TREAD SOFTLY
By
NANDITA BOSE
At the heart of this story
lies a woman, Paroma who is stuck in a marriage that has been in a crumbling
state right from the time it found its existence. Readers come to know that the
girl had already been rejected by a man earlier and was then married off to his
older step-brother, Abhinn.
To Paroma, the issue of
marrying the younger brother or the elder one doesn’t matter at all because she
is well aware of the degree of control she exercises on her life’s decisions.
She always knew that she had been reared for this day and when that day comes
she would have to marry a stranger and no matter how bad or worse the
relationship turns out to be, she would be the sole person responsible for
making it a success.
Therefore, she gives the best
she could to the relationship only to find that she cannot and will not succeed
in her endeavours. Well, no matter how badly I am tempted to reveal the entire
story to you, I don’t want to be a spoiler. Readers must read the book
themselves to find out what lies in store for them.
The entire journey with Paroma
and Nandita Bose can be best described as insightful. You must not expect to
meet a woman who outlives readers’ expectations, develops into a power-oriented
character and breaks free of the conventional societal brackets that have been
imposed on her by the patriarchal setup. Paroma is a lovely character because
of her innocence and simplicity and these are the very virtues by means of
which she succeeds in making a dent in her readers’ hearts.
Overall, the author has taken
a very realistic and insightful dig into her characters’ lives in her novel.
‘Tread Softly’ is infused with a magic that leaves the readers aghast with its
simplicity, be it the choice of words, the characters, or the story itself.
Rating: ☆☆☆☆1/2
~Overview~
Paroma had always
known that she would have to submit to her family's choice of a suitable groom.
It really ought not have mattered which brother she eventually ended up
marrying. As the replacement groom, the older stepbrother, Abhinn, was a curt
stranger on whom was thrust an onerous duty — the wedding and Paroma, herself.
Witnessing his
lifestyle first-hand, she found their lives irreconcilable. Mamun, his aunt,
was voluble in her utter disapproval of their match. If anything had compelled
Paroma's acceptance of the situation, it was an implicit understanding of her
background: of the societal pressures on her parents and the prodding
small-mindedness of Manoharpur. Ultimately these considerations defeated her
and she returned to her household in Kolkata temporarily, in her Quest for an
alternative foothold.
As her fledgling
bookstore grew, so did Abhinn's unmistakable romance with Geetika. These are
the facts. And beyond bare facts are the lives touched by the magic of
proximities and their infinite contradictions.
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