Independent Nature of Modern Women in Preeti Shenoy's Novel "Tea for Two and a Piece of Cake"

Literature is an art which gives more pleasure than other things. It reflects the day-to-day life of human beings in written form. It has many intellectual values. Literature is something that reflects society and makes us think about ourselves and our society. It allows us to enjoy language and beauty and also reflects the human condition (Steinberg, 2014). Literature presents the essence of reality. As art is the knowledge of the actual world, it exists in the real world and has a function in it. Literature can be classified into many types: novel, drama, fiction, non-fiction, short story, prose, poetry, satire and historical writing.

Works of art written by authors who belong to India come under Indian literature. Indian literature in English is a historically verifiable phenomenon, and it is the result of the commercial, cultural and literary encounter between India and Britain. It cannot be expected that a set of historically given conditions will be understood identically by successive generations of critics and historians. The wealth of Indian literature reveals the fact that the creativity and the experience of its writers have made an eternal impression. The concept of family is an important motif in Indian literature and drama. The great epics Mahabharatha and Ramayana are two famous works of Indian literature. They are family epics which feature cousins, uncles and aunts. Many American dreams feature tough individuals. When these stories are adapted to India, the individuals are given the status of a mother, a father and, ideally, a brother or sister.

The leading Indian writers in the twenty-first century are R. K. Narayan, Rohinton Mistry, Salman Rushdie, Vikram Seth, Amitav Ghosh, Chetan Bhagat and Ravinder Singh. Some of the leading women writers in Indian literature are Arundhati Roy, Kiran Desai, Shashi Deshpande, Jhumpa Lahiri, Sudha Murty, Bharati Mukherjee and Preeti Shenoy.

Many young talents are emerging in India these days, and one of them is the fresh and unique author Preeti Shenoy (Youth Developers, 2014). Preeti Shenoy, the author of It Happens for a Reason, is among the highest-selling authors in India and has been featured on the Forbes India long-list of the most influential celebrities. India Today has named her as unique for being the only woman in the bestselling league. In the past, she has written for various publications such as The Times of India and Reader’s Digest.

She currently writes a regular column in The Financial Chronicle. She has given several talks at many educational institutions, including the IITs and IIMs. She is also an artist specialising in portraiture. Her other interests are travel, photography and yoga. She is a great poet, a renowned artist, an excellent blogger, versatile in art (portraits, mixed media and paper quilling), a fine ex-basketball player, a sweet nature lover, a powerful mother and a yoga buff.

Preeti Shenoy’s first book, 34 Bubblegums and Candies, was published in October 2008. In her college days, she wrote pleasant articles for Reader’s Digest “Joy”. Preeti Shenoy’s list of novels is not too long, but these novels have made quite an impact not only on Indian audiences but all over the world. Preeti Shenoy’s best books are bestsellers that include Life Is What You Make It, 34 Bubblegums and Candies and Tea for Two and a Piece of Cake.

A biography of the author gives succinct details of her books and bestsellers (Youth Developers, 2014). She has been described as a ‘keenly observant mind’ by Daily News Analysis, which perfectly captures her personality. She has been endowed with excellent storytelling skills, which make her quite popular among children. Her social work involves helping poor children study and learn artistic things. Her pencil portraits are outstandingly realistic. This multitalented and dynamic author’s new book, The One You Cannot Have, was launched recently. This novel was published in November 2013.

Preeti Shenoy is also known to be on the Forbes list of the 100 most influential people. ‘Live life to the fullest’ is her philosophy, which is evident from her blog as well as her books. Preeti Shenoy is among the top five highest-selling authors in India. She is the highest-selling woman writer in India. Her work has been translated into many languages. She has been awarded the ‘Indian of the Year’ award for 2017 by Brands Academy for her contributions to literature. She has also received the Academia Award for Business Excellence from the New Delhi Institute of Management. She is the recipient of the ‘100 Young Indian Women Achievers’ award in the ‘Powerful Leader’ category. Her short stories and poetry have been published in various magazines such as Condé Nast and Verve. Her books include It’s All in the Planets, Why We Love the Way We Do, The Secret Wish List, The One You Cannot Have and many others.

In the novel Tea for Two and a Piece of Cake, the female character Nisha is the best example of an independent woman. In her youth, she works in a travel agency named Point to Point. She never depends on others; when she loses her job, she does not worry about it, and she never asks others for help. Instead, she searches for a new job and is selected in the interviews. But, because of the wrong intentions in the minds of the officers, she leaves that place.

In the meantime, Samir calls her and offers her a job at Magellan International as Executive Assistant to the senior partner. She is happy that Samir has offered this job to her. The next day, Nisha goes to the new office, where she finds that Samir is the senior partner. She had presumed that the senior partner would be some old guy in the organisation and not the charming Samir. She is very happy about it and feels that something better has happened in her life because of Samir. After that, they become close to each other, go to parties and visit many places. Finally, they fall in love and get married.

