Ladka Hua Hai: Men Crushed Between Duties and Feminism

Testing Acharya Jagannatha's literary definition—'रमणीयार्थ-प्रतिपादक: शब्द: काव्यं'—against the touchstone of modernity, it can be said: "Literature is the structured presentation of ideas giving a beautiful meaning, encompassing the sentiments of public welfare, and realistically portraying social aspects."

Viewed from this perspective, Jyoti Tiwari’s short story collection 'Larka Hua Hai' is a commendable endeavor to bring into full reality the destiny of the male class—crushed between the disintegration of families across various backgrounds, ego in relationships, the adverse consequences of taking only one's son's or daughter's side without regard for truth, falsehood, or outcomes, a slack judicial system, pseudo-feminism, and other problems of domestic life (such as a girl's mistrust of her mother-in-law and sister-in-law in her marital home and her longing for absolute loyalty and respect from her sister-in-law in her parental home, turning away from the familial environment and reality to journey into an imaginary realm, and forming false notions in her mind simply on the word of others, etc.). While several stories in the collection will fill you with a sense of futility, some will force you to think on a deep level; a few will shake you to your core and moisten your eyes. On the plane of sensitivity, the major problem of modern society has been effortlessly brought to the fore by Jyoti ji, which—in the words of Shri Rahul Tripathi, who penned the introduction to the book 'Larka Hua Hai'—is reflected in the contradictions of "freedom in the family" and "freedom from the family."

Craft has played a pivotal role in raising the problems of modern society and conveying the stories to the general reader. The use of Hindi, Urdu, and English words from everyday parlance in simple, effortless, and flowing language has enhanced its comprehensibility, and the collection's simple and natural characters feel like familiar characters from one's neighborhood, creating a connection between the reader and the stories. Furthermore, the plot of all the stories is also extremely simple and feels connected to the events of our own lives. The author’s philosophy also does not appear to be imposed on the stories, but rather dissolved within the works. An occasional line of philosophy certainly appears in between, but that philosophy is not the author's personal opinion; rather, it is a common understanding based on experiences—such as these lines from the fourth story, 'Azadi Ka Sapna':

"When we are going through some deep trauma or grief within, we try to (thus) drive away that grief or trauma by turning it into an adventure."

To put it comprehensively, the short story collection 'Larka Hua Hai' gives the reader an effortless experience of reality. On the one hand, some of its stories evoke the absurd life and sense of futility found in the thoughts of Jean-Paul Sartre and Camus, while on the other hand, they evoke the extreme realism of Premchand.

Jyoti Tiwari is a men's rights activist, author, and engages in work connected to social concerns. Her book ‘Anuurag‘ has been a bestseller.

-Anurag Pathak

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