മീരാസാധു | Meerasadhu

by കെ.ആർ.മീര | K.R.Meera

Novel by K R Meera

Genres: Fiction, Romance, Love, Novels, Novella, Literary Fiction, Indian Literature

47 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 2010

About the author

K.R. Meera is an Indian author, who writes in Malayalam. She won Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award in 2009 for her short-story, Ave Maria.She has also been noted as a screenplay writer of 4 serials.
Meera was born in Sasthamkotta, Kollam district in Kerala.She worked as a journalist in Malayala Manorama, later resigned to concentrate more on writing. She is also a well-known column-writer in Malayalam

Reviews

[Dr. Appu Sasidharan (Dasfill) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is yet another brilliant creation by K.R. Meera, where she tells us about the life of Tulsi.

It is said that love makes you blind. Tulsi starts loving Madhav in such a way that she sacrifices everything she has for his love. She only gets pain in return for all the sacrifices she made.

Many years later, things take a dramatic turn in Meera's life in the city of Vrindavan. This is an intense story of love, deception, and retribution that will make you instantly fall in love with it if you love K.R. Meera's books.

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[Reading_ Tamishly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked reading the portrayal of how a person can break down mentally in the worse ways possible because of someone they truly cared about.

The storyline has been crafted so well that it is just impossible to let of this book once you start reading the first page.
The characters are so well built; the plot is so engaging and gruesome that it reaches the core of bitterness that your heart hides and the secret sadness your mind needs to reveal comes alive while reading this book.
This is how much I loved this book!

The one theme (and as quoted from the book itself!) the book is built on is :
'What is this love that a man is supposed to have for a woman?' The story is narrated from Tulsi's point of view; how she left everything behind when she eloped with Madhav, a charming young man.

The story is about what changed after their marriage and how it takes toll on the mind of one of them leading to do things to destroy the family in unthinkable ways. It just broke my heart.

It is too much love and also the lack of it I would say that made the one who took extreme measures to lead an estranged life in the end.

I love how this short book deals with the sensitive issues between a married couple

I love how it portrays the issues of betrayal and abandonment so beautifully (yes, such stuffs can never be portrayed beautifully yet this book does!)

I love how it shows how a man sees love as and how a woman needs to be loved as.

The characters so sensually represents the characters well connected to the legendary mythical characters Krishna and Meera.

*A heartbreaking, sensual read.

This kind of story stays with you forever.
Page numbers 90 & 91 made me cry so hard that I was about to collapse.
It shook me real bad.

[Khyati Gautam · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Love is like milk. With the passage of time, it sours, splits, and becomes poison."

The Poison of Love by K. R. Meera is a contemporary novel set around its protagonist Tulsi and her decayed, eventually dead, love. This book presents the story of a woman who fell in love with a philanderer, loses her sheen over the years, only to live and die a wretched human in the end.

Tulsi, you fell in love with Madhav. You were enraptured by his envious charm, his twinkling eyes, his mushy romance. You, straight out of IIT, a brilliant student, an independent woman was smitten by Madhav. His love took you in its arms and you found your solace in them. You were madly in love with him. And you eloped with him. You gave up on a bright career and became a lovelorn woman. Madhav loved you and you didn't want to love him any less.

And so you loved him, loved him to no ends. His love consumed you, bit by bit, and you reveled in this decay. Over the years, you gave birth to two sons and a host of misgivings. You saw through Madhav's lies, didn't you? He loved you and you believed that it was only you. And you stayed and let the love turn sour. Despite the deluge of emotions shaking you to come out of your reveries, you didn't. You stayed put until one day. And that day, you loved him a bit more, maybe the most, only to lead him to dead remains of his parts. You laughed and laughed hard at him, at you, at your decayed love.

You said, "I will love that man. With bitter resentment, I will love him. In my hollow heart, I shall safeguard that beat of revenge to ensure his destruction. I shall emit the agony of bones falling off. I will haunt him until death — and beyond. When he attempts to kiss another woman, he shall be smashed to smithereens." And so he did Tulsi, so he did.

You loved, you underwent pain, gallons of agony, and then resented. You left me with only one question. Why did you let love corrode you? Why did you let it consume you and destroy you? I tell you, you left me with bigger whys existing all around me, deep-seated in this society. I don't know if I'll ever get my answers.

[Saif Sayed · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Poison of Love by K.R. Meera is a short novel, originally published as Meera-saadhu in Malayalam and later translated to English by Ministhy S. This novella has recently gained quite a fame after it was translated. After reading a lot of positive reviews and recommendations from friends, I finally decided to read it..

If you haven't read the novella and are planning to read it, please close this review and go back!

*Spoilers ahead*

I don’t know how to begin this, I have so much to say about this short piece of literature yet nothing to utter. May be I’m out of words or perhaps I’m overloaded with my thoughts on the novel that I don’t know what to say! (side-effects of reading a poignant tale, late at night). There are times when you read a book and it touches your heart so gravely that you question your inner conscience, things you never pondered upon. And then, there are books which are so profoundly overwritten that you start loathing it and you wish to have had been with the author at the time of the writing process, so that you could have saved some absurd scenes in the writing from getting published. This novella has to be among the latter ones.

Tulsi, an IIT graduate, falls in love (or mere infatuation) with Madhav, a handsome and charming journalist who met her during an interview at their college campus. Aroused by his charming deeds and acute behaviour towards her, she couldn’t help it, but end up eloping and getting married to him, ditching her family and even rejecting a prospective boy, Vinay whom she was arranged to get married. Soon she had children and their lives began to evolve. As time passed, she finds out that Madhav hadn’t given up philandering with young women. Things gets so crucial that Tulsi even gets to see unwelcome women, visiting Madhav at their place and claiming him to be their’s and Madhav’s constant apologies and lies would calm the moment. When things went out of control, Tulsi leaves behind her life only to end up being one among the Meera-saadhus at Vrindavan in search of solace.

Sounds like a poignant tale with a undeserved ending, right? But I had some issues with some points described in the novel. When I read a novel, I look for an unambiguous plot, good-story telling, logical descriptions, and non-stereotypical scenes. This novella had all the elements which repel me. Also, I found a few paragraphs in the novella to be overwritten, trying to make it sound good but ended up being cringy.

