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ISSN 2278-9529

Galaxy: International Multidisciplinary Research Journal

www.galaxyimrj.com

www.the-criterion.comThe Criterion: An International Journal in English

ISSN: 0976-8165

Woman-Woman Relationship in Shobha De's Strange Obsession

Dr. Gunjan Sushil
Associate Professor,
Dept. of English and M.E.L.,
University of Allahabad.
Shobha De heralds a new wave in the realm of traditional thinking. Her novels are
notable for the externalization of a positive sense of feminine identity. Being a
modern novelist, Shobha De recognizes the displacement and marginalization of
women and attempts to change it through her writings. Unlike the heroines of
Kamala Markandaya and Shashi Deshpande, her women characters have been
portrayed as confident and independent beings with a strong identity of their own.
They are educated ambitious, glamorous and assertive women who refuse to be
dominated and exploited by men.
Right from her first novel, Socialite Evenings, to Snapshots, Starry Nights
and the rest, Shobha De has given the message that a woman is born free to live like
a human being with an untarnished sense of self - worth and has every right to
prioritize her choices - physically, intellectually, economically and socially. She is
against the notion that women should be segregated and discriminated because of
their procreational functions. Therefore, her heroines have been presented as
transgressors and threatening to the social order and are not subject to male
ostracism. It is true that quite often they do find themselves torn between traditional
and contemporary forces, and swing between family and society, maternity and
career, but even then they keep up their spirit to confront and challenge the
stereotypical pattern.
Shobha De has often been criticized as a vulgar and pornographic writer
because of her bold views on sex, extra- marital affairs, incestuous relationships and,
most of all, on lesbianism. Since these issues have not been acceptable to the Indian
society and have never been discussed openly, critics feel that Shobha De has used
them to gain popularity as a writer by resorting to cheap means. However, from De's
point of view, they are issues which have been very much there in our society and it
is time that people should acknowledge and talk about them freely. She is of the
opinion that a woman's happiness does not necessarily depend upon a man. If a
woman finds herself trapped in an unhappy marriage, she has every right to walk out
of it or even indulge in an extra - marital affair. Even lesbianism which is abhorrent
to the traditional norms of society has been advocated by Shobha De' especially in
Starry Nights and Strange Obsession. In both these novels, the central protagonist
has either been exploited by men or felt unfulfilled sexually and has found immense
pleasure and satisfaction in the arms of another woman. Thus, Shobha De has not
only emphasized the man-woman relationship but woman - woman relationship too.
My purpose in this paper is to study the relationship of two women, vastly
different in nature, coming from different backgrounds, having totally different
values, who happen to come in contact with each other purely by chance and share a
strange relationship as is aptly suggested by the title of the novel, Strange Obsession.