Samir and Nisha think that they are made for each other. After their marriage, Nisha decides to leave her job. She thinks, “How can his wife be his secretary?” (Shenoy, 2012, p. 94). She passes her time learning cooking and reading. From her youth until her marriage, she never depends on others. Then she joins a baking and cooking course. The course turns her into a very good cook. At first, she knows how to cook only basic items like rice, dal, rotis and a few vegetables. The course includes the basic dishes of four styles, namely Mughlai, Continental, Indian and Chinese. Strongly believing in her own beauty and potential, the modern-day woman recognises that she needs to be the best version of herself to reach her goals.

When she learns that she is pregnant with their first child, she is overjoyed. But when he suggests aborting the baby, she becomes upset. She knows that he is not fond of children. After that, he accepts the baby. Her newborn baby is named Tanya. Five days later, Samir’s mother passes away, and Samir wants Nisha to come with him to London for the funeral. But she does not go with him because of her newborn baby. There are certain things that change her after marriage. He makes these problems into a big issue. After that, Samir abandons her and his two children.

And so, it is Nisha’s duty to take care of her two children. But she does not have enough money to manage her daily life with her two children. She has only three thousand rupees in her purse. It is only a small problem, and she wants to talk to Samir. Nisha has the habit of checking her email once every three to four days. When she opens her inbox, her heart starts beating at a thousand beats per minute. There is an email from Samir. She opens and reads it. Samir has another relationship with Maya. He knows Nisha needs money. So he promises her that he will pay the fees for the kids’ education and give her a good sum for her monthly expenses, and he also tells her to activate her own ATM cards and credit cards so that he can transfer the desired amount to her bank account directly.

When she reads this email, she gets angry with him. Each sentence hits her with the force of a gale wind. Out of all the things he states, two things seem to pierce her heart: “He had said ‘MY house’ and ‘YOUR precious babies’” (Shenoy, 2012, p. 127). “I feel so angry and so hurt that I wished I had a truckload of money to go and throw on his face, to pay him back for having stayed in HIS house and raising MY kids. I am blinded with fury, hurt by the injustice of his words” (Shenoy, 2012, p. 128).

A modern-day woman knows that being fearless does not mean being rash in making decisions but rather putting her fears aside in order to reach her dreams. It also means not being intimidated by the success of others but seeing it as motivation to be even better. Nisha thinks that by handling all of Tanya’s and Rohit’s needs on her own, she has given him the space that he needs, and she does not ask him for any help. When it comes to the kids, she had presumed that he would get time to do his work and that he would appreciate her for taking care of every single thing at home.

Nisha looks around the place which she has called ‘home’ for the past eight years. With each passing second, the walls of the house, with the colour-coordinated paintings on them, seem to be mocking her. She feels cheated, betrayed and insulted. She takes a decision to leave his house. She packs her clothes and also the most important of the children’s toys. At nearly midnight, they leave for her father’s house.

While Tanya is at school, Nisha takes Rohit and goes to the supermarket. She walks up to the cash counter and asks the cashier to check whether the card is working. He tells her politely that the card has not been accepted. For the very first time, it makes her feel that she is poor, without any money in her hand. Only after two days is her ATM card renewed. Nisha tells everything to her friend Chetana. Chetana, being a practical person, simply advises her to take the money that Samir offers her. But Nisha never accepts it.

Nisha calls her friend Akash and invites him to her house for dinner. Nisha tells Akash everything and says that she wants a job. He listens patiently and tells her, “If you can have a job where you can be around when Tanya comes from school, and where Rohit can be with you throughout, then you would want that job, am I right?” (Shenoy, 2012, p. 161). Akash asks Nisha to give him ten days’ time to find a new job for her.

Akash calls her two weeks later and says that he has some really nice news for Nisha. He wants to come to her house because she will cook something delicious for him. She decides to cook some Mughlai chicken, rotis and a lovely salad. She waits eagerly for Akash. Akash comes after finishing all his office work. He brings a paper with him and gives it to Nisha. She eagerly opens the paper and reads it: “The Magic Saucepan We makes food good!” (Shenoy, 2012, p. 168). At the bottom of the paper, on the right side, her name, address and phone number are printed. The business card looks really professional, and it is beautifully designed on expensive handmade paper, as are the letterheads. She wonders at this plan made by Akash.

Akash knows that she has to earn money and that she wants a good job where she can be around Rohit, and around Tanya when she comes home from school. This is the best job for Nisha. Akash tells her that the Executive Director of his company has arranged a party at his residence. He wants Nisha to cook for the party, and she agrees.

In the novel, the author Preeti Shenoy says that there was a time when women were just the kitchen keepers and housekeepers in Indian society, rearing children, cooking meals for the whole family, or making use of their spare time by doing some tailoring or knitting, but all within the four walls of the house. This was considered their only way of life. But nowadays, women are being educated.

Today, women are found working in all fields, and they are distinguishing themselves in those fields. For middle-class families, choosing a career for women has also become necessary. Nisha also belongs to a middle-class family. She has an independent nature. And so, she starts to work to support her family’s needs. Akash also appreciates her for taking such a decision.