For instance:
“My mind became fickle.When I tried to desire Vinay, it ran like a monkey towards Madhav.”
Such comparison….uh.. -_-



“In that mood, I might even have loved the beggar who approached from the opposite side. If only he had looked at me the way Madhav used to, if he had smiled at me like Madhav had, uttered even a single word as softly as Madhav had.”

(What???????)



“While typing the next day’s scoop on the computer with his left hand, he would tickle me with the right.”
Ummm….. -_- (No comments)



Coming to the characters, I hated all of them apparently. Madhav for being an asshole, Tulsi’s parents for being so medieval and ignorant that they married off their other daughters fearing that they too would elope like their sister, and Tulsi for being such a dumb-fuck that she being such a bright IIT graduate, wasted her life in the name of LOVE & SACRIFICE. Even after she left Madhav and walk out with her children, instead of working herself, she chose to be dependent on her father. Being an IITan, she would probably gotten a job with much ease, but NO, She had her father to back her, so why worry? Was it because she was so grieve-stricken that she was off-track, unable to get on her feet? Or was it her sacrifice?

Love & Sacrifice…these words itself didn’t fit with the prose anywhere in the novella, which the cover read. Love? it was more of lust, the words which described all the lovey-dovey scenes only portrayed both of them desperately wanting to fulfill their carnal desires. Okay, Madhav was a fuck-boy, agreed, but our very own protagonist, Tulsi was no lesser. I mean you are aroused by the guy so much that you never even thought a second about your family, about the boy who loved you, and left everything behind, even after knowing what kind of a serpent he was. Let’s call it amateur love, but the climax did blew my mind and made me loathe Tulsi’s character even more. She kills her children by poisoning only to have sex with Madhav later on, him mistaking the children for sleeping, later to find out they were dead when ants start crawling to their bodies. That was to teach Madhav a lesson or rather make him regret of the things he did to them. But why kill children??? On top of that there is no police investigation! Noone gets caught for the crime? Nothing described or mentioned about it! Well, may be because it was done out of SACRIFICE??? I don’t know!



Also, this novel went from sad to sadder to saddest that I was like, enough already!! Well… Well.. I have read much heart-wrenching novels, but this was out of the league. Instead of keeping it simple, the author stretched it too far that it didn’t make sense in the end. I couldn’t relate to the characters and they felt too unrealistic to me. This novel couldn’t have been written precisely without any plot holes or logical errors, improvising the prose that would even make it an inspirational read. But NO, the author just wants the readers to feel sad about the protagonist and her so-called SACRIFICE!

I think I’ll just end this here.

My rating: * * /5

Note: This is my personal opinion about the novella, you may differ from my opinion since no two readers are the same!

[Premanand Velu · Rating 5 out of 5]

அடிக்கடி செய்திகளில் கண்ணில் சிக்கும் விஷயம், எங்கோ, யாரோ ஒருவன், ஒரு பெண்ணையோ, பல பெண்களையோ ஏமாற்றி திருமணம் செய்தான் என்பதே. இதற்கு ஒரு படி மேலே போய் அப்படி ஏமாற்றிய ஆணையே அந்தப்பெண்கள் ஏற்றுக்கொண்டனர், அவனும் அந்த ஒன்றுக்கும் மேற்பட்ட பெண்களுடன் குடும்பம் நடத்துகிறான் என்பதும் கூட பலநேரங்களில் நடக்கும் நிகழ்வாகவே செய்திகளில் பதிந்திருக்கிறது.

அப்படிப்பட்ட செய்திகளைப் படிக்கும் சாமானிய ஆண்கள் என்ன நினைக்கின்றனர்? வெளிப்படையாக அதைப் பார்த்து உச்சுக்கொட்டும் நம்மில் சிலர், பிறகு "சாமர்த்தியசாலியப்பா" என்று மனதுக்குள் இளித்துக்கொள்வதும் உண்மை. எப்படியிருந்தாலும் அதைப்போல நடந்து கொள்ள பெரும்பாலான ஆண்கள் நினைப்பதில்லை. அதற்குக் காரணம் என்ன?

ஏற்கனவே நமக்குள் இருக்கும் நம்மைப்பற்றிய மதிப்பீடுகள், அதற்குக் காரணமான, நமக்குள் கற்பிதமான ஒழுக்க நெறிகள். அவைதான் நம்மை அப்படி செய்யாமல் தடுத்துவிடுகிறன. அந்தக் கற்பிதங்கள் நமக்கு, நம் கல்வியின் மூலமோ, நம் பெற்றோரின் வளர்ப்பு முறையினாலோ, மத நெறிகளாலோ, நாட்டின் சட்டதிட்டங்களாலோ வந்து சேர்ந்திருக்கலாம். எப்படியிருந்தாலும், நாம் அதைத்தாண்டி, நாம் அந்தப் பெண்களின் மனநிலையைப் பற்றி சிந்தித்ததில்லை. அதனால் அவர்களைப்பற்றி எந்த வித பச்சாதாபமோ, ஆங்கிலத்தில் சொல்வார்களே, empathy என்று, அது கூட ஏற்படுவதில்லை. உண்மையில் அந்தப் பெண்களின் உணர்வை வைத்து நமது முடிவுகளும் செயல்பாடுகளும் இல்லை. மேல்கூறிய காரணங்களை விடுத்து, சக மனிதராக அவர்களின் உணர்வை மதித்ததுதான் நமது முடிவுகள் இருக்க வேண்டும் என்ற புரிதல் கூட நமக்கு இல்லை. இந்த விஷயத்தில் மட்டும் என்று இல்லை, வேறெந்த விஷயத்திலும் ஆண்களாக நாம் செயல்படுவது இப்படித்தான். கிருஷ்ணனுக்கு ஆறாயிரம் மனைவிகள், என்பதை வரிகளில் கடந்து செல்லப்பழகிய நமக்கு, இது இடறாதது கூட இயல்புதான்.

