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This research paper aims to explain realism in Manju Kapur’s Difficult Daughters and Prof. Vikas Sharma’s Love’s Not Times Fool. Manju Kapur a towering figure in Indian fiction and Prof. Vikas Sharma an emerging contemporary writer. Kapur’s writing portrays the real picture of pre independence condition of women. Her first novel The Difficult Daughters won the 1999 Commonwealth Writers Prize, for being the first best book in Europe and South Asia. The word realism comes from the French word ‘réalisme’ which means what is possible according to the facts have given a new dimension to the Indian English novel. Many novelists have felt the need to use this concept in their writings. The term realism has a multi-dimensional meaning and its true aim is to manifest the truth, and portray of reality. The New Encyclopedia Britannica defines realism in a philosophical sense “comprehended in its broadest philosophical sense Realism suggests by point of view that accords to the objects of man’s taking in a nearness that is self-ruling of whether he is seeing of thinking them”. Realism is broadly defined as “the representation of reality”. The movement realism in literature started with the art realist movement during the mid-19^th century in France and Russia against the classical concept of Romantic writings. It was first used by Friedrich Schiller in his letter to Goethe where he wrote that “realism cannot make a poet”. In realism, there are no fantasies and supernatural elements but it represents common people and their day to day life activities such as  love, sorrows, joys, success, and failure etc.

1.To highlight the cultural and social reality in contemporary society.

2. To bring out the real phenomena of the society through the characters of fiction.

3. To present a mirror of both authors panoramic views of common men life style and their essence of notions.

4. How the Patriarchal and sexuality are dominating the society.

The novels of Prof. Vikas Sharma are the true depiction of the historical and contemporary reality. Sharma has plethora of the themes such as: problems of youth, the environmental issue, the extramarital affairs, the increasing in crime, and the consummation of alcohol in society. In love’s Not Time’s Fool the protagonist Richa Pandit a new woman who is multitalented and Abhi is the student of M.Com preparing for an I.A.S Exam. Richa is the protagonist and narrator in novel.

Manju kapur a modern writer with modern perspective and inclinations, her novels chronicles of Indian culture, society and Indian family. She painted the pre-independence era frequently but there were some female characters in her novel that stands free in her choice before the independence. Kapur’s novels encapsulate the whole that comes to a middle class society or family- gender disparity, sexual abuse, divorce, infidelity and many more issues. Her protagonist are different than their predecessors, they do not capitulate old traditions and patriarchal customs. In Difficult Daughters Virmati the protagonist, who has born in Araya Samaj family that stands for the old values and traditions? “The one thing I had wanted was not to be like my mother” (Difficlt Daghter. 01). She is eldest daughter and has the responsibility of Youngers and household. The novel spans thee generation of women and narrate the sense from customs to person is prior. The women of three generation are Kasturi the mother of Virmati, and Ida the daughter of Virmati. Ida is the narrator of the novel is a divorce

To have more children was the common in early 20^th century. Kasturi has eleven children and which makes her life burden. Manju kapur also deals with the role of woman as a daughter, a wife, a mother

“There had been eleven of them. The girls: Virmati, Indumati, Gunvati, Hemavati, Vidyavati, and Parvati. The boys: Kailashnath, Gopinath, Krishanath, Prakashnath, and Hiranath.”(Difficult Daughter PP. 10)

After having elven children kasturi was destroyed physically and emotionaly, virmati was second mother to the children.

“Her life seemed such a burden, her body so difficult to carry. Her sister-in-law’s words echoed in her ears, ‘Breeding like cats and dogs,’ ‘Harvest time again.’ Kasturi could not remember a time when she was not tired, when her feet and legs did not ache. Her back curved in towards the base of her spine, and carrying her children was a strain, even when they were very young. Her stomach was soft and spongy, her breasts long and unattractive. Her hair barely snaked down to mid-back, its length and thickness gone with her babies.” (Difficult Daughters PP. 12)

 Her (Virmati) desire of study crushed many time for search of suitable match for marriage but Virmati vehemently opposed the idea of arrange marriage she is influenced by her educated cousin Shakuntla. She is the prototype progressive woman. She rejected the traditional system marriage. She is living in Lahore, she has done M.Sc. Virmati is highly inspired her cousin and wants to become an independent woman rather than wife. There is an endless argument between marriage and education but Virmati wants to continue his education with any care of family and society what do they want. In the whole novel the struggle acquire higher education and self-independence, Virmati never stands or support the tradition but she explore her own passion to achieve selfhood. Marriage is nothing for him she loves Harish passionately and urges him to marry with her. The Difficult Daughter is best panorama of marriage system in where girls are supposed to only marriage and household works. Kasturi passed her life in birth giving of children and to care them. Ida the narrator and daughter of Virmati describe the life of her mother when she knows about her life.

