Ruth Vanita’s debut novel Memory of Light has pushed the boundaries of Indian queer literature. A critical addition to this nascent genre, it is an answer to the dearth of lesbian representation in India.
Set in 18th century Awadh, Memory of Light is a love story of two courtesans—Nafis Bai and Chapla Bai. An intelligently crafted meta-narrative recounted by Nafis Bai, the novel takes readers on an exciting journey through shifting timelines and the rich courtesan culture of Awadh and Kashi. A product of Vanita’s imagination and her research on rekhti, a genre of Urdu poetry, the novel carefully selects historical figures, rekhti poets like Insha and Rangin, and courtesans mentioned in rekhti poetry. It instils life in them through a colourful narrative.
Memory of Light explores the themes of time and memory and paints a beautiful, painful picture of changes that the love between Nafis and Chapla undergoes over time. The affection between the lovers is born out of an atmosphere of poetry and performances and develops through their shared interest in reading and writing. Their love reaches its zenith in their collaborative poetry writing, secret meetings and the nights they spend together, away from the eyes of other women of their kothas.
Vanita’s writing strikes a chord with readers curious about how same-sex love and relationships were lived and perceived in 18th century India. As an extraordinary love blossoms through the ordinariness of life in the city, the innocence of young love can be felt as Nafis and Chapla create a world of their own while people around them remain preoccupied with the bustle of red fairy sessions, weddings and festivals.
The narrative focuses on the initiation and gradual development of this romance. It is distinctive in the way it normalises a ‘transgressive love and relationship’ by not allowing blatant politicisation overshadow the exhilaration evoked by Nafis and Chapla’s courtship. The roles that characters like Sharad, Mir Insha and Madan play in Nafis and Chapla’s story leave much to the readers’ intent to notice the subtleties of social acceptance received by same-sex relationships during pre-colonial times.
Historical documentation and lesbian romance intermingle as Nafis and Chapla’s visit to the newly built Imambara becomes a site of romantic tension and articulation of desire: “The simultaneous nearness and distance was becoming hard to take, like the scent of rose water during a fast…‘There’s a tunnel to Faizabad somewhere here, isn’t there?’ she asked, without turning…‘We should find one and run away.’”
The plot seamlessly incorporates details of a globalised pre-colonial world through the lives of affluent courtesans and their preoccupations with shopping. From bracelets produced in Lahore and wedding sheets from Chanderi to gauze manufactured in France and rings with embedded watches made in Switzerland, Awadh’s markets and kothas of courtesans had them all. Scenes of shopping, petty quarrels and elaborate preparations for various events provide relief from the melancholic uncertainty of Nafis and Chapla’s relationship.
The novel demands special attention to Vanita’s play with language as both the medium and the subject of her narrative. Memory of Light becomes a linguistic delight as the main plot progresses through ghazals, included both in Urdu and English translations. This attempt at the re-creation of a syncretic culture extends to the way characters in the novel read, write and speak multiple languages like Sanskrit, Farsi, and Urdu and/or Hindi. A story about people who spent their days engaged in intellectual conversations, the novel also act as repositories of rich inter-textual references. The fascinating aspect of Vanita’s use of language lies in the creation of a historical lesbian narrative set in Lucknow without the use of words like love, lesbian and the name of the city.
Memory of Light is exceptional in its conception and technique of basing Nafis and Chapla’s romance in a world seeped with 18th century Indian ethos. The novel must be read for its focus on male-female friendships that emerge as equally significant as romantic relationships. The wit, humour and high aesthetics of the writing are bound to stay with the readers even after months of putting down the book.
