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Mohammad HailatDept. of Mathmatical Sciences,University of South Carolina Aiken, Aiken SC29801

Abdullah SabbaghEngineering Studies, Sydney

Catalina NeculaiUniversity of Coventry, UK

Ecaterina PatrascuSpiru Haret University, Bucharest

Loredana BoscaSpiru Haret University, Romania

Fabricio Moraes de AlmeidaFederal University of Rondonia, Brazil

George - Calin SERITANPostdoctoral Researcher

Hasan Baktir English Language and LiteratureDepartment, Kayseri

Ghayoor Abbas ChotanaDepartment of Chemistry, LahoreUniversity of Management Sciences [ PK ]Anna Maria ConstantinoviciAL. I. Cuza University, Romania

Horia PatrascuSpiru Haret University, Bucharest,Romania

Ilie Pintea,Spiru Haret University, Romania

Xiaohua YangPhD, USA

Nawab Ali KhanCollege of Business Administration

Flvio de So Pedro FilhoFederal University of Rondonia, Brazil

Kamani PereraRegional Centre For Strategic Studies, SriLanka

Janaki SinnasamyLibrarian, University of Malaya [Malaysia ]

Romona MihailaSpiru Haret University, Romania

Delia SerbescuSpiru Haret University, Bucharest,Romania

Anurag MisraDBS College, Kanpur

Titus Pop

Pratap Vyamktrao NaikwadeASP College Devrukh,Ratnagiri,MS India

R. R. PatilHead Geology Department Solapur University, Solapur

Rama BhosalePrin. and Jt. Director Higher Education,Panvel

Salve R. N.Department of Sociology, ShivajiUniversity, Kolhapur

Govind P. Shinde

Bharati Vidyapeeth School of DistanceEducation Center, Navi Mumbai

Chakane Sanjay Dnyaneshwar Arts, Science & Commerce College,Indapur, Pune

Awadhesh Kumar ShirotriyaSecretary, Play India Play (Trust),Meerut

Iresh SwamiEx - VC. Solapur University, Solapur

N.S. DhaygudeEx. Prin. Dayanand College, Solapur

Narendra KaduJt. Director Higher Education, Pune

K. M. Bhandarkar Praful Patel College of Education, Gondia

Sonal SinghVikram University, Ujjain

G. P. Patankar

S. D. M. Degree College, Honavar, Karnataka

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Shaskiya Snatkottar Mahavidyalaya, Dhar

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Satish Kumar Kalhotra

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Indian Streams Research Journal is a multidisciplinary research journal, published monthly in English,Hindi & Marathi Language. All research papers submitted to the journal will be double - blind peer reviewedreferred by members of the editorial Board readers will include investigator in universities, research institutesgovernment and industry with research interest in the general subjects.

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Title :'INSANITY' IN SHASHI DESHPANDE'S SHIPS THAT PASSSource:Gol den Research Thoughts [2231-5063] KAVYA.B yr:2013 vol:2 iss:9

INTRODUCTION

The story 'Ships That Pass' was conceived 30 years back and was realized in Evis weekly in 1980. Now it has come in the form of novel and as a saga of love and marriage. It becomes very interesting due tothe contrasting shades of love, trust and marriage of two siblings Tara and Radhika. Tara is suffering and islost in her marriage and Radhu is fascinated and wants to design her life with marriage. After the completionof her graduation she chose her way to get married than pursuing a career. With their age difference Radhuwas not so close to her sister. But she dint have any complex regarding her Akka's exceptional beauty wholooked like a Mughal miniature, with large lustrous eyes, straight nose, perfectly shaped face with highcheek bones and a delicate jaw line. She went with her Aai's words that Even Shri Ram when he cried for the moon, was given a fake, a reflection of the moon in a pool of water (14). When too-good-looking for her Ghanshyam accepted her proposal and were engaged. She was utterly surprised and says I'd realize bythem that the male of the species is different, they express their feelings and respond in very different waysfrom us females. After going out twice with him and talking to him Radha becomes confused she is unableto decide and was serving something was not right, was it Ghanshyam? Or marriage? She was not able totalk to him openly and honestly. What a fool I'd been to think that marriage was the solution, the answer toeverything. I'd felt so sure of myself full of doubts. I couldn't call it off either (23). Now she started to think about arranged marriages where the couple behaved like lovers. She had felt her Akka had luck to have her man. In any case everyone can't have Akka and Shaan's luck to fall in love the way they had done and to beso sure of each other, to know with absolute certainty that this was the person with whom you wanted to livethe rest of your life (24).