Nisha goes to the shop to buy the ingredients, and she easily gets the chicken, the noodle cakes, vegetables and sauces. But the spring onions and Ajinomoto have been sold out for the day. Both are highly essential in Chinese cooking for the extra bit of taste. This is a good opportunity for her, and she wants to make good use of it. Nisha chops all the vegetables. She never depends on others, even while cooking.

Akash arranges all the food items neatly in the serving containers. Akash calls Mrs. Singh and tells her that they are outside her apartment. Mrs. Singh comes out, and Akash introduces Nisha to Mrs. Singh as the person behind The Magic Saucepan. Nisha arranges the food on the table and watches Mrs. Singh write out a cheque for eight thousand five hundred rupees. Nisha happily thanks Mrs. Singh for the opportunity to serve her.

Then they celebrate the first successful order of The Magic Saucepan. When Chetana comes to visit Nisha at her house, Nisha tells her everything. Chetana speaks favourably of Samir, and Nisha replies:

Chetana, I don’t know if this will make sense to you, but I truly do not want his money. He offered to pay me a sum monthly, but I refused to take it. Look I really do not want to discuss this with you. I am finally doing something which gives me joy. It is something I am good at and I have now started to earn money from it. It is just a humble beginning, but I am getting there. (Shenoy, 2012, p. 210)

Nisha wants to live an independent life, and so she moves on. She hopes that Chetana will praise her: “I guess, in a secret way I am also craving for her approval, her appreciation and I want her to tell me that I am brave” (Shenoy, 2012, p. 211). But Chetana says nothing like that and immediately wants to know all the details of what she is doing. So Nisha tells her, and Chetana responds, “And you really think all this Magic Saucepan business is really going to succeed? Just take my advice and go back home and take the money from Samir. Why are you putting yourself and your children through this torture? I am being honest with you and telling you what is good for you” (Shenoy, 2012, p. 213).

Nisha wants to tell her to shut up, mind her own business and stop judging something that she knows nothing about and has never experienced for herself. She becomes totally upset on hearing these words. Akash tells Nisha that The Magic Saucepan is indeed somewhat successful. He has full confidence in her talents. His words really comfort her.

Nisha starts to get more and more party orders. By the end of the first month, she has successfully catered for nine parties of varying sizes at various South Mumbai homes. At the end of the month, she has made a profit of eighteen thousand five hundred and forty-six rupees. In the second month, she makes a profit of thirty thousand rupees. Nisha is happy and overjoyed. Akash says that this is just the beginning: “Nisha, you are lovelier as a business woman” (Shenoy, 2012, p. 219). Taking on many roles is challenging, but the modern woman embodies each of them with strength and poise. Her ability to confidently embrace each of her identities with ease truly makes her a real-life superwoman.

Samir learns that Nisha has started a new business without his help. He calls Nisha, asks her about the catering business and says, “Look. I don’t know what the heck you think you are doing trying to embarrass me like this by getting into some catering business. Do you realize how bad it makes me look in my circle? I have offered you enough money, haven’t I? What the heck is all this nonsense about supplying food to people’s parties?” (Shenoy, 2012, p. 224).

Nisha tells Samir very firmly that she does not want his money, his house or anything from him. She has been left alone by him, and she never depends on him. Nisha becomes a brave, independent woman. After she leaves Mumbai and comes to Pondicherry, she spends all her days happily with her children and Akash. In Pondicherry, she starts a restaurant named ‘The Soul Garden’. And so, she has achieved a lot in her life.

When Samir leaves her and his children, Nisha thinks about how she is going to handle her children in all situations without their father. Samir causes her a lot of pain, but she lives only for her two children; she leaves his house and goes to her father’s house. She earns money from her catering business. She makes every sacrifice and reduces her own living costs for the future of her children. She provides each and every thing to her children for their happiness. Nisha has done her duty of parenting well by taking care of her two children.

“Independent Nature of Modern Women” portrays the life of a middle-class woman, Nisha. When her husband Samir announces his decision to separate from her, she feels very sad, because their life looks almost perfect until Samir decides to walk out of their marriage for a younger woman. And when he offers to support Nisha and her kids financially, it is her self-respect that guides Nisha to refuse any sort of association with Samir.

As Nisha struggles to stand on her own feet, hope comes into her life in the form of Akash. She does not ever want to depend on any other man again. Then Nisha begins a catering business and becomes successful in it. Thus, the novel Tea for Two and a Piece of Cake is highly appealing and gives a realistic picture of the Indian family.

At the beginning of the novel, Nisha is just an ordinary woman, but she gradually frees herself and emerges as a new, independent woman. She is optimistic and has a positive outlook. As an independent woman, she becomes free from traditional life and from social and moral constraints, and she possesses a heightened sense of individuality and self-awareness (Wrenn, 2010). With her courage, self-respect and indomitable, independent spirit, she has reached a stage of self-sufficient freedom and self-fulfilment.