Into the life of Parsis

THE brief biographical write-up on Meher Pestonji in Mixed Marriage, a collection of her stories, proclaims her as a non- conformist, one who is ready to confront the closed, conservative life that most Parsis lead. The stories substantiate the claim made by her and take the reader into the largely westernised, extremely close-knit world of a community which allows no converts because of a promise made by the ancestors when they first came to India fleeing from Muslims in Persia.

What happens when a Parsi marries or wants to marry a non-Parsi? In "Games" Pestonji attempts to show how even so-called liberal Parsis discourage their friends from marrying outside the community. When a young man is defiant enough to marry outside the community, his wife is constantly made to feel that she is different and inferior. This reviewer feels that this mindset is not limited to Parsis, most communities and privileged classes behave in a similar fashion. A sympathetic mother-in-law like Avabai might help to improve the situation for her daughter-in- law who is inevitably ridiculed especially if and when she tries to assert herself as in "Mixed marriage."

Pestonji tackles the Parsi-on Parsi confrontation from different angles generally to reveal the insularity of a small community, trying hard to protect its identity and not get submerged in a larger Indian one. If one has ever stayed with a Parsi friend or visited one of the Parsi neighbourhoods of Mumbai, one knows what I am talking about. A very interesting story in this context is "Riot" possibly written during or after the riots in Mumbai and based on Pestonji's personal experience as a social activist. The story ends on a positive note when Rasna is escorted to safety by a young Shiv Sainik who advises her to apply a red tikka on her forehead the next time she came to Koliwada. "She wondered whether the boy was a Sainik by choice or compulsion. In her inner world it didn't really matter."

One is tempted to compare Meher Pestonji with Bapso Sidhwa especially the latter's first novel Crow Eaters, a hilarious work on Parsis. While both the writers give the insider's view of the community, Sidhwa's work is pure fun whereas Pestonji's writings often have an ironic edge and are firmly grounded in contemporary Mumbai where the community is largely based. The stories are set against the Mumbai cityspace and the traditions and customs of the community woven subtly into the text.

A theme that recurs in some of the stories is the community's attitude to charity in theory and in practice when the nitty grities come in. "It's criminal! The way old people are treated in this country makes my blood boil." Jehangir can rave and rant about the absence of social security in India in "Raghu" and offers to shelter a homeless person. But when it comes to coping with differences in Raghu's living habits, his impatience and irritation is uncharitable. Similarly, Hormazd takes interest in the medical problems of Shiva in "Growing up" only to impress Malini. Even making the effort to locate Shiva to take him to the doctor, irritates him and when he hears that the young boy makes money sometimes through "bhai-cara" (an euphemism for sodomy) he is outraged.

A story like "The Verdict" has universal appeal and depicts a tricky situation often faced by parents. In the Parsi context it has special significance because of the genetic defects caused to some extent by inbreeding. The concluding story "Last Stop" tells about Khorshed's revolt against her kin, her life in a poor Muslim neighbourhood and later, her return to the fold. Apart from an assertion of her independence, one wonders if there is much to the story.

The emphasis in all the stories is on the narrative. The life of Parsis, most of them affluent, in a metro city like Mumbai comes across well. The life of Parsis in a middle class housing complex like those on Tardeo Road is not so cushy, at least what I have seen of it. The author writes from her own experience and takes up the segment of society she is familiar with. She focuses on telling the story and the characters are therefore types rather than individuals, generally speaking. At times when she focusses on character interaction as in "Mixed marriage" the story has depth and leaves an impact on the reader. One hopes Pestonji's will write a full length novel on Parsis, juxtaposing her experiences as a social activist with those of life in a privileged minority community.

Mixed Marriage And Other Parsi Stories: Meher Pestonji, HarperCollins, Rs. 150.

PURABI PANWAR

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