On the basis of 'Arresting God in Kathmandu', which is no doubt a masterpiece, I bought a book 'The City Son' keeping huge expectations but it didn't quench my thirst at all. The blurb describes that 'The City Son' is a novel not soon forgotton. It is of course true but not fully. The book didn't hold the readers tight with the plot till the end. Negative characters and dark setting really is not enjoyable. His strong weapon that indulges someone in reading is his simplistic prosaic witing & multi-character narration. However, each day is not the day of feast, & each tool is not sharp enough to kill your weaknesses.The story begins from the arrival of a stranger at the remote village who delivers bitter news to Didi i.e. Sulochana. According to her news, Didi's husband, Masterji has kept another wife in the city and they too have a young & beautiful son. Being a typical wife, she takes the control over the situation and headed towars city to confront both her husband and his newly married wife, Apsara. Masterji lives in city and hardly visits home to see his wife and sons. Masterji as name suggests teaches in the city. Didi & Masterji had an arranged marriage. She is not physically attractive young woman but she is hard-working, caring and sexually active. The early description about Didi gives us insight into the kind of anti-heroine character.
The story gets a new twist when Didi shows interest towards 'city son', Tarun, the son of Apsara. She began to demand that the boy visits the home weekly. Slowly and gradually, the silent & confused Tarun falls in the spell of Didi. Moreover, her dominating & aasertive personality leads Masterji into a depression. Ultimately, Masterji couldn't raise his voice in support of his 'city wife', Apsara. This is the reason he became the captive of his former self. Tarun takes the torments of his mother, Apsara’s mental and emotional absence, abuse from his elder stepbrother, his youthful confusion and to land himself in the safe zone''psychologically, he started enjoying her company. Soon thereafter, Didi’s obsession with Tarun grows and the two begin a different kind of relationship.
The novel holds a voyeuristic tone and aware the readers to stay away from those creepy looking eyes who can ruin our spiritual, fresh relationships. Clearly, Didi is the character who wants to satisfy her sexual pleasure from Tarun prying him. Didi is silent but abrasive, caring but dominating, female villianic characer. The silentness of Masterji & Tarun's attraction towars Didi directs the plot to the dark world. We see the complex relationship environment among the characters constructed by Upadhyay. Not only that, almost each and every character nourishes in holplessness. No doubt, to present the complex family ties, the writer has weaved the characters forcefully. However, the story they carry is very thoughtful, and entirely shocking. Holding the betrayal as the subject matter Upadhyay presents Didi as a real monster not to be believed.
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