அப்படிப்பட்ட ஒரு விஷயத்தை, உடைத்து நம் முன் நிறுத்தி கேள்வி கேட்கும் படைப்பு தான் இது. இதை எழுதிய K.R. மீரா, அடிப்படையில் ஒரு பத்திரிக்கையாளர். அதைத் தாண்டி இன்றைய மலையாள இலக்கியப்பரப்பில் ஒரு முக்கிய ஆளுமை. அவருடைய படைப்புகள் காதலையும் பெண்ணியத்தையும் பேசுவதோடு, பழமைவாதத்தை கேள்வி கேட்கும் முக்கிய குரலாக ஒலிக்கின்றன. அவருடைய ஆராச்சார், கேரள சாகித்திய அகாடமி மற்றும் தேசிய சாகித்திய அகாடமி விருதுகளை முறையே 2013 மற்றும் 2015 வருடங்களில் வென்றது.

இதன் முக்கிய பாத்திரமான துளசி, நாட்டின் சிறந்த சென்னை IIT யில் சிறப்பாக தேறி தங்கப்பதக்கம் வாங்கிய பொறியாளர். அவளுக்கு வாழ்வின் அடுத்த கட்டமும், திருமண பந்தமும் ஏற்படும் தருணத்தில் காதலின் வடிவத்தில் வந்த மாதவன் அவளை பாதை மாற்றி சாமானிய மனைவியாக கவர்ந்து செல்கிறான். அவனுடைய உருகவைக்கும் வார்த்தைகள் மற்றும் செயல்களால் மயங்கிய துளசி தனது பெற்றோர், தனது சிறப்பான மணவாழ்வு என்று அனைத்தையும் துறந்து போக அந்தக் காதல் காரணமாகிறது .

"காதலும் பேயும் கொள்கையளவில் ஒன்றுதான். கல்லறைகளைத் தகர்த்து, பொருத்தமான உடலை ஆட்கொள்வதற்கு இரண்டுமே மெனக்கெடும்."

பிறகு மாதவனின் தொடர் துரோகம் துளசிக்கு ஏற்படுத்திடும் வலியும் துயரும் மீராவின் வரிகளில் நம் மீது கொள்ளிக்கட்டையால் தீட்டிய கோடாக அதிர வைக்கிறது.

"காதல் பால் போன்றது. நேரம் ஆக ஆகப் புளித்துப்போகும், திரிந்துபோகும், விஷமாகிவிடும். மாதவன் எனக்கு அந்த விஷத்தைக் கொடுத்தான்."

இதன் பின் துளசியின் பிருந்தாவன துறவும், பழிவாங்க அவள் தேர்ந்தெடுத்த வழியும் பலருக்கு ஏற்றுக்கொள்ள முடியாததாக இருக்கலாம். இந்தக்காலத்தில் ஒருத்தி இதை கடந்து தனக்கான பாதையை தேர்ந்தெடுத்தது வாழ்வை மீட்பது தானே இயல்பாக இருக்க வேண்டும்? அப்படித்தானே மீரா இதைப்படைத்திருக்க வேண்டும் என்ற கேள்வி எழுவது கூட இயல்புதான்.

மீரா இந்தப்படைப்பை survivor storyயாக படைத்திருக்க முடியும் . ஆனால் அவர் நோக்கம் அதுவல்ல. துளசி வழியாக ஆண்களுக்கு அவர்களின் மனதை ஒரு கண்ணாடி கொண்டு காட்ட வேண்டும், அப்படிச்செய்ய அவர்களின் மனதை கீரித்தான், அந்த வழியை உணர்த்த முடியும் என்ற நோக்கத்தில் எழுதியிருக்கிறார். ராமாயணத்தில் ஜனகரின் மகளான திருமகள் சீதா தனது மகன்களுடன் வந்து சந்தித்தபோதும், தன்னை கணவன் சந்தேகப்பட்டான் என்றவுடன், ஏன் மாற்று வாழ்வைத்தேடாமல், பூமா தேவியின் உள்ளே கலந்தாள் ? அதே தான் இதுவும். இது இலக்கியத்தில் தான் நிகழும்; நிகழ முடியும்.

ஒரு நீண்ட அல்புனைவை வாசித்த முயற்சியில் ஒரு சிறு இடைவெளியாக, எண்பதே பக்கங்கள் கொண்ட இந்த புத்தகத்தை, ஒரு மாலை கையில் எடுத்தேன். ஆனால், இந்தப்படைப்பு என் எதிர்பார்ப்பை முற்றிலும் தகர்த்தது. பலமுறை வாசிப்பை இடை நிறுத்தி வரிகளை ஜீரணித்து பிறகு வாசிப்பை தொடர்ந்த நான், தொடர்ந்து அவள் எடுக்கும் முடிவு கதையின் இறுதியில் வெளிப்படும் போது, ஒரு ஆணாக என் அகம் அதிர கலங்கிப்போனேன். வழக்கமான இரவு உறக்கம் என்பது அன்று எனக்கு இல்லாமல் போனது.

ஒவ்வொரு வரிகளிலும் அணுகுண்டை வைத்ததுப் படைத்திருக்கிறார் மீரா. அதன் வெடி வீரியம் சற்றும் நீர்த்துப் போகாமல் சர்வ ஜாக்கிரதையாக தமிழில் கொண்டுவந்து சேர்த்திருக்கிறார், மோ.செந்தில்குமார். கல்லூரிப்பேராசிரியரான கோவையைச்சேர்ந்த இவர், அடிப்படையில் பரந்த வாசிப்பாளர். அத்தோடு கலப்பில்லாத தமிழில் உரையாடும் இனிமையான பண்பாளர். அவருடைய இந்த மொழிபெயர்ப்பு, தமிழின் வாசிப்பு அனுபவத்தை இன்னொரு தளத்திற்கு அழைத்துச்சென்றுள்ளது. மிகுந்த மகிழ்ச்சி சார்!

பெண்களின் மன உறவை முதன் முதலாக நாடும் ஒவ்வொரு ஆணுக்கும் தேவையான கையேடு என்று ஒன்று உருவாக்கப்பட்டால், அதன் முக்கிய அத்தியாயமாக இந்த புத்தகம் இருக்க வேண்டும் என்று தோன்றுகிறது.

