The relationship Aparna has with Pranab Kaku is very different in many regards from what she has with her husband. The two shared the same love for poetry, film, music, and leftist politics, and back in Bengal, Aparna and Pranab Kaku came from the same North Calcutta neighborhood. After being introduced to the family and gaining the welcome of Aparna and her husband, Pranab Kaku is the type that enjoys interacting with ladies. Unlike Aparna’s husband, “he appeared without warning, never phoning beforehand….calling out ‘Boudi’ as he waited for my mother to let him in” (Lahiri 245). With the interaction between Aparna and Pranab, she falls in love with him, knowing well that the strong connection she has for Pranab will never be shared. Usha, the daughter, says that before Pranab, her mother always looked forward to escaping their apartment. However, after meeting Pranab, her mother was always in the kitchen rolling out dough, a thing she did for her father and her on Sundays. Pranab’s introduction to Aparna’s life impacts her life and results in the inner turmoil of a wedded lady who is in love with someone else.
Compared to Pranab, Aparna’s husband was a man who preferred working over interacting. Usha says, “my father was a monkish by nature, a lover of solitude” (Lahiri 245). Shyamal Da hated conversations and spent most of his time focusing on his work. As a workaholic, he did not allow Aparna to enjoy herself, unlike Pranab. Aparna never had the opportunity for picnics and the two never shared playful debates about anything. Aparna’s husband appears to have been married to her to please his parents. Despite being married, Aparna quickly replaces Shyamal Da with Pranab since he is more interactive than he ever was.
Work Cited
Lahiri, Jhumpa. Hell-heaven. Knopf Canada, 2015.