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On the one hand there is Amita Aggarwal, endowed with beauty and talent who
wants to make a name for herself in the field of modelling. She has a happy
childhood and is deeply loved by her mother and brother, who both think that one
day she is going to be the most beautiful girl in the world. Being the pride of her
parents, she was born under a lucky star for she brought happiness and prosperity to
her family: 'By the time Amrita was five years old, the family had prospered
sufficiently for her father to move them all out of a crowded basti, in old Delhi, to
their present home: a neat, well maintained bungalow in Vasant Vihar.'1 (Strange
Obsession: 2). Being an ambitious person, Amrita decided to take up modelling as a
career and, with the consent of her parents, moved from Delhi to Bombay.
It is in Bombay that Amrita comes across Meenakshi, or Minx, who is a
complete contrast to her. Meenakshi is the only child of Mr. Iyengar, who holds the
high post of Inspector General of Police. Whereas Amrita had led a happy and loved
childhood, Meenakshi had been starved for love and affection for her mother
suffered from ill - health and her father was too busy to give her time and attention.
Since he held a high position he was able to give Meenakshi all the materialistic
goods and she, in return, enjoyed the glamour and importance which her father
commanded. However, only expensive gifts are not enough for a child and,
Meenakshi grew up rather as a pampered and unbalanced person. Mr. Iyengar could
see that his daughter was not very happy and felt guilty because he could not give
her time from his busy schedule. Therefore, in order to please her he gifted her
whatever she wanted whether her request was a reasonable or an unreasonable one.
'Mr. Iyengar answered thoughtfully: "I was always afraid of her, scored of her rage,
unsure of what she might do if I reacted. She was crying. And I remembered the little
girl without friends who used to crave her mother's company. I felt sorry and would
have done anything she wanted me to."
(SO 204).
Again, in stark contrast to Amrita, Meenakshi grew up even more as a
complexed and unbalanced teenager. She became obsessed with matters of sex and
lust which seemed quite normal to her prevented mind. There was no woman who
could make her realize what was right or wrong which is of primary importance in a
young girl going through the adolescent age. At the age of thirteen, Meenakshi
started feeling attracted towards her father. Since her mother was always ill and,
therefore, unable to fulfill her husband's sexual desires, Meenakshi felt that it was her
duty to satisfy her father's physical needs. She was too young to understand that this
incestuous relationship, or rather the thought of it, was totally against the norms of
society and also a very unhealthy one. In her confused state of mind, Meenakshi
could see nothing wrong in it and even managed to convince herself that it was her
father who needed her. As Neelam Tikkha has remarked: "She rather pities her father
for his sexless life and believes it her duty to fulfill his needs. This creates a
psychological rift and leads to a pathetic condition. She is able to get what she wants
but here she fails. She thus becomes a sexual competitor of her own mother. She also
experiences a kind of patriarchy and also associates it with her childhood beatings
which she had got from her father. This also makes her counter revolutionary to the
existent culture and society."3 (71).
Due to her obsessive nature, Meenakshi is unable to make friends and this
feeling of isolation and alienation only serve to make her a mentally sick and
abnormal person. In sheer desperation, Meenakshi falls into the company of

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undesirable people who have no morals or ethics. Even her attraction towards her
father turns into hatred because he does not reciprocate her sexual advances and
Meenakshi, who is used to getting whatever she wants, feels totally frustrated.
Although her character is hardly a lovable one, the readers can feel a sense of pity for
this unloved, neglected girl who is unable to lead a normal life.
It is at this juncture that Meenakshi comes into contact with Amrita and
the two share a love - hate relationship. The dexterity with which Shobha De has
portrayed their feelings is commendable. The two girls are poles apart from each
other. Amrita coming from a traditional family and protected childhood whereas
Meenakshi's childhood is a turbulent one. Amrita is beautiful, talented, ambitious
and determined to become a famous model whereas Meenakshi has none of these
attributes and the only aim of her life is to own Amrita, body and soul. Even where
matters of love and sex are concerned Amrita can never think of any unnatural act
because of her upbringing whereas Meenakshi, having no one to guide her, is totally
confused in such matters as is obvious from her desire to have a physical relationship
with her father and, later on, after several unhealthy alliances, her obsession for
Amrita which can only be termed as lesbian. Thus, although the two girls have
nothing in common, they do have a strange attraction which leads to dire
consequences.
In the beginning Amrita is more or less indifferent towards Meenakshi but
with the passage of time she realises that Meenakshi is not a very balanced girl.
Amrita starts feeling uncomfortable when Meenakshi scans her voluptuous body and
tries to exchange glances with her: "She was used to receiving compliments. She had
been receiving them all her life. But, let alone a woman, no man had looked at her
the way Meenakshi just had. And no previous compliment had affected her in the
same manner. (SC 5). As Meenakshi's attitude becomes more and more possessive
towards her, Amrita starts getting repulsive. She is wise enough to understand that
Meenakshi had come from a very different family and had suffered a great deal in
her childhood which had made her take a dislike to men and had
become
a lesbian. However, she, herself had come from a conservative background where
any type of abnormal behaviour or relationships was considered taboo.
Being an ambitious person, Amrita only wanted to lead a happy and
successful life but Meenakshi's obsessive behaviour started becoming an obstacle to
her. Despite Amirta's indifferent attitude, Meenakshi, instead of maintaining a
distance, becomes even more obsessive: "One day I'll construct a magnificent marble
prayer hall at this same spot. It will be for people who have a lot to thank God for,
people who are filled with love . . . like I am. All thanks to you. It will be a temple of
love. To love." (SO 6).
The extent of Meenakshi's obsession for Amrita can be seen when she
undergoes plastic surgery and gets her breasts removed thinking that this will please
Amrita. In her bewildered and confused state of mind, which is bordering on
insanity, Meenakshi brutally kills Lola, who is a rival in the field of modelling.
These acts can hardly be called sane and they only serve to frighten Amrita. It is true
that there are times when Amrita feels happy with Meenakshi and indulges in a
sexual experience with her, but later on she feels guilty and ashamed of herself for
getting into this un-natural act. In a fit of anger, she shouts at Meenakshi to get out of

