In liberalised Kerala, literature has changed beyond recognition. Everybody talks about the woes of divorce, lonely old age, brittle relationships and the problems associated with material
well-being. In the search for the exotic, writers seem to forget the places they live in, the people they are surrounded with and the simple sorrows and joys they share. It is here that "Athirukal"(Boundaries), a collection of ten short stories written by S Mahadevan Thampy deserves notice. All stories deal with human situations in a very humane way. They deal with a variety of themes, ranging from the plight of Ka
shmiri Pandits and terrorism to the avarice of private medical colleges.The author has shown great finesse in selecting themes for his stories. And he makes them come alive through real characters and masterly narration. The ease with which he portrays the lives of people who inhabit the not so shining underbelly of the society is exemplary.
Take the case of Ammini in "Appurathinumappuram." Physically weak and saddled with an abnormal mother chained to the bed post and a young sister, she is forced to rent out her little child Annadaneswary to beggar gangs for a daily rent of Rs 50 to keep their bodies and souls together.
The story titled "Agni Padarunna Nakshathrangal" takes us to a different world. Shamas, a clerk in a travel agency in Delhi needs Rs 2 lakh for his mother's surgery. He then gets a phone call. If he can plant a few bombs in a train the money is his. But can he do it?
In the world of marital discords, the story of "Satheeyam" is a whiff of fresh air. It tells the story of a man who walks into the funeral pyre of his wife Sathi.
The style of narration is simple and direct and connect with the reader instantly. It is a detached, yet attached way of story telling. But a few of the stories could have done better with a little more editing.
Fire is a recurring image in the collection. The fires of love, passion, hunger and anger rage through the pages silently.
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