Life of Radha changed after Akka's death. Radha had thought Life as a piece of clay she couldmould into any shape. But now she understood that it was actually the other way round and we are shaped by

Abstract:

The present paper titled Insanity' in Shashi Deshpande's Ships That Passtries to discuss the psychic disturbance of a married woman caused due to the infidelityof her husband. Woman and madness seem to be synonymous in the male dominated

society. They are emotionally fragile and prone to the mental problems. 'Madness' is theheight of depression caused due to the deprivation of psychological, social or financial help. It is sometimes never identified and never cured like physical problems as if mind isnot connected to the body. Moreover madness is extremely stigmatized in our society.Shashi Deshpande is a virtuoso in exploring the great mystery of the human psyche.Ships That Pass is a suspense thriller novel which revolves round a marriage where a

couple hide themselves in silence. Usha KR rightly opines Shashi Deshpande uses thetool kit of the crime novel to take us into literary heartland- the complexity, theimpossibility even, of human communication.

'INSANITY' IN SHASHI DESHPANDE'S SHIPS THAT PASS

KAVYA.B

Lecturer in EnglishGovt.Pre-University College Gabbur, Deodurga Taluk Raichur Dist.

Available online at www.aygrt.isrj.net

ORIGINAL ARTICLE

Volume 2, Issue. 9, March. 2013Golden Research Thoughts

ISSN:-2231-5063

GRT

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the things that happen to us. Ghanshyam's father nicely withdrew the marriage proposal it was clear thatthey are not interested further to connect with the family having murder background. Suddenly talking withRam Radha is reminded of Akka's writing and he insists to search so that he could save Shaan. FinallyRadha gets a paper where Akka had scribbled I can't go in, I can't go on scrawled just over and over again.Ram wanted to use it as a suicide note and hide Tara's diary. Ram doesn't believe Shaan might have killed hiswife and Radha can't believe or its impossible that Akka would commit a suicide but for the sake of Abhi sheheeds to Ram's words that living matter more than the dead. Shaan gets released but he remains stoic for the arrest and for the release. It was the departing time with Ram when she thought of the ships that pass atnight and Akka's words echoed in her ear and said what she wanted to say. Then Radha expresses her desireto marry Ram Mohan openly but later she comes to know that Ram had already spoken with her Dadaregarding their marriage. It was a simple register marriage but she was happy she married a right man. Shehad full freedom to make choice and had planned to continue her education. She knew with Ram she can beherself. She says after Shaan and Akka, that I had lost faith in love. But no, I haven't. I believe in love -if friendship is part of it (136). Joseph Addison has rightly said, A happy marriage has in it all the pleasuresof friendships, all the enjoyment of sense and reason - and indeed all the sweets of life. Shaan had gone outof his own life. He didn't even come to Radha and Ram's marriage. He didn't like to cast a gloom over their wedding. When Radha had called he had said Ill be back as soon as I know I'm fit to live with Abhi. Itsclear that Shaantanu was fighting his own devil's.

