by Anita Nair
The hurt she has caused him eats into her. And she wonders, does God punish us for our sins or does he leave it to us to punish ourselves?
The house is quiet. So is her heart.
The child in Radha grows. A child who fills every step and hour of hers with wonder. She loves it already, and it is this love she wears as a talisman.
She leans back in the rocking chair. She has time enough to think of what she wants to do with her life. She has time to count her joys and blessings. She has time.
She rests her hands in her lap. And she rocks herself ever so gently.
Acknowledgements
Help and support were extended to me by many as I wrote this book:
The Kerala Kalamandalam, which allowed me to enrol as a short-term student.
K. Gopalakrishnan, Assistant Professor, Kathakali, at the Kerala Kalamandalam, who led me through the alleys and hallways of kathakali to make me understand the many dimensions of this art form. Apart from the academic point of view, what Aashaan also gave so generously of was the weight of his experience, his understanding and reminiscences and, most importantly, an insight into what it is to be a kathakali artist. I am deeply grateful to him for instilling in me the courage to attempt writing about kathakali. Without him, this book would have remained a mere idea.
Nalini Suryawanshi, who took me on a tour of the deep south of Tamil Nadu and kindled my imagination to move into realms I wouldn’t have reached otherwise; her father, the late Dr Thomas Gyanamuthu, who shared with me his experiences as a doctor in Thoothukudi in the 1930s.
Dr P.K. Sunil, who patiently researched all that I asked him to, and gave me pointers to work on.
Patrick Wilson and Enrique Murillo, who delved into their memories of London in the late sixties and early seventies and made them available for me to unabashedly draw from.
Babu Nainan, who gifted me a copy of the Bible; Ashish Khokar and Dominic Vitalyos, who sent me the right kathakali books at the right time, making a veritable difference.
Kalamandalam Vasu Pisharody and Kaladharan, who made the time to answer every query with patience and, sometimes, barely concealed amusement.
Laura Susijn, literary agent, for her active encouragement and sustained support.
Karthika V.K., for being the kind of editor one dreams of: she saw all that I did and helped make it better.
Jayanth Kodkani, Rebecca Carter and Enrique Murillo, first readers who thrust aside my doubts and propelled the book forward.
Dimpy and Suresh Menon, whose love and friendship have been a mainstay, for drawing me into their inner circle and propping up my spirits each time they flagged.
Waseem Khan with his camera and Gita Krishnankutty with her insightful translations, for pitching in so readily and with such enthusiasm.
In countless ways, there were:
Anand, Sumentha and Franklin Bell, Francesca Diano, Amy Eshoo, Achuthan Kudallur, Carmen Lavin, Prasanna, Rajeswari Amma, Rajini, Bala Sethi, Jayapriya Vasudevan, and Vishwas.
My parents Soumini and Bhaskaran, who have always supported all that I have done and do.
Unni, who with great patience accepts that art is a jealous mistress.
Sugar—shadow, foot warmer and love guru.
And Maitreya—companion and writer’s best friend, for putting everything into perspective.
ALSO BY ANITA NAIR
The Better Man (1999)
Ladies Coupé (2001)
Where the Rain Is Born: Writings About Kerala (ed.) (2003)
The Puffin Book of World Myths and Legends (2004)
ANITA NAIR
Anita Nair lives in Bangalore and Mundakotukurussi, Kerala. Her books have been translated into over twenty-five languages around the world. Visit her at www.anitanair.net.
The Kathakali Lexicon
Sringaaram Love
Haasyam Contempt
Karunam Sorrow
Raudram Fury
Veeram Valour
Bhayaanakam Fear
Beebhalsam Disgust
Adbhutam Wonder
Shaantam Detachment
Abharam Mica dust
Alarcha Roar
Attakalasham A complex dance sequence in kathakali
Chundapoo Solanum pubesscuce
Chutti Built-up facial frame attached to the performer’s face
Chuvanna thaadi Red Beard; an indication that the character is evil
Kalari Place of training; gymnasium
Kannu-saadhakam Eye exercises
Katthi Knife; an indication that the character is both arrogant and evil and yet has some redeeming qualities, usually a streak of nobility
Mallan Wrestler
Mannola Yellow pigment applied to the performer’s face
Minukkuvesham Radiant or shining; an indication that the character is gentle and has spiritual qualities.
Included are female heroines, brahmins, sages, etc.
Noku Piercing glance
Ooku Vigour
Pachcha Green; an indication that the character is a hero, refined and with high morals. Divine beings, kings and epic heroes wear this make-up.
Padingiya padam Slow song
Pagarcha Imposing stature
Pazhuppu Ripeness or yellow; a special make-up used for specific divine characters
Pettikaaran Greenroom assistant. Literal translation: box-carrier. The box refers to the costume and make-up box.
Sringaara padam Love song
Tirasheela Curtain
Vallan Synonym for Bheema
Veshakaaran Actor
Vesham Role
Yuddha padam Battle song
Bibliography
The Kathakali Complex, Philip Zarrilli; Abhinav Publications, New Delhi, 1984.
Cholliyattam, Volume 1 & 2, Kalamandalam Padmanabhan Nair; Kerala Kalamandalam, Vallathol Nagar, 2000.
Nalacharitam Attaprakaram, Kalamandalam Krishnan Nair; Kerala Sangeet Natak Akademi, Thrissur, 1984.
Keralatthile Pakshikal, Induchoodan; Kerala Sahitya Akademi, Thrissur, 1958.
A Classic Dictionary of Hindu Mythology and Religion, John Dowson; Rupa & Co, New Delhi, 1982.
MISTRESS. Copyright © 2005 by Anita Nair. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews. For information, address St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010.
Extracts from Letters to His Son Lucien by Camille Pissarro, carried on p. 77, are from the edition published by Kegan Paul, Trench, Trubner & Co Ltd, 1943; “The Shadow Times” by Dom Moraes, carried on p. 214, is taken from Typed with One Finger, published by Yeti Books, 2002; “Final Act” by Rainer Maria Rilke, carried on p. 336, is translated by Bruce Gatenby.
While every effort has been made to trace copyright holders and obtain permission, this has not been possible in all cases; any omissions brought to our attention will be remedied in future editions.
www.stmartins.com
First published in India by the Penguin Books India
eISBN 9781429998710
First eBook Edition : April 2011
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Nair, Anita.
Mistress : a novel / Anita Nair.—1st St. Martin’s Griffin ed.
p. cm.
ISBN-13: 978-0-312-34947-9
ISBN-10: 0-312-34947-5
1. Travel writers—Fiction. 2. Dancers—Fiction. 3. Triangles (Interpersonal relations)—Fiction. 4. Kerala (India)—Fiction. I. Title.
PR9499.3.N255M57 2006
823’.92—dc22
2006040024
First St. Martin’s Griffin Edition: August 2006
= " -webkit-filter: grayscale(100%); -moz-filter: grayscale(100%); -o-filter: grayscale(100%); -ms-filter: grayscale(100%); filter: grayscale(100%); " class="sharethis-inline-share-buttons">share