How do you build a life on your own terms when your parents, extended family and the law of the land disapprove of your sexual orientation? Arathi Menon’s Da, a novel set between 2013 and 2018, is a creative answer to this very question that is urgent and real for queer Indians desiring freedom and companionship. Her unnamed protagonist is a gay food critic, who is a single parent to Ved, the 13-year-old son of his deceased sister.
Ved calls his beloved uncle Da. The time period is crucial to the plot. Through its 2013 ruling in the Suresh Kumar Koushal v. Naz Foundation case, the Supreme Court overturned the historic 2009 Delhi High Court verdict that had decriminalised consensual sex between gay men. It took five more years for justice to prevail. In 2018, the Supreme Court read down Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code through its verdict in the Navtej Singh Johar v.
Union of India case. The colonial-era law that had compelled gay men to fear social ostracism and police brutality was thrown into the stinky bin of history. Ved’s coming of age is narrated against the backdrop of these intense legal battles, which define the course of Da’s life and mental health. Thankfully, the author does not fill her pages with courtroom drama or legalese.
She focuses on showing us what their relationship
She focuses on showing us what their relationship and their household look and feel like. Ved’s first-person narration reveals a loving home, where all his needs are taken care of. They use the words ‘father’ and ‘son’ for each other, rather than ‘uncle’ and ‘nephew’. Sensitive portrayal Da is, undoubtedly, one of the most endearing queer characters that I have come across in a novel set in India, and written in English.
His protective instincts towards Ved will hopefully open the eyes of people who believe, erroneously, that gay men are unfit to be parents. Yet, Da does not come across as a goody-two-shoes. He is seething with residual anger from childhood, and he acts out when he visits his parents or meets his relatives, even in Ved’s presence. Ved’s characterisation is thoughtful and mature.
His debut on the dating scene and his pride in being the only one in his peer group to have a girlfriend evoke chuckles. His determination to find out whether he might be gay is written with sensitivity. There is, however, the rare moment when Ved sounds too clever and inauthentic, reminding us that the author is an adult trying to get into a teenager’s mind. For example, early in the book, Ved says, “I often feel I am co-parenting myself with Da.
I have to reassure him at every step.
I have to reassure him at every step.” This comes off as contrived and not cute. Vibrant setting Elsewhere, the writing is remarkably sharp and funny. On one occasion, Ved remarks, “Boys in my school fight over my lunch… Only the boys who watch MasterChef know the names of what Da makes.” Unfortunately, Da’s culinary skills do not count for much when his sexual orientation becomes common knowledge among Ved’s classmates.
Get hold of the book to witness how his world changes overnight. Reading the second half is like having your perfect beach holiday turn into a nightmare with a tsunami leaping at the shore and washing away everything you love. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Bookswagon – India’s Largest Online Bookstore (@bookswagon_official) While London-based Menon does not mention that her characters live in Bengaluru, where she spent her formative years, the setting is evident because of the reference to Cubbon Park as a cruising spot for gay men.
This choice is fitting because of Bengaluru’s vibrant LGBTQIA+ community, which has been at the forefront of grassroots organising and legal advocacy in India. The book is a powerful reminder of how the law has been used to terrorise gay men in our country, and simultaneously, a toast to the power of love and chosen family to heal wounds. Da Arathi Menon Picador India ₹399 The literary critic has contributed to queer anthologies ‘Fearless Love’ and ‘Bent Book’.
View this post on Instagram A post shared by Bookswagon – India’s Largest Online Bookstore (@bookswagon_official) Da Arathi Menon Picador India ₹399