You know, our mother was always sick, and Virmati, as eldest, had to run the house and look after us. We depended on her, but she was free with her tongue and her hands. One tight slap she would give for nothing. She would lash out if we didn‘t listen. We used to run from her when she came. She was only sister, but she acted very bossy. We were scared of her. She never rested or played with us, she always had some work. She was so keen to study, bap re. First, FA, then BA, then BT on top of that. Even after her marriage, she went for an MA to Government College, Lahore‖. (Difficult Daughter PP. 05).

After pass F.A she joined for next level study where she falls in love with Oxford English Prof. Harishchandra who deplores love with Virmati having been married. She married with professor and breaks the chain of traditional family.  Harish is a progressive man he had married with Ganga an illiterate woman and he lives a loveless life with her and not satisfied with his marriage life. According to Harish, society is responsible for the child marriage he writes letter to Virmati:

‘Who is responsible for this state of affairs? Society, which deems that their sons should be educated, but not their daughters. Society that decides that children – babies really – should be married at the ages of two and three as we were. As a result, both of us needlessly suffer for no fault of ours. I cannot be an adherent to stultifying tradition after this, but Viru, you must make up your own mind about these matters. You are intelligent and capable’. (Difficult Daughters PP.  95)

It shows the society which is responsible for the immature marriage and illiteracy become the main cause of dehumanization. The illiteracy is the real cause of kasturi’s suffering whole life bear children and feels sick and same experience she wants with Virmati. Kasturi always insist Virmati to take care of her family and should get marriage on time the too much study is not necessary for girls.

‘If you cannot consider your duty to us, at least consider yourself. There is a time in the cycle of life for everything. If you willfully ignore it like this, what will happen to you? A woman without her own home and family is a woman without moorings.’(Difficult Daughter PP.103)

Difficult Daughters a novel about the educating daughters, character as Swarnlata who is doing MA has freedom for study, Shakuntala who has freedom of study and her parents support her in her free will of study while Virmati “splitting her into two socially unacceptable pieces.” (Difficult Daughter  54) she is suffering from the inner freedom and family control. Her father is in support for her study as her mother always forced her for household work and marriage which make a proverb ‘Diamond cut the Diamond’.

Prof. Vikas developed the plethora of themes in his novels. He portrayed very well the rampant corruption and bribery in the government offices and departments. People perpetrate fraud in abet with government officials. Criminal obtain money form the affluent. A physician is kidnaped in Agra by anti-social elements for ransom. Richa gets anxious for her safety after hearing the news of kidnapping she gives her lady a pistol to the guard for protection and she asks one more guard for bungalow at night. Richa plans to bribe the Mumbai Shipyard officer with one lakh when Abhi refers to the rampant corruption, Shelley Sree the daughter of an income tax office refuse to accept that and tries to justifies “Do you bribe the ticket clerks on bus station, railway station, fee collecting window of college or any deposit and withdrawals from the post office and banks? Do you bribe the physicians and nurses in hospitals?

‘No. Not at all.’ He accepted.