Ships That Pass is a heart rendering story of Tara whose mysterious death leads reader breathless.It is not clear if Tara killed herself or it was a lust murder by her husband as both remain silent. But it isevident that Tara is killed due to her husband's infidelity. In our conservative society it's even a taboo to talk about extra marital affair so our women folks are ready to ignore it and suffer alone as our society would

blame a woman for everything. It is always a fault of woman even if her husband wrongs her. Taravoluntarily remains silent towards her husband's extra marital affair. She loved him so much that she wasunable to leave him and wanted to safe guard her marriage but Shaan had changed his love and was ready tokill Tara for another woman. Tara was not insane but to cover up his deeds Shaan had projected Tara as a

psychosomatic. Normally a man who indulges in an affair tries to portray himself as a decent person to thesociety. Even though he is aware of the consequences of his actions, he continues with the relationship, withor without the feelings of guilt. He justifies his affair by accusing his loyal and ever faithful wife with anynegative and unforgivable behaviour. This is done intentionally to gain sympathy for his patience andendurance which he had suffered throughout the entire marriage. Even Shaan was not an exceptional fromthis.

Shashi Deshpande has dealt with the theme of madness in her other novels also. Kusum is one suchwho is a distant cousin of Jaya in That Long Silence. She was tortured by her in-laws for not giving birth to amale child and having only daughters. She is so upset that she starts behaving like a mad woman. Thetreatment was sponsored by Jaya who was the only one to sympathise with her. Unfortunately Kusum wantsto return to her family before her treatment is over. And she commits suicide a few days after her return. Sheis a "... defeated women, whose urge for destruction had been turned inwards"(20). "In her madness,sycophantic, dependent, frightened, clinging Kusum had escaped. In her madness, she had been able to getaway from the burden of pleasing others; only in her madness had she been able to be gloriously,unashamedly herself" (127). The theme of madness is linked with the theme of self-identity. In her troubledstate of mind Jaya identifies herself with Kusum and says, Thank God, Kusum, You're nuts I had thoughtcomplacently; because you are nuts, I know I 'm not, I know I 'm sane" (126).

Women are sexually oppressed. Hindu culture has enslaved women for ages while men enjoywithin and outside the marriage. At norms and conditions for women if follows she would be respected or else called as Wanton. As Manchi Sarat Babu puts it Masculine and feminine qualities are acquired bysuppressing some and developing some. Men become masculine by suppressing their potential for nurturing and intuition. While women become feminine by suppressing their potential for controlling andrationality. Silence and Surrender are the expected ornaments of our Indian women. The insanity of Taraexplores the deeper psychic and reality of women, who are pushed into hysteria, madness and neurotic

behaviour due to their inability to cope with the pressure of patriarchy. Madness is a psychic rebellion andan extremity of depression. Its a war within a self where an attempt is made to rise. Ships That Pass sets amirror to the couples in troubled marriages throwing light on the extra marital affair which destroys thesanctity of the institution of marriage. Healing of the wound of infidelity by a spouse is not that easy. Toquote from John Paul II's wisdom from Love and Responsibility to couples who are struggling with theissue of troubled marriage "The strength of such a (mature) love emerges most clearly when the belovedstumbles, when his or her weaknesses or sins come into the open. One who truly loves does not thenwithdraw love, but loves all the more, loves in full consciousness of the other's shortcomings and faults,without in the least approving of them. For the person as such never loses his/her essential value. The

2Golden Researc h Thoughts Volume 2 Issue 9 March 2013

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emotion which attaches to the value of the person is loyal.Maybe each human being lives in a unique world, a private world different from those inhabited

and experienced by all other humans. . . If reality differs from person to person, can we speak of realitysingular, or shouldn't we really be talking about plural realities? And if there are plural realities, are somemore true (more real) than others? What about the world of a schizophrenic? Maybe it's as real as our world.Maybe we cannot say that we are in touch with reality and he is not, but should instead say, His reality is sodifferent from ours that he can't explain his to us, and we can't explain ours to him. The problem, then, is thatif subjective worlds are experienced too differently, there occurs a breakdown in communication ... andthere is the real illness.

