Blurb:
Mridula is a young and enthusiastic woman who hails from a village in Karnataka. She meets Sanjay, an impoverished doctor, and they fall in love and decide to marry and settle in Bangalore. Mridula starts to notice the selfish and materialistic world around her. In the meanwhile, Sanjay decides to leave his current job for a private practice. The job pays him well and with more money comes the desire for even more. This leads to corrupt practices and problems between the couple. Mridula eventually decides that she needs to leave her husband and go out on her own.
My Review:
While the world is currently discussing movies like “Mrs.” and “The Great Indian Kitchen”, I just got to read “House of Cards” by Sudha Murthy, a novel that explores a similar theme of marriage, societal expectations, and a woman’s silent struggles.
Sanjay proposes to Mridula, and she agrees despite his disability in one arm and his not-so-good financial background. Their early years are manageable, with both earning well in their respective government jobs. However, Sanjay’s rich friend Alex convinces him to leave his job and start a nursing home of his own. This brings in money, but he starts taking Mridula for granted, and that forms the core of the story. Add to that some more family members and distant relatives who keep adding ghee to the fire with their words and actions.
While I liked the plot and its arc, I believe there could have been fewer characters and more time taken to explore the feelings of each major character. There was just one couple having a seemingly ideal relationship, which didn’t get enough space. I also felt that the story started slow and the ending was rushed.
“House of Cards” brings to light some of the struggles a woman faces after marriage. All women like Mridula get to hear is, “At least he doesn’t hit you… At least he isn’t cheating on you… At least he has money and is providing for you… At least you have staff for all the chores… What are you upset about?” But this book asks, “Is that all a woman needs? What about love and respect and gratitude? What do I do with all this money when there is no one to ask me what I like?”
I would recommend “House of Cards” by Sudha Murthy if you are into the Indian family drama genre.