Water: A Novel (Bapsi Sidwha)

by Bapsi Sidhwa

  pallav the end of a sari which is thrown over the shoulder

  pandal a platform on which weddings take place

  pandit a Brahmin priest

  pheras ceremonial circles made around wedding fires or funeral pyres

  pradip oil lamp

  pujari a Hindu priest

  puris fried discs made out of flour

  purohit priest

  raag Indian classical tune

  Radha name of a goddess

  raj reign, or rule

  Raja Ramohan Roy a social activist

  Ram a name for God

  Ramayana a holy Hindu text

  Ram Naam Satya Hai religious chant meaning “Ram, your name is truth”

  rasgullas cheesecake balls soaked in syrup

  Rawalpur a fictitious city in the story

  sadhu Hindu holy man

  sari palu the end of the sari which lies over the shoulder

  sarkar government

  sati a ritual in which a Hindu widow cremates herself on her husband’s funeral pyre

  saubhagyavati fortunate

  seths land owning gentry

  Shashthi goddess of childbirth

  Shiva a major Indian god

  sindoor the red paste applied along the part of a married woman’s hair

  Sindoor Daan container for the sindoor (red paste); also the ceremony in which the red paste is applied to a bride for the first time

  Sita Ram’s wife, symbolizing purity

  stri-dharma wifely duties

  stri-svavahava a woman’s lustful aspect

  sumangali married woman

  takth raised seating platform

  thali a round metal platter

  tikka a red mark on the forehead, worn by men and women; also a piece of jewellery that decorates the forehead

  tulsi a plant considered holy by the Hindus (basil)

  Tulsi Ghat name of a specific ghat

  Upanishads Hindu holy texts

  uptan turmeric paste considered auspicious

  Vedas Hindu holy texts

  Vriddha Hirata religious text

  Acknowledgements

  When Canadian publisher Anna Porter asked me if I would turn Deepa Mehta’s film Water into a novel in three months—to time it with the film’s release in the US—I was hesitant. I had never written within the confines of a structured story before, or the constraint of time. Deepa sent me the film script: it told a stunning story. She also sent me an early edit of her film, and it took my breath away. The songs by A.R. Rahman were enchanting. I agreed to give it a try.

  I was able to complete the novel in time only because Deepa’s film Water is so well-structured, and it is underpinned by a complex density of feeling and information that helped me enrich and embellish the narrative. The excellent portrayal by all the actors was of enormous help with the characterizations. Sarala, who plays an eight-year-old child widow, was a joy to portray, as was the veteran actress Manorama in her role as the redoubtable ruler of the ashram. Seema Biswas plays a pivotal role in the film with passion and credibility. The gorgeous Lisa Ray, and the equally gorgeous John Abraham, will have audiences rooting for them with their poignant performances.

  I would also like to acknowledge my debt to Heidi Boyd, who transcribed the film frame by frame and pried out details that facilitated the writing of the novel. I also thank Janie Yoon, my editor at Key Porter, for her valuable suggestions and encouragement, Tanaz Sunawala and Keya Mitra for their readiness to help, and Baku Karmani for her astute suggestions. I thank my husband, Noshir, for taking care of so many day-to-day matters while I was immersed in the writing.

  I need to mention Delip Mehta, who recreated the burning ghats afresh in Sri Lanka, and made it possible for me to describe the landscape and fix the locale. He has added a dimension of beauty to the film, which in turn is brilliantly mirrored by the cinematographer Giles Nuttgens.

  This is where I acknowledge my debt to Bibhutibhushan Bandopadhyay’s magnificent novel Pather Panchali, which provided me with a feel for Chuyia’s earlier life and surroundings. I also found Widows in India, edited by Martha Alter Chen, very helpful regarding the customs and traditions governing the treatment of widows in Indian society.

  I undertook this project only because of my enormous respect for Deepa as a filmmaker and a friend. I previously worked with her on her 1999 film Earth, which was based on my novel, Cracking India, or Ice-Candy-Man. The film Earth, or 1947, was the second in Deepa’s trilogy, following the controversial Fire. Water completes the trilogy, and I’m honoured to be a small part of her dynamic vision.

  About the Author

  BAPSI SIDHWA is the internationally acclaimed, award-winning author of four novels: An American Brat, Cracking India, The Bride and The Crow Eaters. She is also the editor of the anthology City of Sin and Splendour: Writings on Lahore (2005). Her work has been published in ten countries and has been translated into several languages. Among her many honours, Sidhwa has received the Bunting Fellowship at Radcliffe/Harvard, the Lila Wallace Reader’s Digest Writer’s Award, the Sitara-i-Imtiaz, Pakistan’s highest national honour in the arts, and the LiBeraturepreis in Germany. She has also been inducted into the Zoroastrian Hall of Fame. Cracking India, a New York Times Notable Book of the Year, was made into the film Earth by internationally acclaimed director Deepa Mehta. It was also listed as one of the best books in English published since 1950 by the Modern Library. Born in Karachi, Pakistan and brought up in Lahore, Pakistan, Sidhwa now lives in Houston, Texas.