? Philip K. Dick

Woman and madness seem to be synonymous in the male dominated society. They areemotionally fragile and prone to the mental problems. 'Madness' is the height of depression caused due tothe deprivation of psychological, social or financial help. It is sometimes never identified and never curedlike physical problems as if mind is not connected to the body. Moreover madness is extremely stigmatizedin our society. Shashi Deshpande is a virtuoso in exploring the great mystery of the human psyche. ShipsThat Pass is a suspense thriller novel which revolves round a marriage where a couple hide themselves insilence. Usha KR rightly opines Shashi Deshpande uses the tool kit of the crime novel to take us intoliterary heartland-the complexity, the impossibility even, of human communication. The story 'Ships ThatPass' was conceived 30 years back and was realized in Evis weekly in 1980. Now it has come in the form of novel and as a saga of love and marriage. It becomes very interesting due to the contrasting shades of love,trust and marriage of two siblings Tara and Radhika. Tara is suffering and is lost in her marriage and Radhuis fascinated and wants to design her life with marriage. After the completion of her graduation she choseher way to get married than pursuing a career. With their age difference Radhu was not so close to her sister.But she dint have any complex regarding her Akka's exceptional beauty who looked like a Mughalminiature, with large lustrous eyes, straight nose, perfectly shaped face with high cheek bones and adelicate jaw line. She went with her Aai's words that Even Shri Ram when he cried for the moon, was givena fake, a reflection of the moon in a pool of water (14). When too-good-looking for her Ghanshyamaccepted her proposal and were engaged. She was utterly surprised and says I'd realize by them that themale of the species is different, they express their feelings and respond in very different ways from usfemales. After going out twice with him and talking to him Radha becomes confused she is unable to decideand was serving something was not right, was it Ghanshyam? Or marriage? She was not able to talk to himopenly and honestly. What a fool I'd been to think that marriage was the solution, the answer to everything.I'd felt so sure of myself full of doubts. I couldn't call it off either. (23) Now she started to think aboutarranged marriages where the couple behaved like lovers. She had felt her Akka had luck to have her man.In any case everyone can't have Akka and Shaan's luck to fall in love the way they had done and to be so sureof each other, to know with absolute certainty that this was the person with whom you wanted to live the restof your life. (24)

Radha received a call from Akka saying that her husband had written a letter to her to come andthere was no need she was fine. As she had said Radha got letter from Shaan much requesting her to come

but Radha was disturbed by his words I have no influenced over her at all. Radha was unable to makesense out of it. Tara and Shaan had been together since she was kid. She was conscious of their kids whogave fight to her. Akka was the centre of the household, beautiful and talented. She had written poetry,which had appeared in some magazines, she had been a marvellous actor; she had made a name for herself in a successful Marathi play and was once offered a role by a well-known film director. Everyone adoredher. Aai, Dada, Aai's brothers and of course, Shaan (26). Shaan's family lived next door and from teenagethey were together. Tara had changed her idea of becoming a doctor to just to be free to marry Shaan. Theday Shaan got a job Tara gave up everything her family, her studies, her friends, everything. LiterallyShaan was her world and she left everything behind for him. Radhu was wonder struck by Shaan's wordsand made her mind to leave to her sister's house desirably to have a break from her fianc. She is moredisturbed when she learns from Shaan that her sister is addicted to painkillers and sedatives. He evencomplains that Tara is not willing to show to any doctor while she is in great need of it. Gradually Shaanknits his web of insanity on Tara by telling that she is grieving for her dead child Geetu and Tara is stilllistening her dead child's voice and footsteps, and her presence even after the 2 years of child's death. Tosubstantiate his words he says that she had attempted twice to kill herself. When Radha meets her Akka atthe outlook she was absolutely fine. Radha says I could sense a restlessness, a turbulence in Akka . Not

physical, physically, she was quiet and still. Yet I felt, I don't know why, that she was not at peace (33).Radha meets Ram Mohan who was a chief medical officer who used to visit Tara regularly but not as adoctor but more as a well wisher and an old neighbour. Even Ram Mohan feels Tara has changed over the


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years. He says I remember her as a girl. She had something I really don't know what to call it. Not just beauty, many people have beauty, but she had what? Freshness? A zest for life? I don't know. But she was so perfect. She never had the clumsiness of an adolescent (41). He sometimes gets the glimpse of old Tara andagain she is gone.