That confirms that bribery is present in limited situations when people wish to get things done speedily or against laws. It is not an integral part of our system. Quite often we listen the news of corruption in European countries. They call it ‘tip’ and we call it bribery’ (Love’s Not Times’s Fool PP. 2021)

Prof. Vikas Sharma is very quiver to pick-out the coeval affairs that are widespread in the society. The current scenario of human relation is neatly knitted by his perception of human psyche and their longings. The characters of Sharma’s are the every character of the society, They are perfect in imperfect, their life style is highly westernize. The female characters are independent and multicultural. The mingling of the upper class female protagonist with the middle class is primary motto of the novel. Richa the leading character of the novel is very fond of the books. She has novels of Salman Rushdie, Vladimir Nabokov’s Lolita, and D.H Lawrence’s Women in Love, Emile Zola’s Nana and The Company of Women by Kush Want Singh. She is the daughter in law of late. I.A.S officer. She likes to read essays such as Literature As Mirror of Life, Creativity And Criticism, Colonialism In Literature, Post-Colonialism in Literature, information revolution, Renaissance Movement in England, French Revolution and Its Impact on Romantic Poets and Bolshevik Revolution.

Prof. Vikas narrated the reality of contemporary student through the narrator who always tries to find out the shortcut of success. Youth is getting isolated from the books. Richa pays his tension toward those students:

I pity the modern students who spend more than a thousand rupees on mobile phones and ignore the books that may help them positively in getting them good jobs. My opinion is- no good jobs without reading sublime books are available in the Indian market now. But alas! Who cares for my opinion on books and intellectual enlightenment? But I also ignore the people who ignore books and are not prepared for any discussion o socio-ethical and eco-political matters. Why can’t modern students be ready to communicate in Hindi and English all time? How can they be afraid of speaking in conferences and seminars? (Love’s Not Time’s Fool PP. 04)

Richa is high class lady who likes to use make up every time before leaving the house she used Pond’s cream and perfume and look her figure:

“As I wore a woolen high neck pullover and trousers, I admired my figure. My boobs appeared bulging out in this tight pullover and my hips appeared out of tight trousers. I took a litter Pond’s cream from the makeup box and applied it on my face. But then in rubbed my face with a dry towel to remove the oil …I polished my face with another less oily cream and gave a touch of fine compact powder. Victoria Secret perfumes have been always my dear to me and I spray a little behind my ears and wrists. My lips are smooth and rosy and yet I applied Laura’s lipstick to them. After she reached a books shop with her driver Seenu where she wants to purchase the biographies of Hitler, Johnson, R.k Narayan etc” (Love’s Not Time’s Fool PP. 05)

 She meets there a student, Abhi buying books for I.A.S exam. Rich helps him with some money in buying money. She is very intelligent lady to judge the people. Abhilash is an M.Com student of St. John’s College, Agra. She introduce herself “I am Richa Pandit, the manufacturer of Peppe & Tette” (PP. 06). He comes with Richa at her home. The two unknown persons became mutually so soon. He enjoys tennis with Richa. He tells Richa that he plays tennis with classmates, Mikki, Sonu and Sidharth. Abhi is younger to Richa. She plays tennis with him notices his acitivity. As Richa is a gorgeous lady and his physical charm attracts Abhi, she notices him:

My breathing became fast with all the running and he noticed the rise and fall of my beat. I found him observing my smooth and beautiful thighs but could not take advantages of his weakness. The extramarital affairs are very common in current scenario. Richa is already married with Malya Vaidik, he is in US currently. After the tennis play both take bath in different washroom but in between there is only glass so Abhi looked the naked Richa in second washroom. Both enjoyed bath together.

“I took bath in second washroom though there was only one partition of glass between the two. I took his hand and asked him to have a bath together. After a mild hesitancy, he started enjoying my company and then I even applied soap on his body that turned him on and I could see his erection in full glory ” (Love’s Not Time’s Fool PP. 09)

After the bath both Richa arranged two glasses of champagne, Abhi (Abhilash) hesitates as belong from a rural area Sikandrabad his father is a postmaster. Being hesitated he drinks champagne and Richa ask him to work in her company for which he is ready. After getting swinging mood both listen music and enjoyed the sex. Lust for sex has become the prime source in the life of human being. Vikas Sharma points out how easily two strangers become known in the matter of sex. Being a married woman Richa does not feel embarrassed in the bathroom where Abhi (Abhilash) clasps her waist and kisses her bosom. Despite this, it has been seen how frank the girls are in modern society. Love is nothing but sex has much importance for them. The satisfaction of erotic love compels them to be naked. For a short while Richa does not care for her husband. Perhaps Vikas Sharma aim is to expose the hollowness of married life in which they are a couple but there is no satisfaction of sexual desire. The need of physical satisfaction can be seen in the novel. The following lines of the novel present such need

