Review ~ Parineeta Novel by Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay
Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay is a unique name in the world of Bengali novels. Because he has written about the joys and sorrows of Bengali life and he has presented these joys and sorrows of Bengalis to the reader in fluent and easy language. His novels are still etched in the minds of the reader. He is one of my favorite literary novelists or writers. The novel Parineeta is a romantic novel by Sarat Chandra. Here he has beautifully portrayed the compassionate portrait of a daughter's father. Here, using Gurucharan as the character, he has very skillfully portrayed the image of fathers who are burdened with daughters in society.
The author has presented a character in his novel, Gurucharan, where this man has lost everything while getting his daughters married. He lost all the resources he had to get his daughters married and finally left his last assets as a mortgage (leasing any property to someone and getting money in return) to his house, Naveen Roy, at high interest. Although he knew that there was no hope for that house. He knew that he would never be able to repay the money he had borrowed and that is why he would have to stop on the road after a few days.
The novel has two more characters, Naveen Babu and Giricharan. Their houses are next to each other. There was a lot of love between the two houses. The father, Giricharan, who was in debt for his daughter, was responsible for his sister's daughter Lalita. However, it is worth mentioning here that he loved his sister's daughter very much because the girl was an orphan who had lost her parents. That girl's name was Lalita. Although Lalita's complexion was dark, such a beautiful girl is not often found. Because of this Lalita, Naveen Roy's family had a good relationship. Since the roofs of the two families were close, the girls of the house used to travel through the roof.
Naveen Roy's wife is Bhuvaneshwari. Bhuvaneshwari, of course, loves Lalita like her own daughter. Naveen Roy's son is Shekhar. And Lalita learns her studies from Shekhar. Lalita has free access to Shekhar's house since childhood. Due to that, an unwritten right of both of them is born. Since they had a good understanding since childhood, they were very close to each other. And due to that, Lalita cannot go anywhere without Shekhar's permission. They are like good friends or very close to each other and that is why Lalita has the key to Shekhar's cupboard. Even when Lalita needed money, she would definitely open Shekhar's cupboard. But Lalita's uncle is about to sit on the road in the middle. The house is also mortgaged to Shekhar's father.
At that time, Girin, the uncle of Lalita's friend Anupama, a follower of Brahmanism, arrives. Girin was used to playing cards and through this game, Girin met Lolita. Girin felt a deep love for Lolita. Since Girin has started liking Lolita and Lolita's uncle is in debt, Girin wants to save Lolita's uncle from debt.
There is a misunderstanding between Lalita and Shekhar over Girin. Then one day when Lalita goes to Shekhar's house, Shekhar marries Lalita according to religion by exchanging garlands. But it was a complete secret that no one except the two of them could know. Girin, who is fascinated by Lalita, pays off Lalita's uncle's debt and frees the house from mortgage. But in the meantime, Lalita's uncle changes his religion with great difficulty and accepts Girin's Brahmin religion. He is known as a sinner by the society. When Naveen Babu cannot take possession of Gurucharan's house, he satisfies his anger by stopping the two houses from traveling together for the crime of putting lime on Dharma.
In the context of these events, the writer, with great anger, says in the guise of Gurucharan, "It is better to be born in such a society, you can live in peace whether you eat or not. I don't need that society, which doesn't understand the sorrow of the unfortunate, doesn't give courage in danger, only turns a blind eye and holds my throat. I don't need that society. I don't need a poor person like me either. This society belongs to the rich." Girin's marriage to Lalita is arranged by Girin. Lalita asks Shekhar about what she should do.
But Shekhar realizes his mistake by then that he cannot marry Lalita and cannot go against her father, so he runs away from Lalita. The arrogant Lalita also doesn't say anything else. Meanwhile, Shekhar's marriage is also arranged somewhere else. Due to various events, Lalita's maternal uncle dies at one point and Shekhar's father Naveen Roy also dies. Girin does not marry Lalita again. Because Lalita introduces herself as married to Girin. And Girin, to keep Gurucharan Babu's word, marries his daughter, Lalita's cousin Kali. They come back to Kolkata a few days before Shekhar's wedding to sell the house.
Shekhar, who could not accept the marriage of Lalita, thinks Lalita is guilty. He thinks that Lalita may have married Girin. Later, Shekhar learns everything from Girin. At the same time, he corrects his mistake. He tells his mother Bhuvaneshwari that Lalita is his daughter-in-law and Shekhar will not marry anywhere else. This is where the author draws a happy ending and the novel ends in the midst of this happy ending.