A Matter of Marriage (46 page)

So much to do, so much to plan, and the great need for things to happen as soon as possible. She turned to her curries, her dahl, her rice, standing ready on the stove to sustain them all, and spared a moment to brush her fingers over her talisman and breathe,
Inshallah, Inshallah
.
Allhamdu-Lillahi shukran wah hamda.
Praise be to Allah, gratitude and praise. We have come so far in so short a time, let me not fail my children now.

To the 2007 RMIT Novel I and Editing I group of talented students and teachers, particularly Rob Williams, who listened to and critiqued early parts of this book, and whose own writings were a source of inspiration as well as setting a high bar for us all.

To my children, Shareef and Shakira, who have dealt with my preoccupation with humor and tolerance (most of the time) and passionate interest (some of the time).

To my friends and relations who have shown interest, made suggestions, praised the bits I hated and hated the bits I loved, laughed at the sad bits and couldn't understand the funny bits, were insulted or flattered by a fancied resemblance to characters they had nothing in common with, and couldn't relate to the ones they did, you have all made me a better writer. And hopefully a thicker-skinned one.

To Manik Meah, whose invaluable knowledge of Bangla and Desi language and culture was so generously shared. Any mistakes which remain are my own.

To my brave editor Aviva Tuffield, her doughty assistant Ian See, and the whole crew at Scribe with Henry Rosenbloom at the helm: many thanks for what became a marathon exercise in editing and authorial guidance. And for seeing it through to the very end when lesser hearts may have failed.

I am also grateful for the financial assistance and moral support provided by the 2011 CAL Scribe Fiction Prize. It came at a time when I was down on my uppers, and gave me expectations beyond my station.

READERS GUIDE

A Matter of Marriage

by Lesley Jørgensen

1. Shilpi steals Shunduri's thunder at the cafe when she shows up in a “flowing Saudi-style
   abaya
   and
   niqab
   , as black as night.” This is just the first instance where a character uses traditionalism for dramatic effect. Where else in the novel does this happen?
   
2. Our introduction to Simon casts him as a villain because he suppresses Rohimun's creativity and expects domesticity. But throughout the book we learn that Dr. Choudhury also expects Mrs. Begum to be the housekeeper and hates the progressive influence of Mrs. Darby. Discuss this irony.
   
3. When reflecting on his daughters, Dr. Choudhury thinks, “There was bound to be trouble when both temper and talent were given to a woman.” Which woman is he referring to?
   
4. Coolie-girl that she is, Shunduri's beauty is described as flashy in the opening chapters of the book. But when Thea and Henry see her, Shunduri is described as “a negative print of Grace Kelly,” and her demure beauty can be appreciated. Discuss each character's take on beauty throughout the book.
   
5. Discuss the opium story line in chapter twelve. Were you surprised that this didn't come up again?
   
6. Do you think that the trip to Mecca will happen?
   
7. Syeda Begum never had a traditional wedding because she was pregnant. Babru Choudhury had an affair with his doctoral supervisor. In this case do these two “wrongs” make a right?
   
8. Pregnancy (her own and the pregnancy of others) indirectly plays a role in getting Mrs. Begum what she wants. How does pregnancy move the story line along?
   
9. Royalty is mentioned throughout the novel. Rohimun is compared to Princess Di. Discuss Mrs. Begum's fixation with Dodi and Diana, and the relationship of royalty to each character.
   
10. Dr. Choudhury can be elitist; he has an odd obsession with the sari cabinet and his own wife calls him a cockroach. At the end of the story, do you feel animosity toward him, or are you sympathetic? Does the fact that Mrs. Begum uses his full name on the last page change your feelings?
    
11. Dr. Choudhury thinks of Tariq as perfect combo of East and West. Is that true? Is he the only one?
    
12. Richard and Rohimun's relationship quickly moves from an initial meeting to Richard buying a pricey rug that reminds him of her—even though at that point he's still not sure if she's in the Abbey as the lover of Dr. Choudhury or Tariq. At what point were you convinced that they had a connection? How did you feel about the pace of their relationship?
    
13. Mrs. Begum is an extraordinary female figure whose power is in many ways linked to her prowess in the kitchen. Is she “the only one trying to fix this family,” as she proclaims? How do her skills add to her power to help? How do others help, if they do?
    
14. Dr. Choudhury says that Saudis are “number-one villains”: “You know, these Saudis. Ignorant people, thinking that they can buy anyone and anything with their dirty money.” Who else could he be talking about?
    
15. Mrs. Begum approves of Kareem because of who he is on paper. Do you believe that Kareem has had a very Jane Austen–esque moral awakening?
    
16. Rohimun reflects on Western relationships: “Was this embrace
    gora
    politeness or pity, or something else, which perhaps mattered as much to him as it did to her? She felt adrift in his Western world of dating and girlfriends: she had seen, lived, the fluid dishonesty of those relationships, so much a matter of mood and whim as to whether the bond would be acknowledged or betrayed. A recipe for misery.” Is the Desi way easier? Better?
    
17. One of the funniest uses of Jane Austen's humor is evoked by Jørgensen with a third-person perspective on the marriage of Mrs. Begum and Dr. Choudhury. What other scenes made you laugh?