 “He was ignorant and hence how I directed his penis to enter me. But he failed to control his emotions and patience and came within a few seconds. It was disastrous for me as I was aroused and I needed him badly inside myself.” (Love’s Not Time’s Fool PP. 11)

The Sexual hunger has become the primary desire of contemporary youth. Richa is so much lascivious that she forgets about her marriage with Malaya. Her keen desires to just get gratify his physical needs. Abhi can fulfill his voluptuousness. Vikas Sharma presented the whole that illustrates the contemporary relationship. While getting in relationship with Abhi she finds full satisfaction: it is seen in the following lines:

“He had the courage to kiss my lips, my cheeks and breasts. Then he pressed my hips! I responded with the same energy as I was in a frenzy of love. Unlimited kisses were exchanged and then I asked him to apply some oil to our bodies. In one moment, he entered me and he made love. The rise and fall of my boobs presented a delightful scene.Remember, dreams are baseless and have no real content. As some fears get settled in our unconscious mind, they appear in our dreams mixed with some fantasies and you needn’t worry for them”15 he further adds: “Remember, dreams harm a sleepy person and can’t harm you when you are in sense After half an hour we were finished and we laid side by side on bed in a satisfactory mood.” (Love’s Not Time’s Fool PP.  76)

The company of Abhi fulfills Richa’s erotic desires and gets himself fully satisfied with her. Abhi has some hesitation, he thinks that Richa is the wife of Malya but Richa desperately ask him. And says:

Don’t bring Malya between us. There is no party between you and me. Is he? Are you afraid of him? Why do you make love to me if you regard me a only Malya’s spouse? (Love’s Not Time’s Fool PP. 76)

Prof. Vikas Sharma also high lights the lesbianism in indirect manner. When Nikki feels Abhi as Rikki because both quite often share the bed in P.G The present situation of youth to satisfy their hunger either they are boy or girls.  On that day while Nikki was sleeping with Abhi while she forgets and consider Abhi as Rikki. Nikki compels her to indulge in sexual relation with Abhi. She couldn’t resist her erotic feelings. She does not depend on love but only satisfaction. It means love converts into sex. While Rikki was sleeping with Richa and Richa told her that she prefers to sleep naked.  The following lines express the obscene relationship between Nikki and Abhi:

“Quite often both the room partners often shared a bed in PG home and enjoyed kissing and embracing each other at night. Of course, they were virgins but young age had its own demands.  Rikki and Nikki were young, smart, energetic, intelligent, and fully bosomed. While sleeping when Nikki embraced away he responded and kissed on her bosom and cheeks. When she hugged him, he felt excited. When she hugged him tightly the second time, he failed to control himself. He applied coconut oil on his penis and entered her.” (Love’s Not Time’s Fool PP. 45)

The extramarital affairs portrayed by Sharma show house the morality got down in husband wife relationship. Richa is busy with Abhi while Malya tries to seduce office girl. Malya, the husband of Richa is on tour to US with an office girl Indumati. Malya tries to seduce her. He slpet with her naked but was unable to have sex because he has become impotance as a ball hit on his private part when he was playing with his friend Tinny Srivastav. Indumati tells Richa in following lines

“But he forced me every night to sleep naked with him. He enjoyed playing with my body but failed to have sex with me.” (Love’s Not Time’s Fool  PP. 122)

Prof. Sharma also pinpoints the problem of mothers in taking care of their child. Couples don’t want to take responsibility of sibling but need a nurse for care them so they can live freely as Richa’s illegitimate child by her early boyfriend Robert Lee is under the supervision of Nora. She An American woman who cares Amitabh.