The most shocking instance where Radha felt something was wrong between them was when Taraasked her to empty the cup of tea prepared by Shaan. Hesitatingly Radha had poured out the tea seeing at thefrightened look of her sister. Even Radha was afraid by what happened on that Sunday afternoon. Fear itisn't always made up of creaking boards, of darkness and shadows and footsteps following up. It doesn'talways come from outside; often, its lurking within us, waiting to emerge at odd times, taking us unawares.And there are times when you don't understand it, because you can't put your finger on what it is that fillsyou with dread (44). Radha was much distressed after witnessing Tara's painful attack. Knowing thatRadha is hurt Tara tried to soothe her by saying her that pain had become her good friend. It's almostfamily. It starts off so timidly, I feel it won't venture any further. Then bit by bit, so gradually that I don'tnotice it, it advances. And there it is, with me, a part of me. I never let it feel it has the upper hand. And in awhile it goes and I'm fine (46). Ram Mohan names Tara's problem as psychosomatic. It is connected to themind, the pain is real, all the manifested symptoms are real and the only way to cope it was with the help of

painkillers. Even he believes Shaan's words that it started after Geetu's death. The next day the atmosphereof the house was quite delightful as Shaan and Tara were friendly. Abhi was also happy and relaxed. Tararevealed her fear to Radha that as a child she was afraid of playing the game where all sit in a circle and onewho is out goes round chanting I wrote a letter to my mother and then quietly drops the hanky she's carrying

behind someone. She confesses that she always found excuses to get out of playing. Tara says I used to getchills down my spine. It was not because of the hanky being dropped behind me or because of getting outeither. It was a feeling of something going on behind my back, of being taken unawares. I can't tell you howit used to terrify me (49). Radhu is not able to understand why her akka is talking about her childhood fears

but in fact it's the same dreadful fear she is caught with now and is unable to express. Shaan as a secret tellsRadha that Tara has closed herself against him completely after Geetu's death. As if she thinks he isresponsible for what happened to their child. Even he tells her that Tara had tried twice to commit suicideand now he was afraid that she may repeat it. Radha though shocked was sure that Akka may not take such adecision as she loves Abhi. Even when Ram Mohan and Tara were discussing a news item of suicide Tarahad said I can't ever imagine doing such a thing, it's so negative and worse, it makes a mockery of life (59).

Radha develops crush towards Ram Mohan who is double of her age. Ram Mohan had left US andwas setting in the God forsaken Place. He hated to be the part of that big cities, money making machinery.What Radha called God forsaken place was a peaceful place for him. He had kept his home tidy as if denying the clich that a single man's house has to be messy. Radha started comparing Ram withGhanshyam. Ram wasn't ambitious nor determined to get somewhere whereas Ghanshyam was. In thewords of Radha Ram Mohan seemed Poised, Contented at peace with himself that ruled out any comparisonor sympathy. Ram treats her like a kid as her expressions were so and his most vivid memory of her was of akid of four. When Ram Mohan and Radha go out for a shopping there was the most dreadful scene waitingfor Radha. She saw Shaan with a woman in a remote place seated too close to each other. She was dumbfolded as her faith in their marriage was shattered. Ram Mohan says Marriage is a very strange thing. It's avery public institution, it's meant to tell the world that two people are going to live together, to declare thattheir children will be legal, that these children can inherit their property. It's meant for social living, toensure that some rules are observed, so that men and women don't cross the lines drawn for them. At thesame time, marriage is an intensely private affair. No outsider will ever know what goes on in a marriage, nooutsider will know the state of someone else's marriage. It's a closed room, a locked room (61). For Ramit was normal to have affairs but Radha wasn't able to digest the fact and breaks down. She say's I thoughtmarriage meant loyalty. I can't understand how you can betray the person you claim to love (62) .