[Vijetha Palathoti · Rating 3 out of 5]

31st May 2017:

This is not a happy book. There's not one happy scene. (I know its not a bad thing, read on) And you are going to experience crazy load of (unwanted) emotions while reading it - pity for the lady and her plight, annoyance towards the writer for her repeated usage of 'tonsured head'/'scratched my now bald head' in every single paragraph in the second half of the book thereby disrupting the flow of the story, clear hatred towards the erstwhile pitied lady for doing what she does ( she not only decides to leave her husband and become a devotee - Radha/Meera Mai (definitely the only wise decision of hers) but before that, poisons her children. Yes. They die. A 5 YO and an infant. WTF! ) and not to miss, major anger and a deep desire to knock the balls off a certain special character.

He, our main man, is a glorified man-whore. I say glorified because he is presented as someone who loves women, whose very purpose of birth is to love women. But you can't reason perennial adultery to being just another part of one's nature or by drawing parallels with a deity - Lord Krishna - also considered to be a lover of many.

I don't usually invest my energy to this extent into a story but this one messed my head. And there needs to be some good out of it. Hence, the review and an advice to my brethren.

Issued in Public Interest
You can choose to save this book for a rainy day, for when you need to pent up some anger and go hit someone. For all other reasons, if you may have any, I'd say ignore. Lot of unnecessary emotions.

30th April 2017:
For the first time in many days, I don't know if I should rate the book for it's writing, it's story, the vacuum it created in me, or the disgust I realize I have for a certain​ character.

Leaving the rating for another day.

[Resh (The Book Satchel) · Rating 4 out of 5]

A simple story of a talented woman giving up her career and job prospects to marry (elope) for love only to end up with a philandering husband. The book begins with our protagonist living her life in Vrindavan as a Meera sadhu and is told in a set of flashbacks.

The prose is spare, which is Meera's style of writing. I liked the subtle symbolisms in the book. Tulsi decides to become a Meera sadhu and spends her days worshipping Krishna, the god well known for loving many women. Coincidentally, Madhav, the philandering husband, has one of the many names of Lord Krishna. There are frequent instances of corpse eating ants, each one in a plot development that makes your heart twist.

I enjoyed the book more that The Gospel of Yudas. For a detailed review, check http://www.thebooksatchel.com/poison-...

Much thanks to Penguin Randomhouse India for a copy of the book. All opinions are my own.

[Ankita · Rating 5 out of 5]

Translated from the Malayalam by Ministhy S. The Poison Of Love presents us with the story of Tulsi who forsakes her family and a bright career for Madhav. A philanderer in the truest sense, Madhav swept her off her feet with the fake promises and sugar-coated romantic talks. She runs off a day before her wedding to marry him, leaving behind her loving family and fiancé to seek the everlasting excitement Madhav talked of.

K.R. Meera’s portrayal of the moonstruck woman’s transition to a forlorn and betrayed one is soul-stirring and shaking.The writing is excellent and fluid which manages to engage the reader with the clever use of symbolism throughout the book.

Its a dark, disturbing and thought-provoking novella.


Read more at https://bookwormreadsnreviews.wordpre...

[Sreejith Sreedhar · Rating 4 out of 5]

മീരസാധു..

ചിലരുടെ എഴുത്ത് നമ്മെ വല്ലാതെ സ്വാധീനിക്കും. അതിനു കാരണം നമ്മുടെ മനസിലുള്ള ചിന്തകളും ആശയങ്ങളും അവർ മനോഹരമായി പുസ്തകത്തിൽ പകർത്തിയതുകൊണ്ടായിരിക്കും. നിലപാടുകളുടെ കാർക്കശ്യം കൊണ്ടും എഴുത്തിലെ വ്യാ��്തി കൊണ്ടും മീര എന്തുകൊണ്ടും പ്രിയങ്കരിയാണ്. എല്ലാറ്റിനുമുപരി രചയിതാവ് ആണോ പെണ്ണോ ട്രാൻസ്‌ജെന്ററോ എന്നറിയാക്കാത്ത തരത്തിലുള്ള ആ എഴുത്തിന്റെ ശൈലി. ആരാച്ചാർ വായിച്ചവർക്ക് ഈ വസ്തുത പെട്ടെന്ന് മനസിലാവും.

തുളസിയുടെ ജീവിതം..
സ്നേഹത്തിനു വേണ്ടി സ്നേഹത്തെ ഉപേക്ഷിച്ചവൾ. മറ്റെല്ലാം കളഞ്ഞ് അവൾ നേടിയെടുത്തത് മറ്റു പലരും പങ്കിട്ടെടുക്കുന്നത് നിസ്സഹായയായി നോക്കി നിൽക്കേണ്ടി വന്നവൾ. കണ്ണന്റെ മധുരയിൽ മീരസാധുവായി ജീവിച്ചവൾ..
"ഇതിനെല്ലാം അവസാനം അവൾ വളരെ ക്രൂരമായി പ്രതികാരവും ചെയ്യുന്നു."

ഇന്നത്തെ മധുരയുടെവസ്ഥ വളരെ കൃത്യമായി നമുക്കീ നോവലിൽ കാണാൻ സാധിക്കും..

[Madhulika Liddle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ants are omnipresent in KR Meera’s The Poison of Love. Visually, of course, since each chapter of the book is preceded by a striking black page with illustrations, in white, of ants. Ants, slowly gathering. Ants, beginning to swarm. Ants, forming armies, turning ominous by dint of their sheer numbers.

But the visual element is only a small part of the book; ants feature prominently in the story itself. Armies of ants, devouring corpses, coming together in their thousands to take over the dead and the dying. Ants, of the kind which the story’s tormented protagonist Tulsi sees everywhere. Ants marching up a cot on which a dead woman lies. Ants, eating a snake and its half-swallowed prey, a rat. Even the monkeys that patrol the temples of Vrindavan, where Tulsi has washed up, appear to her like ants: crowding together, swarming, always in motion and always ready to pounce upon the weak.

As a story, The Poison of Love is a simple one. Tulsi, intelligent, well-educated and accomplished, is about to marry Vinay when she meets the charismatic and handsome Madhav, Vinay’s friend. Madhav makes no attempt to hide the fact that he is drawn inexorably to women, and they to him: he has had twenty-seven lovers so far, and now he admits to being in love with Tulsi. A clandestine, emotionally charged but restrained relationship follows, until—in what would seem the ultimate in romantic triumphs—Tulsi elopes with Madhav and marries him, leaving Vinay in the lurch.