Prof. Vikas Sharma vehemently focused on the environment issue. We all are suffering from the pollution. Everywhere in our country we find the dirty rivers, deforestation in the name of development. Being a stupendous author he wants to draw the attention of government officials towards the pollution:

The Yamuna was benign only in times of Lord Krishna when he played on her bank. Now, a lot of Agra factories pour their waste into the Yamuna and its water naturally gets polluted causing a lot of diseases to human beings as well animals. Pollution happens to be beyond the control of Mahapalika Authorties and there are various factors responsible for environmental pollution. If steps are not taken now, the problem may become serious for Agra inhabitants. (Love’s Not Time’s Fool  PP. 13)

The duality in behavior is very common in contemporary human being. Prof. Vikas Sharma show that how people are indulging in unethical deed first later they visited in temple and worship the God. Richa Rich who is a married lady and involved in Extramarital affairs before marriage with Malya she was in relationship with Robert Lee when she came to India she attract and swindle Abhi in his charm. She fulfill the desire of her brother in law Mr. Nirupam Kaul when he comes to home and hugs Richa, she satishfied his lust and also tells her sister to make her husband happy. This shows the men hunger with other woman. One when she was on a trip to Mumbai she had a horrible dream which shows her guilt. Her life style is fully de

If I was to behave like a dull doll, I should not have asked him to join me on Mumbai trip. Finally, I felt drowsy and slept. But I failed to relax mentally and had a horrible dream — I found myself and Malya in a boat sailing on the face of sea and Malya hit me hard and threw me into the sea. As the crocodile was nearby, he swallowed me and I cried from his stomach — ‘Help me I felt guilty to myself as I was disturbing his leisure mood. He was growing romantic and emotional, and I had no passion to respond. Finally, he gave up the further attempts and slept in my arms. I cursed myself for tormenting him emotionally. If I was to behave like a dull doll, I should not have asked him to join me on Mumbai trip. Finally, I felt drowsy and slept. But I failed to relax mentally and saw a horrible dream — I found myself and Malya in a boat sailing on the surface of sea and Malya hit me hard and threw me into the sea. As the crocodile was nearby, he swallowed me and I cried from his stomach — ‘Help me Abhi. It is pretty hot here. If time is wasted I’ll be no more but a morsal … Help me! Are you hearing me Abhi? Why don’t you speak and come forward?’ Abhi replied — ‘But I don’t see your body and can’t help a crying voice.’ ‘Oh, no.’ as I continued to shout for help and tears rolled out from eyes. Abhi again got up and awakened me from sleep — ‘Perhaps you think too much of dark side of life. You are safe in bed and there is nobody to hurt you. Forget your dream and think of reality. (Love’s Not Time’s Fool  PP. 64-65)

Vikas Sharma is very Janus-faced novelist. His characters are two face of a same coin, their life style employed in materialistic way at the same time they are worshiping and praying to God. This is very concept of current youth where religion is just a clothes they wear but bear. Richa drinks claret wine and enjoy the sex freely.

“After putting the curta pyjama, I wore a woolen shawl and lighted the lamp before Lord Krishna to seek his blessings. I sat in a sort of meditation for more than an hour… “Perform thy duty regularly with love and don’t bother for results……good actions make your character good and bad actions lead you to your doom. Nobody likes a greedy and lecherous person as the nobility of character is the greatest pearl that shines even in darkness”.( Love’s Not Time’s Fool  PP. 35)

Manju Kapur and Vikas both acclaimed author give us the dynamic reality. Difficult Daughters reveals the truth that a girl needs independence but when she becomes mother she wants to her daughter so the chain of restrictions is going on always. As for Kasturi, Virmati is difficult daughter but Virmati becomes mother she tries to convince Ida according to her own choice. Prof. Vikas Sharma is a new age writer. The title Love’s Not Time’s Fool is not here only title but it shows the passionate relationship which leads toward the meeting of two souls after the long deviation.

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2. Sharma, Vikas. Love’s Not Time’s Fool. Diamond Books, New Delhi, 2021.

3. Sharma, Vandna. Critique The Novels of Vikas Sharma Diamond Books. New Delhi, 2022.                                         

4. Abrams, M. H. Geoffrey Galt Harpham. A Glossary of Literary Terms. Wadsworth Publishing  Co Inc, 2014.

5. Kumar  Ashok . Novels  of  Manju  Kapur: A  Feministic  Study.  New  Swarup  Publishers 2010.

6. Cudden, J. A M. A. R Habib Dictionary of Literary Terms & Literary Theory. Penguin Reference Library.  2015. Print Manju-Kapurs-Difficult-Daughters-A-Critique (researchgate.net)
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