Shaan had developed an affair with his junior colleague who was a widow. Radha enquires aboutthe beauty of that woman then Ram asks Why? You think it's her beauty that has attracted Shaan? Wherewould be get someone as beautiful as Tara? (62). It's very clear from the words of Ram that men give moreimportance for physical pleasure and are ready to take advantage of it whereas women are mental oriented.Ram is mature in his thinking but for Radha it was too emotionally disturbing as it was connected with two

people whom she had loved and respected the most above all admired their marriage.Radha is in a confusion and it frightened her that how people could move as Akka and Shaan had

done, such a great distance away from each other. How could we count on anyone then? How could we besure people would not change? How could we ever be sure of anything in this world if the people we trustedthe most changed? (67). Earlier Radha had thought marriage first and then career now she thinks she was asilly girl who had thought marriage was the solution to problems. Now it seems her as it is the beginning of

problems and some are even non resolving.


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When Abhi forced to go to monthly movie Shaan denied and Tara agreed readily to join them butwhen it was the time to go Radha found her lying still in her bed in a pain. So Radha and Abhi left to movie.Radha was not able to enjoy the movie as her mind was wavering between R S and G. S above that she wasworried about Akka. So in the middle of the movie she asked Abhi and came back home. When she reachedhome the door was locked inside. Then she knocked that door and heard Tara's shrill voice with fear. Thehouse was in dark and there was smell. Radha identified it as the smell of gas and went straight to the kitchenand turned off the gas cylinder Tara had held a candle and match box in her hand Radha just warned her notto light it up. Tara sobbed uttering the words, I don't want to die, oh God, I don't want to die. Ram Mohancomes and from him Radha comes to know that Tara had called him not her husband. It was not the general

power problem but it was only dark in thin house. It was just a fuse problem. When Shaan came home hewas not much concerned about his wife but he told that he had come and had given hot milk to her. WhenTara was asked even she said she had not turned on and she got irritated by Radha's scraping up. The last fewdays with Akka was very heart touching for Radha. They had a companionable relationship. Akka washappy with her and Radha was able to understand how lonely she was with Shaan out most of the day andAbhi busy with his school. Tara was happy thinking about her childhood. Radha thought This is what afamily is. Shared memories, shared experiences you go on to so much more, you move beyond these earlyexperiences, yet they stay, like a beacon in your mind, lighting up the past. Creating an almost mystic bondwith those you have shared the experience with.

Radha had developed intense longing and feelings towards Ram and thought about him quiteoften. She knew he didn't have any sort of feelings towards her except that she was Akka's sister. Radha feelsthat we have nothing to do with each other ships that pass each other in the night, that's what we are. That'swhat we all are to each other. Radha had felt irritated by Akka's ignorance and her innocence. Even once shehad tried to tell her about Shaan but she had avoided Akka had made her clear that Shaan has an absurd ideathat she is still grieving over her. Even she said that she has to go on with it for the sake of Abhi. She hasaccepted her daughter's death as it was tortures to see her suffer if any miracle would save her but it wasthankful and it came. Tara still had a desire to do something which she had not done to be herself. She hadthought: It seems to me that there is so much of me I have never used never tried to use. I want to find outwhat there is that I can do (90). She even warned her sister Radha don't let it happen to you. Keep yourself alive. When you marry, whoever you marry or is it whomever keep yourself intact. There's always a real youinside. Don't drown that real you in a man, in the family. Not only Akka advised Radha but took promisefrom her Never, never marry a man who doesn't seem right to you. And when you find the right man, never let him go (91). Promise me you'll do that. Even she was ready to talk to Dinu regarding Ghanshyam andshe would cancel the engagement. But that never happen as the very next day Tara was dead Ram Mohanwas upset that Tara's was not a natural death and they wanted to do autopsy and Shaan wanted him to give acertificate saying that she had a cardiac problem. When the report came it was registered as unnatural death,her blood showed a very high level of barbiturates. Suicide was a strong possibility. But after reading Tara'sdiary Radha was very clear that it was a murder. Tara had suspected her husband Shaan for the gas cylinder incident and she takes her tablets herself. Tara knew all about Shaan and still loved him. She was toofrightened. Shaan has been part of my life for so long, I can't think of life without him but he?

