by Sujata Massey
This is the first in a mystery series about a woman lawyer in India in the early 1900's.
The young woman Perveen Mistry, is assisting her father at his Bombay law office. She can do administrative work but women are not allowed to do trial work.
We learn that earlier Perveen had fallen for a young man who convinced her to marry him. Her parents were a bit shocked that the two young people had not proceeded with an arranged marriage but agree to the marriage. Perveen moves to Calcutta with her new husband. She is shocked at how she is treated by her inlaws, locked away in a little room when she has her period, treated with little regard the rest of the time. She finds out she has acquired a veneral disease and finds out her husband has affairs with prostitutes. When she confronts her husband he hits her. She manages to make her way back to her parents and is with difficulty able to get a separation from her husband. Her husband's family is furious at the information that her father (who was serving as her lawyer) brings out in court. Her estranged husband threatens to hurt her. So she is worried about him coming after her.
The main part of the story is about an estate her father is working on. Perveen is helping him with the documentation and research of the Parsi marriage laws. The man who has died had three wives, and several children. The wives have been living, by choice, in isolation in the house, not having contact with any men and only the servants. A man who had been working for the family has been appointed as executor comes to Perveen's family law office with letters that seem to indicate all the wives are willing to give up their inheritance for the building of a madrassa. Both Parveen and her father are suspicious when two of the letters appear to be signed by the same hand.
They decide that Parveen should take this on as she, as a woman, will be able to speak directly to the women. Parveen goes to meet them and finds that the women are not aware of what this executor was proposing. Parveen is confronted by the Executor who had overheard her conversation with one of the women. He is furious with her and tries to hurt her. She manages to get away.
However, when she gets home she realizes she has left her briefcase with paperwork pertaining to the estate at the house. She returns back to the house in time to find that the executor has been brutally murdered.
As the house is so isolated it is difficult to determine how someone from outside could have gotten into the house. Parveen works hard to try to act in the best interests of the women, she is very worried when the daughter of one of the women disappears. She herself is attacked and hauled into a storeroom on the dock. She is able to get herself untied and call for help. Her parents are very concerned about the danger to her. Is it her estranged husband who has done this?
With the help of a British friend, whom Parveen was friends with while studying in England, they figure out that there is a secret hallway in the house. When the two friends visit the house Parveen is able to find the young daughter, drugged in the hallway, by one of the wives. The wife has attacked Parveen. Parveen's friend's father is a high British official in India. When she calls the police because she cannot locate Parveen they arrive promptly, in time to save Parveen and the young girl.
As the story ends the murderess wife is only sentenced to one year of prison for murder and attempted murder... seems light a very light sentence. The other two wives seem to be well set-up after the estate is settled. They have decided to no longer live a life in seclusion.
This was a light but interesting read, the period and setting made for an intriguing story. The young lawyer is portrayed as an early feminist. I enjoyed it.
No comments:
Post a Comment