LADIES COUPE

LADIES COUPE By Anita Nair

Ladies Coupe – Anita Nair

“ Among the five elements that constitute life, I classify myself as water. Water that moistens. Water that heals. Water that forgets. Water that accepts. Water that flows tirelessly. Water that also destroys. For the power to dissolve and destroy is as much a part of being water as wetness is “

- A beautiful metaphorical characterization that caught my eye.

This book entails a story of a middle aged woman in a quest to find answers to questions that perplex her. Questions that resonate with the thoughts every woman ponders at least once in her life.

The word “expectation” takes a different meaning when it comes to a woman. The word transforms itself into a meaning that insinuates Duty or Responsibility. It’s appalling how the society has a rule book ready with emphatic guidelines on how a woman should lead her life. Even more appalling is the fact that anyone who as much as dares to cross lines with it, is subjected to punitive repercussions by her own loved ones.

Anita Nair, beautifully knits together the story of five women who meet in a ladies coupe. It’s magical, how she curates the intricacies of joys and pain in life. With each woman having a radically different story to tell, this book unfolds blatantly the stringent and pathetic realities of life. Through her stories, Anita Nair, gives a bird’s eye view of the prejudices that still are prevalent in our society. This book induces a sense of integrity towards ourselves, that it makes us question if the by so far customs and practices that we have been following all the while in the name of culture and tradition are actually justifiable.

Moreover, it serves as a gentle reminder to the readers to live life once for themselves, isolating from the forever hostile society.