Raam was not ready to accept that Shaan would have killed Tara besides he thinks The livingmatter more than the dead and thinks more about Abhi, who has already lost his mother should be left withfather. When the policeman investigated Radha and asked her if her sister used sedatives at night and shehad inclination for suicide she said 'yes' to save Shaan. But the culprit was arrested as the policeman got anempty bottle of sleeping pills in Shaan's wardrobe concealed among his clothes and with his finger prints onit. Shaan when got arrested didn't talk to anybody nor he wanted to keep a lawyer for his side then Radhafeels Shaan had become an enigmas he did not seem either angry or frightened. It was not clear, if thatsilence was due to guilt or anger at the injustice of being accused of murdering his wife. People had talkedabout this and believed that he had killed his wife for the sake of another woman. Shaan spoke only to RamMohan and entrusted Abhi on him not to any relatives of his or wife's side. May be he was giving finaltribute to his wife by doing this as Ram was her confident, the man she turned to for comfort andcompanionship.

Life of Radha changed after Akka's death. Radha had thought Life as a piece of clay she couldmould into any shape. But now she understood that it was actually the other way round and we are shaped bythe things that happen to us. Ghanshyam's father nicely withdrew the marriage proposal it was clear thatthey are not interested further to connect with the family having murder background. Suddenly talking withRam Radha is reminded of Akka's writing and he insists to search so that he could save Shaan. FinallyRadha gets a paper where Akka had scribbled I can't go in, I can't go on scrawled just over and over again.Ram wanted to use it as a suicide note and hide Tara's diary. Ram doesn't believe Shaan might have killed hiswife and Radha can't believe or its impossible that Akka would commit a suicide but for the sake of Abhi she


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heeds to Ram's words that living matter more than the dead. Shaan gets released but he remains stoic for the arrest and for the release.

It was the departing time with Ram when she thought of the ships that pass at night and Akka'swords echoed in her ear and said what she wanted to say. Then Radha expresses her desire to marry RamMohan openly but later she comes to know that Ram had already spoken with her Dada regarding their marriage. It was a simple register marriage but she was happy she married a right man. She had full freedomto make choice and had planned to continue her education. She knew with Ram she can be herself. She saysafter Shaan and Akka, that I had lost faith in love. But no, I haven't. I believe in love -if friendship is part of it (136). Joseph Addison has rightly said, A happy marriage has in it all the pleasures of friendships, all theenjoyment of sense and reason - and indeed all the sweets of life. Shaan had gone out of his own life. Hedidn't even come to Radha and Ram's marriage. He didn't like to cast a gloom over their wedding. WhenRadha had called he had said Ill be back as soon as I know I'm fit to live with Abhi. Its clear thatShaantanu was fighting his own devil's.