How, then, does this Tulsi end up as the shaven-headed, embittered woman who tells this tale? From a young and self-confident woman, gloating at having won the love of an attractive man, proud to be the mother of his two children, how does Tulsi end up plodding around Vrindavan, skinny and scabby, most of her teeth fallen out, living on alms?

KR Meera’s writing is fluid, disturbing, and engrossing. It takes a common theme—of love and betrayal—and uses metaphors and symbolism to turn it into an unforgettable tale of the relationship between a woman and the man whom she cannot forget, but must, if she is to retain her sanity and her self. Like Krishna, irresistible to Radha and the gopikas, Madhav cannot possibly tie himself down to one woman. Like Meera, devoted to Krishna, is Tulsi: drawn to Madhav, destroyed by her love for him, and heading on a path of destruction because of him.

The depth of emotion, the deep understanding of human nature, is what emerges most forcefully from The Poison of Love. Tulsi’s soul and heart are laid bare, her anguish becoming the pivot for her descent from a ‘normal’ life to the one she ends up leading in Vrindavan. The narrative moves, from the past—where Tulsi recounts her falling in love and marrying Madhav—to the present, where Tulsi exists as Meera Mai in the Maighar at Vrindavan, a ghost of her past self. Both Tulsis come equally alive, both are compelling and haunting. Different from each other, but also the same: with the same memories, the same agony, the same pain.

A memorable novella, and one that burrows deep into the human heart and the human mind.

(From my review for The New Indian Express: http://www.newindianexpress.com/lifes...)

[Sonali Dabade · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars!

Raw, intense, hard-hitting, heartbreaking, this novella took the wind out of me! I wasn't expecting to get pummeled in the gut at 1:30 in the night, but okay and thank you very much, I did, and now I'm not okay. I don't want to say what exactly this book is about because doing that will sort of give away the plot given how short the book is. But READ IT!

P.S. I'm so glad my 24-hr readathon has had 3 amazing books so far!

[Sanuj Najoom · Rating 4 out of 5]

"പാൽപോലെയാണ് പ്രണയം, നേരത്തോടുനേരം കഴിഞ്ഞാൽ പുളിക്കും, പിരിയും, വിഷമാകും. മാധവൻ എനിക്ക് ആ വിഷം തന്നു. ഞാൻ മരിച്ചില്ല, പകരം അയാളെ കൊന്നു."

തുളസി തൻ്റെ കുടുംബവും, തിളക്കമാർന്ന വിദ്യാഭ്യാസ ഭാവിയും, തൻ്റെ പ്രതിശ്രുത വരൻ വിനയനേയും ഉപേക്ഷിച്ച് മാധവനെ വിവാഹം കഴിക്കാൻ അയാളുടെ പ്രണയത്തിനു മുന്നിൽ കീഴടങ്ങി, വിവാഹത്തിൻറെ തലേദിവസം അയാളോടൊപ്പം പുറപ്പെടുന്ന കഥയാണിത്.
മാധവൻ സംസാരിച്ച നിത്യവും അനന്തവുമായ പ്രണയത്തിൽ ആവേശം തേടി പ്രിയപ്പെട്ടവരെയെല്ലാം പിന്നിലാക്കി പോകുമ്പോൾ. അയാൾ പറഞ്ഞിരുന്ന വാഗ്ദാനങ്ങളും, മധുരം നിറഞ്ഞ സംഭാഷങ്ങളും, വിശ്വാസവും എല്ലാം വ്യാജമാണെന്ന് അധികം താമസിക്കാതെ തുളസി തിരിച്ചറിയുന്നു. അവരുടെ വിവാഹത്തിന് ശേഷം കാര്യങ്ങൾ മാറിമറിയുന്നതും തുളസിയുടെ മനസ്സിനെ എങ്ങനെ ബാധിക്കുന്നു എന്നതും ചിന്തകൾക്കതീതമായാണ് മീര അവതരിപ്പിച്ചിരിക്കുന്നത്.

മീരയുടെ എഴുത്തും ,മീരയുടെ പ്രണയങ്ങളും ഇതുവരെ വായിച്ചതിൽ നിന്നൊക്കെയും വ്യത്യസ്തമാണ്. ഇങ്ങനെയൊക്കെയും പ്രണയമുണ്ടോ എന്ന് പിന്നെയും ചിന്തിപ്പിക്കും.

"സ്നേഹിക്കപ്പെടാതെ ഭോഗിക്കപ്പെടുന്നതിനേക്കാൾ വലിയ മുറിവ് സ്ത്രീക്കു വേറെന്തുണ്ടാവാൻ."

[Padmaja · Rating 4 out of 5]

The poison of love is translated from the Malayalam by Ministhy J. Originally published in Malayalam as “Meera Sadhu”

“Love is like milk. With the passage of time, it sours, splits and becomes poison.”

It’s a beautifully haunting book about Tulsi, an IIT graduate who is swept off her feet by the charismatic Madhav, and they elope and marry.

Madhav’s idea of love is totally different. He sees it as an offering or alms which he gives to various women. He has had 27 girlfriends before he married Tulsi, the final one.

Love does strange things to people. Tulsi, an IIT graduate, is blinded by Madhav and she loses herself in the process. I really couldn’t help but feel pity for her.

I hated Madhav. A selfish prick who takes everything for granted and feels that everyone should have see and understand his perspective about love. His character is very well written. The symbolism of the ants is very well used. Each chapter begins with the ants swarming in, swarming out. You’ll understand the significance once you read the book.

I finished this book in a single sitting and it left me speechless and full of questions. I desperately wanted it to vent out all my feelings after reading.

The ending left a big welt on my bookish heart. Books like these make me feel proud of myself for being a reader.

K.R. Meera has become my auto-buy Author now. I will willingly read anything by her.

Thank God for translated books.

[Jyotsna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I do not wish to be Radha, I had hissed with malice. I want to be Meera.. . Radha is just one among the sixteen thousand and eight.. . Meera is matchless, the one and only. I felt good about myself. No, I did not want to be Radha. Had she any relevance outside Seva Kunj? But Meera was not like that. On every path she had traversed, her footsteps lingered, engraved as poems.

