Discovering Sudha Murty - the author

We all know her as the better half of the software entrepreneurship icon, but I just discovered Sudha Murty, the author.

During my long hiatus, about which you can read on my other blog, on my way back from Bangalore after attending Preetam bhaiya's wedding I discovered 2 books written by Sudha Murty - Mahasheta and Gently Falls the Bakula.

Easy reads and but awsome books. Had I not fallen asleep on my way back to Hyderabad, I would've definitely finished Mahashweta.

Mahashweta is a simple story which we can all relate to - struggle of a woman when she discoveres she has lucoderma and how her fairy tale wedding comes to an end and she realises the true colours of her husband and in-laws. The other book was more close to my heart - Gently Falls the Bakula.

Gently falls the Bakula is about the emptyness of a woman's life when she totally becomes her husband's shadow and how the female protoganist realises this and takes a bold decision to reconstruct her life. The book made me realise all the struggles and sacrifices my mother has happily gone through for us. And makes me want to stop her from sacrificing anymore and want everyone else around including me to do a little more than we do because its a previlege that a woman sacrifices for her family, its not her duty. This is the first time I read about a strong female protagonist.

Not a lot of stories I read, where the female protagonists are strong to rise to the challenge independently and face them successfully. Somewhere, these novels give me a reassurance that my principle of being completely independent isn't wrong. The only interesting this is that in both the stories the protagonists walk out of their marriage, sorry Mrs. Murty I'm giving away the endings. It almost feels like an indenpendent woman can't make a marriage work because her husband always feels threatened because of her fierce independent attitude. This is also a major point of difference between me and mom.

Mom always tells me that to make a marriage and a family successful, the wife has to take the backseat in terms of work and go into the shadows because one person has to look after the family and kids and nurtuting them and making them a better human being. I don't disagree that a mother has to spend more time with the kids when they are growing up, I've seen this true in our own family. Though, I don't agree with the shadow part.

A woman is most precious gift a man from God gets in his life and he should respect her and cherish her. And when there is a family, the whole family should realise her contributions and sacrifices and not take her for granted. I would love to read a book where a woman lives on her own terms and has a sucessful marriage and happy family.

Mrs. Murty, since you've seen the world more than I have, I want to ask you," Is there no reality where a woman is able to fulfil her dreams and still have a successful marriage and a happy well developed family." If there is, please write about it. I'm not very sure if a woman has to pay the price of being independent as walking out of a marriage and having no family.