Ships That Pass is a heart rendering story of Tara whose mysterious death leads reader breathless.It is not clear if Tara killed herself or it was a lust murder by her husband as both remain silent. But it isevident that Tara is killed due to her husband's infidelity. In our conservative society it's even a taboo to talk about extra marital affair so our women folks are ready to ignore it and suffer alone as our society would

blame a woman for everything. It is always a fault of woman even if her husband wrongs her. Taravoluntarily remains silent towards her husband's extra marital affair. She loved him so much that she wasunable to leave him and wanted to safe guard her marriage but Shaan had changed his love and was ready tokill Tara for another woman. Tara was not insane but to cover up his deeds Shaan had projected Tara as a

psychosomatic. Normally a man who indulges in an affair tries to portray himself as a decent person to thesociety. Even though he is aware of the consequences of his actions, he continues with the relationship, withor without the feelings of guilt. He justifies his affair by accusing his loyal and ever faithful wife with anynegative and unforgivable behaviour. This is done intentionally to gain sympathy for his patience andendurance which he had suffered throughout the entire marriage. Even Shaan was not an exceptional fromthis.

Shashi Deshpande has dealt with the theme of madness in many of her novels. Kusum in ThatLong Silence is distant cousin of Jaya. She was tortured by her in-laws for not giving birth to a male childand having only daughters. She is so upset that she starts behaving like a mad woman. The treatment wassponsored by Jaya who was the only one to sympathise with her. Unfortunately Kusum wants to return toher family before her treatment is over. And she commits suicide a few days after her return. She is a "...defeated women, whose urge for destruction had been turned inwards"(20). "In her madness, sycophantic,dependent, frightened, clinging Kusum had escaped. In her madness, she had been able to get away fromthe burden of pleasing others; only in her madness had she been able to be gloriously, unashamedly herself"(127). The theme of madness is linked with the theme of self-identity. In her troubled state of mind Jayaidentifies herself with Kusum and says, Thank God, Kusum, You're nuts I had thought complacently;

because you are nuts, I know I 'm not, I know I 'm sane." (126). Saru in The Dark Holds No Terror is a victimof sexual harassment by her husband. She was mentally disturbed and petrified of dark. She developsnegative feeling for herself, And each time it happens and I don't speak, I put another brick on the wall of silence between us. May be one day I will be walled alive within it and die a slow painful death"(96). She isa doctor and she had no cure for her husband and even she dint dare to express this to anyone but her father that Manu was a sadist and she was afraid of him.

Women are sexually oppressed. Hindu culture has enslaved women for ages while men enjoywithin and outside the marriage. All norms and conditions for woman if followed she would be respected or else called as Wanton. As Manchi Sarat Babu puts it Masculine and feminine qualities are acquired bysuppressing some and developing some. Men become masculine by suppressing their potential for nurturing and intuition. While women become feminine by suppressing their potential for controlling andrationality. Silence and Surrender are the expected ornaments of our Indian woman so that they could beeasily crushed in the name of custom and tradition. The insanity of Tara explores the deeper psychic andreality of women, who are pushed into hysteria, madness and neurotic behaviour due to their inability tocope with the pressure of patriarchy. Madness is a psychic rebellion and an extremity of depression. Its awar within a self where an attempt is made to rise. Ships That Pass sets a mirror to the couples in troubledmarriages throwing light on the extra marital affair which destroys the peace and sanctity of marriage.Healing of the wound of infidelity by a spouse is not that easy. To quote from John Paul II's wisdom fromLove and Responsibility to couples who are struggling with the issue of troubled marriage "The strength of such a (mature) love emerges most clearly when the beloved stumbles, when his or her weaknesses or sinscome into the open. One who truly loves does not then withdraw love, but loves all the more, loves in fullconsciousness of the other's shortcomings and faults, without in the least approving of them. For the person


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as such never loses his/her essential value. The emotion which attaches to the value of the person is loyal.

WORKS CITED:

Joseph Addison, The Spectator with Notes and A General Index , Vol 1 ( New York : Samuel Marks, 1826) p.340Usha KR,Lead Review in Deccan Herald, June10,2012Wojtyla, Karol. Love and Responsibility.London:William Collins Sons & Co.Ltd..ISBN 0-89870-445-6.P.135


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