But this monday...while I was searching through various books at British Council..I happened to come across two books based on history ...there was one named "The Miniaturist" by Kunal Basu and the other "Rani" by Jiashree Misra. I got tremendously inspired once I went through their teaser one by one and thought "Let me create a History by reading Histories". It was something I never dreamed doing forget even thinking or wanting to do it 'coz I always felt that "History and Me" can never go together. But then I borrowed these two books and finally thought of doing impossible and then I start off with the one by kunal basu.
Before I let you know what It felt like reading first few pages of it ..Let me give you an insight of its storyline.
The Miniaturist By Kunal Basu:
Bihzad is the most gifted and the most wayward member in the royal workshop, the son of the chief artist at the court of Akbar, the Great Mughal. When the emperor decides to move the court from Agra to his new capital at Fatehpur Sikri, he takes the brilliant young man with him. Everyone expects that he will one day inherit his father’s position.
But Bihzad’s glittering career is brought to an abrupt end by an unpardonable crime born of unrequited love. Banished from Hindustan, he will return years later, penniless and blind, to paint his last picture: a portrait of the dying emperor, Akbar, who had cast him out of his empire and his heart.
wow!!! This is what got out of me once I went through it and thought would be hell of a fun to go through it. I got all set ready to start with it and then read the first page,second and then read till 11 pages of it. And page no. 11 was the last i could stand. I just couldn't go beyond it. Despite of several attempts to go beyond 11th page I found myself drowsing over it. I thought I would better give it to someone who might tell me the whole story orally rather me going through it word by word. Not surprisingly I failed at history again.
And then again I rise from ashes and think to deal with History and my long term phobia with History. Then I thought I would start off with the book by Jaishree Misra considering that the last book I read from her called "Afterwards" was way too good and hoped that this would be good too even though it was based on history.
Rani by Jaishree Misra has undoubtedly an interesting teaser to urge you to go through it and that is exactly what it did to me as well. "Rani" is a historical novel based on the life of Rani Lakshmibai of Jhansi and was published in December 2007 and banned soon after by the Uttar Pradesh state government in India.
Its story : once upon a time, a daughter was born to a nobleman. She grew up and married a king. And they lived happily ever after.
Nah, that’s so boring. The Rani of Jhansi’s story began when she wed the ailing — and much older — king of the small Maratha kingdom. Through personal trials and those of the princely state was honed a character so fine that it lives on long after the queen died fighting British imperialists on the battlefield.
Beginning with her girlhood in the house of the deposed Peshwa, it follows her through her grand wedding (three pages devoted to the bride’s toilette!), her ascent to de facto power and, ultimately, her decision to rebel against the British during the mutiny of 1857.
Facts are the base of the story. Misra adds fiction in the form of the Rani’s romance with the British agent in charge of Jhansi, Robert Ellis. Horseback courtship leads to together-nights at the library and a supremely touching scene in the garden.
I, to my disbelief,managed to read through all of its pages and and found it languid, visual and richly textured, Rani is indeed the book to curl up with on a lazy afternoon. Doze off, dream a little.
And for the very first time...I managed to overpower my so called phobia with History.
Conclusion: There is nothing wrong with reading about History or reading historical books. History can be fascinating and interesting depending on how is it communicated. A big thank goes to Jaishree Misra for her wonderful,brilliant and unrivaled mastery of story telling. Kudos to you..Ma'am!!