This beautiful, haunting story starts with the protagonist in Mathura. What follows is a backstory and situation she was in way before she found herself in this holy place.

The book is only about 110 pages long, but it bolts you straight upright, talking about a woman's place in the world and the troubles she has faced in love - the literal poison in love.

It is not only a short and a haunting read, but also a well-weaved, poetic story about love gone wrong.

A great recommendation if you are looking for a dark story about love and devotion!

[Nivas · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Poison of Love by K. R. Meera is a dark and disturbing book. It’s a story of Tulasi whose love for Madhav, a womanizer in the truest sense, whose good looks, charisma, and sweet talk made her forsake her family, her bright career, and her fiancé. In the course of time, the love turned into poison and engulfed Tulasi and left her betrayed and broken. Although it is heart breaking, the portrayal of Tulasi from being a woman moonstruck by love and marriage to being anguished, seeking redemption among the cries and the prayers of desolated widows in Vrindvan is done brilliantly by K R Meera. Her writing is fluid and soul stirring. Her words evoked a clear image of the turmoil Tulasi faced of her intense desire for Madhav despite Madhav’s infidelity. Of all, the author's use of symbolism in capturing love turning into despair, happiness into madness, smiles into tears, milk into poison is distressing yet excellent.

[Ahtims · Rating 3 out of 5]

Vitriolic.
Awesomely awful ... or rather.... awfully awesome.
Focuses upon the corrosive nature of physical attraction disguised as love, which is capable of destroying promising lives.
Central character is TuIsi, a promising IIT student who is fatally attracted to Madhav, a philandering journalist, who claims with pride, his previous 27 conquests. Tulsi soon finds out that she's not his final stop.. and is devastated and deranged at his behaviour.

She goes psychotic, does things a mother would never so, and ends up in an ashram for women devotees of Krishna, the philanderer Lord. She becomes one among the 10000 Meeras and plots revenge over Madhav.

A disturbing story.
didn't relish it at all.
Would recommend it to those who like powerful emotions and heartrending angst.

I couldn't relate to the characters much
They felt either superficial or too dramatic for my taste.

[Vikalp Trivedi · Rating 5 out of 5]

She sits in the garden where it is believed that Krishna and Radha do raasleela. She sits and sing out bhajans as loud as her hardly alive body allows her to. So loud that it should disturb the devine lovers during their raasleela. She does it because she loathes every love story except her own.

She is Meera Mai - a Meera Sadhu, head shaven, mouth toothless, frail and deteriorating body which is wrapped in a dirty white saree. But more importantly she is one of those ten thousand creatures of Vrindavan who are devoted to the Lord of Sixteen Thousand and Eight. The difference between all other devotees living in Vrindavan and Meera Mai is that all other widows live in one Vrindavan and Meera Mai lives in two. One in which she physically resides, where she is devoted to Krishna and the other Vrindavan Which resides inside her mind. Where she is devoted to Madhav. Madhav- the man whom she wished, whom she devoted her life and herself to, the only man she ever loved and the man who is the responsible for her transition from IIT topper Tulsi to Meera Mai.

This book of K.R. Meera has various shades of purple. If the narrative is taken chronologically, the book starts with the lighter, brighter and loveable shade of purple but as the book proceeds the shade of purple gets darker with every passing page. The lighter and brighter purple later becomes venomous purple and ultimately transits into the all engulfing darkness. The book has written in such a manner that you can feel the starkness and darkness from the first page itself. The book was quite pacy but never looses it's grip on narrative and language which are simple yet good enough not to distract the reader for even once. In midst of pace and solid narrative K.R. Meera has successfully developed the character of Tulsi in a very impactful manner. Apart from character building K.R. Meera also nailed it when it comes to draw a really dark and unsettling parallel between Krishna and Madhav. The discription of pitiable and horrible conditions of widows of Vrindavan is really disturbing. And when you think all these are enough comes a cold, creepy and haunting end of the book.

All these things are great but what I liked most in the book is the subtle theme of all the "Meeras" residing in the vast majority of Indian women. The women who devote themselves to a man, killing all their asparations, wishes and dreams and making a man the centre of their lives, their God. The character of Tulsi and the character's transition is on a very subtle note represents the inner transition of a woman, and not only the transition but also a sad and dark truth of our society.

[Vigneswara Prabhu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tulasi is a middle aged woman, who in the present of the story, is residing in Madhura, in Vrindavan, as a Meera Sadhu, a female ascetic who is the bride of Lord Krishna. Living in squalor, and with no possessions or attachments, she is someone who nonetheless harbors an intense hatred in her heart; with unhealthy doses of resentment, self loathing, guilt and anger against this cruel world.

What happened to her? She was not like this in the past. Then, younger, an Academician, Tulasi was a gifted student of a National university, with a future as bright as the sun ahead of her. That is, until she met Madhav, her soon to be lover, husband, father of her children, and destroyer of lives.

Quite a piece of work, Madhav, as they got closer, had boasted of the dozen or so women with whom he had a relationship with in the past, all of whom were madly in love with him. For Madhav, like his namesake, had a dangerous and hypnotic charm, which made women addicted to the love and attention that he was able to bestow upon them.

Before long, Tulasi became lover number 28, somehow being ensnared in the same web of allure that had caught so many. Perhaps she was a victim of that infamous savior complex which afflicts many others, making her want to ‘save’ this poor soul from himself. He might’ve thrown away half a school bus full of partners in the past; but she was special. She could make him a better man.

So she spurned her family, and relations, burning her past and future, all in search of the nectar of affection which only he could give to her. And for a time, all was well. But much like those in her position, Tulasi began to see depreciating returns in the relationship which she had invested in.

Madhav, who by now, we know is a shallow, narcissistic, self serving, chauvinistic pig, had already gotten tired of her, and had while married, moved onto to lover #29, #30 and so forth. While Tulasi was left as a glorified housekeeper and baby making machine. That woman who took care of his menial needs, so that he can concentrate on the better parts of life.

Tulasi was turned into a shell of a woman. Her future & potential shattered, family spurned & lost, the very fountain of love which she gave it all up for turning into a dried up well. Only her two boys kept her going, hoping against hope for a better tomorrow.