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her life: "It's wrong, I hate myself for it. . . I feel such shame please. . . I beg of you,
get out of my life. Leave me alone." (SO 107).
In utter desperation Amrita has brief relationships with Karan and Partha,
but both of them fail to satisfy her. At last a young NRI businessman, Rakesh Bhatia
comes into her life and Amrita not only finds a perfect companion in him but is also
attracted by the fact that if she marries him she can settle down in America and, thus,
get out of Meenakshi's clutches. However, at the thought of losing Amrita
permanently, Meenakshi is devastated and goes to the extent of getting Rakesh
kidnapped. But this move also does not work out and Amrita manages to rescue
Rakesh with the help of Meenakshi's father, Mr. Iyengar. By this time, Meenakshi
goes completely insane and sets fire to their hideout and dies a painful death.
Thus, Strange Obsession is certainly about Meenakshi's obsession with
Amrita and though she meets a very pathetic end in the last, in her courage to
challenge patriarchal appropriation she is more lively than Amrita. It is very difficult
to believe and even more so to accept but lesbian relations do exist in the Indian
society which are, however, kept secret due to the fear of not being accepted by the
society. In essence Strange Obsession is a novel of the protagonist's sexual
identification. Meenakshi's relationship with Amrita is a strange one for such things
are not acceptable in the Indian society. It is in this context that several critics have
condemned Meenakshi's self-identification as a lesbian and denounced her as deviant
and perver: "In case of the relationship between Amrita and Meenakshi, the sociopsychological situation is altogether different. This kind of relationship cannot be
termed as adultery, incest or illegitimate; rather it is something unnatural, unexpected
or a part of abnormal psychology."1 C.L. Khatri avers: "Lesbianism is a
psychological perversion. It should not be a part of feminism. At least in the context
of India, it is entirely unacceptable. It is an attempt to corrupt our culture."2
The opinions of critics are various and conflicting, therefore, it would be
befitting to end the paper with the words of K.V. Surendran: "To conform to
society's image of feminity women are perhaps forced to behave in an 'unnatural
way' as they are convinced that their role is to seek fulfillment as wives and mothers
and it is futile for them to desire a greater destiny than to accept their passivity. In
such a male universe, Shobha De with her novel Strange Obsession certainly stands
apart with her unique creation where the idea of woman as a free and independent
existent is repeatedly getting emphasized. (63)."
Works Cited:
1. De Shobha, Strange Obsession, (New Delhi: Penguin Books, 1992). print.
All subsequent references from the text have been taken from the same edition.
2. Khatri, C.L., 'Novels of Shobha De: A Critical Evaluation', Indian Literature in
English, Critical Discourses, (Jaipur; Books Enclave 2003). Print.
3. Prasad, Gajendra, 'Strange Obsession: A Critical Study': The Fiction of Shobha De
- Critical Studies, ed. Jaydipsinh Dodiya, (New Delhi: Prestige Books, 2000). Print.
4. Surendran, K.V., 'Minx, The Obscure in Strange Obsession', New Perspectives on
Indian and Western Fiction. (New Delhi: Sarup and Sons, 2000). Print.
5. Tikkha, Neelam, "Lesbian Relationships in Strange Obsessions', The Fiction of
Shobha De - Critical Studies. ed. Jaydipsinh Dodiya (New Delhi: Prestige Books,
2000). Print.

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