadn’t decided to
leave, because they wanted a future for their children – Vikram and Anand. One
incident changed that. Vikram, who was returning from a party, was quite drunk.
He also had some weed with him. Vikram was picked up by a patrol car. His
parents were called. Next morning he had some arguments with his parents. It
was then that his father decided to move to India. However, Vikram became
repentant and became more responsible. His grades improved. But the damage had
already been done. One day his father called and told them that he got a
position in Ahmedabad. What followed inevitably was a cultural shock for both
Vikram and his brother. Anand, though he was quite apprehensive about the new
place, seemed to adapt to his new life gradually, whereas for Vikram it became
more and more difficult each day. Though the decision of returning to India was
entirely his father’s, it was Vikram who lost more than most of the others. He
lost all the familiar places, friendly faces and everything he held dear. He
and his girlfriend Shannon decided the break up. He knew it was inevitable, but
when it happened he discovered he was less prepared than Shannon. The
pollution, the chaos, the corruption – they bothered him. He tried to continue
his studies, but the syllabus looked irrelevant and outdated. The hypocrisy in
the system was too conspicuous to be ignored. Intermingling of boys and girls
in a class was a big no-no, but it was okay for a college clerk to openly ask
for bribe. The surprisingly low ethical standard among the people often shocked
him. But what shocked him the most was the fatalism with which that people in
India have accepted this deterioration as a part of their life.
The Leaving of Things by Jay Antani gives you an India through
the point of view of Vikram. It is dismal, but realistic. Some people like Hemant
Uncle are still hopeful. “One day, India
will change,” he told Vikram, “It
will take time. Twenty years, fifty years, hundred years, but it is inevitable.
People cannot live like this forever.” Some others, like Dharmanshu Uncle had
stronger and angrier opinions. He said
the government was corrupt and useless and succeeded only in making life
difficult for everyone, and if you had a shred of ambition, it was best to get
out of the country. Corruption, he said, was harder to erase than caste and
most people have been either indifferent or complicit. Vikram could relate more
to Dharmanshu Uncle. Though the fire was almost smothered, but there were
sparks of resentment that was similar to his own anger. “Get rid of all the politicians and Hindu-Muslim zealots, wipe out all
trace of this mess we have made these past thousand years. That’s the only hope
India has if it’s going to have future,” said Dharmanshu, “Start from the scratch. Too hopeless now
the way it is.” He had dreams too, Vikram noticed, but it was disheartening
to hear about them now, because every time he mentioned them, he did it in past
tense. In him Vikram saw himself in another 30 years. It was not that Vikram
hadn’t tried to pursue his dreams here in India. But it meant waiting
indefinitely on a long and winding route. His application was accepted by one
university in Wisconsin. But the news only placed him in a more difficult
position, because it came at a time when his mother was diagnosed cancer. Little
did he know that his life was about to take a completely new direction.
The Leaving of Things by Jay Antani is about the things you miss
when you try to move on. It is also an honest portrayal of a country through
the eyes of an outsider who is trying hard to be a part of it. Perhaps, he is
trying too hard, or, maybe he is resisting it too hard – at some point they
become synonymous. People, who return from abroad to settle in this country, can
easily relate to the characters and incidents. The story is long and has
details that are painstakingly minute. At times it feels more like a travelogue
than a fiction. Some details are essential because it rationalises Vikram’s
responses. Some are unnecessary and could be left out. For example, in Chapter
19, there was an elaborate description of how Vikram brewed tea for his father,
an omission of which could have made the literature more compact, lean. One
might also find the character of Vikram too mature, too philosophical for his
age. However, we have to remember that he had been educated by a system where
critical thinking is highly encouraged. What might surprise us as his
philosophical reflections, were actually the responses of a critical mind at
work. His disappointments, dilemmas, sarcasm and even his vulnerabilities – are
only natural reactions for someone in his position. The Leaving of Things is a
beautiful work of fiction by Jay Antani, despite its length, which is substantial;
I was able to finish it in about 4 hours.
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