Author Roy Comes to Me

Is it possible to love someone who is absolutely so different from you? To go back to them even when their words at times cause you pain as well as joy in the blink of an eye? That was how Mary Roy was for Arundhati Roy, and how the latter was for me as well.

It is hilarious how the differences in our viewpoints and opinions start from the coverpage of the book itself! My grimace at the picture of her smoking in her book cover was as real as my admiration of her. But neither will I smother my hatred for smoking nor will I reduce her whole being into that image to reject her. On that note, I embarked on a challenging read to understand someone very different from me.

Initially, it felt like a re-reading of 'The God of Small Things', especially when some of the characters and events seemed to wade between the world of fiction and the real world. Before long, I got the hang of it.

Before I move on with my discussion of the book, I must admit and clarify from the outset that this is not a review of any sort. I respond differently to different books, and all I attempt to do here is to share my experience of that engagement. For me, I was conversing with Arundhati Roy to understand her the way she understood herself.

In all honesty, I don't agree with her on various things, and I find that absolutely fine and natural. But one of my takeaways from the experience is the assurance that whatever her chosen path is, she is driven by genuine love and concern for people. We are all taking the best of what we know to make this world a better place.

Because I never lived the life she had, I may not completely understand the true value and potential that her perspective has to offer. And that's the same with everyone. We all hold onto our individual opinions and perceptions because we know their real value from personal experience, the way she does with hers. And those are our unique contributions to this world.

All in all, my reading experience helped me realise that it is possible and completely okay to disagree with someone while admiring and respecting the person. It is okay to read something to gain an understanding without the compulsion to agree with it or adopt the perspective presented.

Ultimately, we are all taking the best of what we know to make life better.