The strangers next door

PICTURE COURTESY: JULIETTE SAWYER

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THE STRANGERS NEXT DOOR

In this QT Take, we review the latest novel by Doha-based author Mohanalakshmi Rajakumar, No Place for Women.

By Ayswarya Murthy

M

ohanalakshmi Rajakumar stands out in Qatar’s literary circles for holding up a mirror to life in the tiny emirate, an effort that is as rare as it is needed and demanded. Her previous books on the lives of the domestic workers in the Gulf (The Dohmestics) and contemporary Khaleeji love (Love Comes Later) created quite a stir when they were released. Till then, these subjects had been explored inadequately, if at all, in English fiction published in the Gulf. One was about a group of people invisible by design; the other invisible by choice. Both offered a tantalising glimpse

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at worlds behind screens and closed doors that existed, it would seem, in a parallel dimension alongside our own. In Qatar, and in the larger Gulf, the siloed lives of expats and locals has amplified our innate desire to understand one another and find the common thread of humanity that runs through all of us. We want to know about the lives of our neighbours, our bosses, the men on the construction sites and veiled women whose eyes never leave the ground because despite years of co-existence they remain anonymous, interchangeable and inscrutable. And we want it more because of how limited and superficial our access

is to the “others” we share the city with.

Rajakumar has to be recognised for taking the first step in telling some of these stories and we hope this will inspire more diverse, and traditionally silent, voices.

No Place for Women is the second in a crime trilogy based in an unnamed city in the Gulf. The principal characters of the Crimes in Arabia series are wonderfully diverse and each of their narratives into their respective lives is rich in detail and atmosphere. The four central point-of-view characters are Ali, a local police officer fighting to climb the ranks at his job; Maryam, an intrepid local journalism student who is curious

and brave when it comes to chasing a story; Manu, a Nepalese man who has been dealt a tough hand but rises to realise his potential nonetheless; and Sanjana, his sister and a maid who is constantly struggling to reconcile her duties and her own expectations for her life. In threshing out their motivations and manners, the author makes sure they remain familiar and relatable; a counterpoint to the strange adventures that they embark on. Surely, this kind of collision of worlds and values can’t be envisioned anywhere else except in the unique societal landscape that the GCC provides. The supporting characters, while not as developed, are pivotal in bringing all these protagonists together. Just as one example, Sanjana works for an American family; the son is a close friend of Maryam, while the father is a professor. It’s an intricate web.

The book opens soon after the events in Rajakumar's first book, The Migrant Report. While we haven’t read the first one, we can infer how the four main characters come together. Manu is tricked into accepting a job in the country with the promise of decent hours and salary but instead finds himself among similar victims who are cruelly exploited for long hours and low wages on a construction site. Against the mounting death toll at the labour camp, police officer Ali investigates the web of cross-border deceit and lies, assisted by an idealistic Maryam, who has to balance what is right against the unspoken rules laid down by her conservative family. While in theory this background information would suffice to understand the characters’ motivations and actions, this is not the case in reality. As the book progresses, more and

more references are made to events in the first book and you are left to speculate on whether some words and actions, which seem inappropriate or confusing at first, might be better understood if you had read the prequel. So if you are picking up this one, make sure to grab The Migrant Report as well.

With each chapter dedicated to a particular character and the developments in their own microcosms, the story moves along at a brisk pace. As far as thrillers go, the story isn’t particularly gripping. An expat teacher turns up murdered and Ali, with the help of Manu, attempts to unravel her story and decipher the people in her life.

Soon after, the charred remains of another woman are found in the dessert. It’s an average whodunit but within a rarefied setting that makes it unique. News stories about murdered expat women have shocked the community in Doha in the past year yet the lack of transparency means the public’s morbid quest for details is never met. When real life disappoints, it’s only natural that fiction takes its place. In that respect, the book meets expectations. It shows you a Doha-like city’s fictional underbelly, one that common sense dictates exists in our Doha too, but which is all but invisible to a regular resident. No Place for Women satiates a nagging curiosity born out of abject secrecy.

The book could certainly have done with better editing. More than once the names have been mixed up and this momentarily confuses the reader because there are multiple supporting characters to keep track of. Editing might have also addressed some of the uneven chapters.

There is also the issue of repetition of

information throughout the book. Each character mentions a particular incident or fact (sometimes more than once) that the readers already know about. This disrupts the flow of the story unnecessarily.

But the author excels in establishing atmosphere. Whether it’s at a restaurant or an engagement ceremony or a murder scene, the author has this habit of tracking all the little actions of the protagonists that helps maintain a sense of constant motion. Some characters are obviously more appealing than others. Sanjana’s story is very well written; her motivations are compelling and her actions telling. She is an endearing mix of loyalty, love and helplessness. The other woman protagonist, Maryam, unfortunately doesn’t come across as well. Through Maryam, the author constantly reminds us how special and brave this character is which can slightly annoy the reader, especially because the fact that Maryam doesn’t really do much in this book (but there are hints that she had a more dramatic impact on the events in the first book).

Overall, it’s a quick weekend read that may as well be about the people you come in contact with every day in Doha whose stories are shrouded in indifference and reticence. There is no sense of closure in this book; one of the murders remains unsolved, obviously building anticipation for the third book. The novel is available both in paperback and e-book formats 79 > QATAR TODAY > OCTOBER 2016