“…Girls are complicated beings. They metamorphose. They start to have cycles like the moon. They are expected to become mahouts and train their bodies on how to act (gracefully), laugh (softly), obey (without question), pray (for the family), sit (with their legs together), eat (in delicate morsels), fart (as if it’s a secret). Spread their legs for their husbands to push their way in and for babies to push their way out.”

-Sugra, Dada Bhai’s mother.

The book, The Witch in the Peepul Tree is set in the year 1950, India has been independent for less than three years, still trying to find her way back on her feet and the religion and caste divide is huge.

For Dada Bhai, the castes and religions don’t matter. He is trying to do good for all and is revered by all those who know him. But with greatness also comes a fair share of jealousy and ill will by those who have power over the oppressed.

So, when the body of his daughter Sanaz is discovered in her room on Makar Sankranti it creates a sensation like no other. At the centre stage are people from all walks of life, the family loved and hated by all in equal measure, the rich, the religious, the untouchables, and of course the ever-present spirit of the peepul tree.

We have the old widowed grandmother, Sugra who reminisces her whole life and it’s lessons; all that she has lost which cleaves her heart every time she thinks about it. She finds an invisible ally in the jeevti dakkan, the spirit of the peepul tree which is visible from her window.

There is another widow in the house, the maid badi bi who is a child widow; a life lost to the traditions and rules of the society and she has given all her love to Dada Bhai and his family. She guards their secrets and tries to protect all of them from any harm.

There are other characters too, some like Rao Sahib of Singhgarh who has come to visit Dada Bhai on Makar Sankranti and Hariharan, a devout Hindu who wouldn’t eat anything at a Muslim’s house but will do anything to make money.

We are also told the stories of Nathu, Bhola and Parijat who are all part of the marginalised population of independent India and have all suffered throughout their lives and continue to do so.

Arefa Tehsin has weaved a brilliant period drama where she takes the readers to one part of India undergoing a drastic change. But does this independence mean anything to those who are considered untouchables? The bhangis and the bhils who do all the cleaning work and make the cities clean for the upper castes are beaten to death on trivial matters.

The book is a good mix of casteism, oppression, family matters, women issues and a bit of mystery and makes for a very interesting read.

My rating: 4.6/5

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