News
India
Why is society labelling extra-marital affairs as forbidden love?: Ravinder Singh
14 Oct 2016, 10:15 am
Kolkata, Oct 14 (NITN): Speaking at the launch of his new book in Kolkata, This Love That Feels Right, Ravinder Singh, questioned the audience about the hypocrisies prevalent in the society.
Why does society label extra-marital affairs as forbidden love? the author asked the audience.
The book launch was hosted by Starmark, in association with Penguin Books India, at their South City Mall outlet, Kolkata.
Talking about the plot of the book, Ravinder Singh said, “There are different shades of love that are inherent in us. Attractions or getting attracted to someone is as natural as falling in love; one has rarely any control in monitoring one’s own fascinations, it happens innately.”
“But we have the tendency of subduing open marriages and initiating a process of extra-marital affair secretly, in the fear of becoming an outcast from the society. But our society has got no right to condemn those people as ‘anti-social animals’ just because they are holding an affair beyond the ritualistic social conventions,” he added.
“I am not pro-affair or against affair, but my point in this novel has been only to highlight those grey areas of the mind, where an attraction shapes naturally and a person can’t deal frankly with that, just because of the hollow rituals in which they are demarcated."
"In the title, 'This Love That Feels Right', by the word ‘This’ I meant the love that is forbidden,” he added.
Speaking about his two central characters in the novel, Naina and Malvika, he said, “Both Naina and Malvika are young women, married and in extra-marital relationships. Whereas Naina is guilty of her practice because she is deceiving her husband, Malvika is absolutely unbiased. In fact she is proud that she is honest and into an open marriage with her husband, where she can enjoy every extent of freedom.”
“But the only difference is where Naina is having an extra marital affair due to the outcome of need as she is deprived of love, Malvika believes that it is just one life and it is better to grab every bit of happiness and adventure from it. The ending of the book is all about a debate to the reader whether he/she is in favour of Naina or in favour of Malvika,” he said.
Asked about why he specifically chose women characters for his work on extra-marital relationships, Ravinder said, ”I purposefully chose women’s voices and rejected men to be a practitioner of holding affairs outside marriage because the patriarchal society has the inclination of categorizing men as ‘dogs’ and treating prostitution as a business with male clients.”
“But 21st century women enjoy economic freedom and the right to strive for equal rights with men, so I land up sensitizing with women’s emotions and their needs,” he said.
The book is priced at Rs. 175.
(Reporting by Aninnya Sarkar)
More News
- PE firm TA Associates' strategic investment in Vee Healthtek
- Alive India and ITC Aashirvaad Svasti Milk releases Chhath Puja anthem
- Kolkata: Rotary hosts World Polio Day with students in Gyan Manch
- Alive India in Concert celebrates 10th season with Sunidhi Chauhan's performance in Bengaluru
- Narayan, Narayan: Why Jeevan is bigger than Sean Connery as James Bond
- New York teen sensation Urjani De shines at New York Puja Association's Cultural Programme 2024
- Sunidhi Chauhan teams up with Alive India Foundation to empower independent musicians, raise awareness on thalassaemia eradication
- How Salim Khan’s advice helped Kiran Kumar make a comeback to Bollywood
- My bid to internationalise Shatatantri Veena among next generation pays off: Santoor maestro Tarun Bhattacharya on his return from US Tour
- Rotary Calcutta Metro City hands over football and fitness kits to Nayagram Thana Balika Vidyapith in Jhargram
Jazeera Airways offers 50% ...
Jazeera Airways, Kuwait’s leading low-cost carrier, is offering 50% off on fares to all destinations across its network from July 28 to 31.
Air India Express launches ...
New Delhi : Air India Express, a subsidiary of Air India and a part of the Tata group, has launched its "Time to Travel" sale on the airline’s website, airindiaexpress.com, the Air India Express mobile app and other major booking channels.
Over 300 flights cancelled ...
Tokyo: Airlines were forced to cancel over 300 flights following the collision between a Japan Coast Guard aircraft and a Japan Airlines passenger plane at Tokyo's Haneda Airport on Tuesday evening even as reports said the plane was cleared to land ahead of the tragedy.