Two Sisters

Author: RabindranathTagore
Translator: Nirmal Kanti Bhattacharjee
(Pp 79, ISBN 978-93-86906-66-3, Rs 150)

When there is a book by Tagore, it is sure to touch the reader profoundly. The storyline, the characters and the situations are so real that you can actually feel it happening near you.What’s more? The book is translated by none other than Nirmal Kanti Bhattacharjee, which is another feather in the cap as the book is rich in literary value as well.

Originally published as Dui Bon by Rabindranath Tagore, the book deals with the eternal conflict in the age-old ‘man-woman’ relationship, which typically arises when any one of the two partners seeks both solace and passion in a single partner and is often unable to savour the joys of both together.

The protagonist Shashanka is torn between two women – his homemaker wife Sharmila and her younger sister, the vivacious and playful Urmimala. While reading the book, reader can sense the emotions the character is going through – the love, desire, guilt, agony – a reader experiences all these emotions. Even though the story is so old, it is timeless in terms of the storyline, the portrayal of the characters and their desires and emotions. Another beautiful novella one should definitely read!

– Varsha Verma