That hope too was shattered, when her husband, having grown tired of playing house with her, was itching to jump to better prospects, urging her for separation. Tulasi was at a crossroads, with nothing but the abyss staring back at her.

Perhaps it were the phantoms of past failures, or the cumulative burden of repressed emotions, she broke, her psyche broke. And like the demoness Puthana of lore, she ‘euthanized’ her boys. And a final act of giving him the middle finger, made love with the unaware Madhav, right next door to the cooling corpses of her children. Dark stuff.

Having nothing more left, she renounced the shattered fragments of her old life, and came to Madhura. Running away from one Madhav, to another. As the ascetic bride of lord Krishna, she roamed the street, lived in squalor, let her body and spirit wither away into depravity, as a form of self imposed damnation.

She doesn’t want anything to change. Her life and suffering is her penance, for the wrongs committed on herself and her loved ones. Towards the end, even when offered a chance at redemption, a new beginning, she spurns it, kicking it to the curb, and embracing her insanity with a fit of maniacal laughter. To the streets she came, and to there she returned. Her last remaining ideal in life, to suffer for long, and die in suffering, to end up as food to the corpse ants.

That is where we leave her. Again, dark stuff.

_________________

This story, of the spurned woman, who is mistreated by her unscrupulous husband, is hardly new to the Soap Opera cultural Zeitgeist of Indian culture. What makes it engaging, and unique, is I might argue, the writer K.R. Meera’s beautifully composed prose; which is hard hitting, haunting, imaginative, nitty gritty and stabs right to the marrow of the issue.

Meera sadhu, in its brief narrative of fugue like realism, much of which is spent inside the mind on a singular character, explores the themes of (pseudo) feminism, gender cultural imbalance, chauvinism and toxic relationships. With an ever present undertow of ever pervading death. Much like ‘ആരാച്ചാര്‍ Aarachar’, her writer’s sprawling masterpiece dealing with many of the same themes.

In choosing to focus on the more mundane, decrepit and decaying aspects of a bigoted indian society, K.R. Meera joins the long line of Malayalam authors, who used these same poverty, suffering and inadequacies to community series social issues.

Even though the story is brief, and left with an open-ended conclusion, we don’t feel cheated, and feel the satisfaction of a complete narrative. Coming under a few hours worth of reading, this is a title which I would urge the readers to pick up, for its depth of themes and alluringly haunting prose.

I rate it a solid 4 out of 5

[Prabha Cr · Rating 1 out of 5]

K. R. Meera’s ‘The Poison of Love’ is the unfortunate story of an IIT educated girl. The protagonist Tulsi meets an attractive gentleman Madhav. She was swept off her feet by this self confessed experienced lover of many girl friends. She chose to run away and marry him ditching her parents, sisters and her impending arranged marriage. She was convinced that he was bestowing love on all those women who were turned down by their lovers and husbands. He continued with his game even after marriage, changing girl friends every now and then. By the time she realized her mistake it was too late. Except for a few pages of celebration of her love for him it was a morose unending tale of woes. Surprisingly nowhere in the novel, either soon after completion of her degree and immediate marriage, or later when she was neglected by Madhav, Tulsi never thought of taking up a job. Instead when as a mother she was left without any money by her husband she chose to go back to her father. She accepted her fate passively in most part and enjoyed the love of her husband unquestioningly whenever he was back with her. Ultimately when he wanted to divorce her for another younger, smarter and more beautiful lady she wanted to get back at him by poisoning her children and indulging in sex with her husband next to their dead bodies. Somewhere in the book Tulsi proclaimed that her husband loved love. It was clear from the beginning to the end that both Tulsi and Madhav were compulsive slaves to their carnal desires. Neither of them felt any responsibility towards parents, children or any other family member. Tulsi saw her children as instruments to wreak her vengeance. She was not punished by law for this grievous crime. This story of vengeance could have been set in medieval times, as it definitely does not belong to present times. Her idea of becoming Meera Sadhu again does not justify what scores she had to settle with Madhav after killing the two innocents. This forgettable story of retribution is definitely not one of sacrifice as the cover wrongly declares. Meera’s style of narration is powerful, though frequent shifts between past and present made the story disjointed in some places. Translation by Ministhy S. is brilliant.

[Mridula Gupta · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Love is like milk. With the passage of time, it sours, splits and becomes poison.”

Tulsi loves Madhav. She elopes with him and they get married in a temple. Madhav is a journalist- a damn famous one. Tulsi is or rather was, a bright student from IIT with record marks and a promising future. She gives it all up for Madhav. In years to come, they make two sweet babies- Unni and Kanna. Sounds great right? Some great decisions and a happy life?

12 years later Tulsi is not Tusli anymore. She is Meera mai- an ardent lover of Lord Krishna. She lives in the city of Vrindavan among other widows, chants – Hare Ram, Hare Ram, Ram Ram, Hare Hare, Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare. She earns a daily wage of 10 rupees by washing clothes, cleaning temples and begging.

This book is one of the most beautiful books I have come across. Each chapter is preceded by a picture with the chapter number and a bunch of ants walking around. Ants in this story serve much more than just mere illustrations. Ants wander around dead bodies, therefore symbolizing dead and decay. Ants are also a constant part of Tulsi’s life – Ants walking up to a dead Meera bai lying next to Tulsi’s cot in Vrindavan, monkeys surrounding Tulsi like ants in her dreams as well as reality and ants around her beloved kids.

Tulsi loves Madhav. Her love is deep and passionate and intense. Madhav loves her too and so he marries her and gives her two beautiful children. Madhav loves all woman equally. He believes that every woman in this world deserves to be loved and that he gives love as alms.
This book is a heartbreaking and devastating tale of how love can destroy you. K.R. Meera’s writing style is brilliant. The use of metaphors makes it an interesting read. This small tale manages to touch our heart and leave it aching.

Read full review @https://ecstaticyetchaotic.wordpress....

[Hari Krishnan Prasath (The Obvious Mystery) · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the dregs of Hindu mythology, it is known fact that the city of Vrindavan is the birth place of Krishna. But like many things in the country, Vrindavan also has a different side to it. It is the home to over 6000 widows(as estd on August 2019) who have been banished or exiled by their families for a number of inhumane reasons. The city and its temples offer asylum to these women who did nothing wrong but be born on the wrong side of fate (or in the wrong families).

