Two stories from "Trishanku Aur Anya Kahaniyam", by Mannu Bhandari. A translation and commentary

Abstract

Mannu Bhandari is a critically-acclaimed author in contemporary India. The two stories from Trishanku Aur Anya Kahaniyam (Trishanku and Other Stories), "Trishanku" and "Darar Bharne Ki Darar" ("The Rift of Filling in the Rift"), are presented translated from the original Hindi into English. These stories, written from the viewpoint of adolescent female narrators, explore the concept of rebelling against long-established tradition in India, seen from the standpoint of young persons seeking maturity. Each contains a 'story within a story' wherein a marriage is highlighted: one a non-traditional 'love-marriage,' and the other a traditional, arranged marriage which is unhappy. In addition, there is a commentary in which facets of Mannu Bhandari's literary skill and implications of the above-mentioned themes are considered, and various problems of translating from the Hindi language into English while trying to do justice to a consummate artist are discussed.