Our story begins here, with Tulsi, a malayali who ends up falling in love with a fucked up lothario, who pulls subtle strings to work a marriage that Tulsi will regret. The broken marriage takes her to Vrindavan where she dons the avatar of Meera and becomes another widow of the city.

Get ready to witness a tale that weeps through the pages, strangulates you with fine chains of pain and ties you up with barbed wires while it shows an extremely gut wrenching, suffocating side of Love.

KR Meera spews a river of words, condenses massive amount of rage to a speck of concentrated anger that is unleashed on to the reader like a million ants devouring the flesh of their prey.

A big kudos to the translator Misithy J for perfectly retaining the impactful narrative that this book is built on! The Poison of Love was my first book by KR Meera and I'm already edging towards buying another one by her.

It's short, you'll probably finish it in one sitting and think about it for days and days together.

[Paulami · Rating 4 out of 5]

The ants in the illustrations before each chapter reminded me of One Hundred Years of Solitude and the significance that they held there as well. K R Meera fills the novella with pangs of heartache. Though I felt that the language was inadequate as times, I still enjoyed it. The story delves into areas which might put us in an uncomfortable position and thus making it more interesting to read through it. One shuns their moral compass when they delve into heartache so deep and vengeful. We witness Tulsi, the protagonist leading us through her story. We unravel her story and yet get enmeshed into it, just like those ants who take over her life one chapter at a time.
My initial reception of the book was an average 3/5 but I guess while writing this review it won me one point over so I will finally rate it 4/5.

[Umesh · Rating 2 out of 5]

മീരയുടെ തുളസിയെ എനിക്ക് മനസിലാക്കാൻ സാധിക്കുന്നില്ല. വർഷങ്ങൾക്ക് മുൻപ് സി. രാധാകൃഷ്ണൻ സൃഷ്‌ടിച്ച അനുരാധ(മുൻപേ പറക്കുന്ന പക്ഷികൾ, കരൾ പിരളും കാലം, ഇനിയൊരു നിറകൺചിരി), ഊർമിള(മാർ)(മുൻപേ പറക്കുന്ന പക്ഷികൾ, കരൾ പിരളും കാലം, ഇനിയൊരു നിറകൺചിരി), മായ(പുള്ളിപുളികളും വെള്ളിനക്ഷത്രങ്ങളും), റോസ, പ്രേമ, ദേവി (സ്പന്ദമാപിനികളെ നന്ദി) ഇത്യാദി നായികമാരെ പോലെ സങ്കീർണമായ കഥാപാത്രങ്ങളെ, ഇന്നും -സ്ത്രീ എഴുത്തുകാരുടെ കൃതികളിൽ പോലും- വിരളമായെ അനുഭവവേദ്യമായി തോന്നിയിട്ടുള്ളൂ.

[Harini · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am extremely confused about my feelings regarding this one. Will sleep on it and see how I feel in the morning.

3.5 stars

[Arya Reghu · Rating 3 out of 5]

Terrible to notice an IIT Graduate never having enough brains to think . Maybe that's what love does to people; burning even their commonsense? The book is dedicated to “all the Meeras of Vrindavan,” Meera a lady who blindly left everything for her devotion/desire?

Emotionally draining . A contemporary taking inspirations from the most familiar characters from and within the Dwaparayuga. The most relating aspects of Rahda-Krishna and Meera bhai . I loved how horrific and depressed I got after reading this. It was an ugly feeling - Fear , gross , pain whatever I name it, would be less. But I loved that a 100 page book could burn in such emotions within me. Leaving me clinging on the window sills ; looking at distance and being detached. For a person like me having heavy mood swings this story came out like a drug. ( Scary! )

The traumatic incidents following a failure only in the name of LOVE ; lust too , but that is the bank on the other side of the river :- Madhav. Tulsi , the protagonist bank of this river is a cliched girl born in the riches coming to rags as told by our mothers ( a sign of punishment for eloping with the one she loved and thought , loved her back ) .
Her life later in Delhi will be as fancy as it looks from outside but with many dingy and dusty streets within. Later on is a tide of madness wrapped melancholy. The seemingly familiar story is bits and parts of all the women in this world their wars with emotions , objectification of their body and a never ending scream in their head. Debating and detaining with all the curses and black-waters poured at her Tulsi decides to reside in Vrindhavan later in a new form.

The irony of the story is ; she in the name of running away from Madhav her husband comes to the place of Madhav the god singing , praying until death ; his songs.

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tormenting!!!! More tormenting is the fact that this is happening all around me...

[Athul C · Rating 1 out of 5]

റീൽസിൽ ഒരു കൈ നോക്കാവുന്നതാണ് 🤭

[Siddharth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Leaves an angry red welt across your torso. 3.5 stars.

[Arya Reghu · Rating 4 out of 5]

As raw as it can be. The book is dedicated to “all the Meeras of Vrindavan,”

Emotionally draining . A contemporary taking inspirations from the most familiar characters from and within the Dwaparayuga. The most relating aspects of Rahda-Krishna and Meera bhai . I loved how horrific and depressed I got after reading this. It was an ugly feeling - Fear , gross , pain whatever I name it, would be less. But I loved that a 100 page book could burn in such emotions within me. Leaving me clinging on the window sills ; looking at distance and being detached. For a person like me having heavy mood swings this story came out like a drug. ( Scary! )

The traumatic incidents following a failure only in the name of LOVE ; lust too , but that is the bank on the other side of the river :- Madhav. Tulsi , the protagonist bank of this river is a cliched girl born in the riches coming to rags as told by our mothers ( a sign of punishment for eloping with the one she loved and thought , loved her back ) .
Her life later in Delhi will be as fancy as it looks from outside but with many dingy and dusty streets within. Later on is a tide of madness wrapped melancholy. The seemingly familiar story is bits and parts of all the women in this world their wars with emotions , objectification of their body and a never ending scream in their head. Debating and detaining with all the curses and black-waters poured at her Tulsi decides to reside in Vrindhavan later in a new form.

The irony of the story is ; she in the name of running away from Madhav her husband comes to the place of Madhav the god singing , praying until death ; his songs.