Last time when I met Nora, she was waiting for bus to go to her parent's home. She had just left Hemanta, her husband. She had realized that above all she's human first then only someone's wife, someone's mother etc. I was left with question that why she had left Hemanta. After all he had realized his mistake. She should have forgiven him and stayed with him happily.
I got another chance to revisit her and see her full story from the beginning. She was living happily with her 3 kids and husband, Hemanta. He cares her very much and calls her "Meri Maina Chari". He loves her much. She shares her everything to hemanta except one thing. She has one secret which only she knows until she shares with her friend, Leena Bista. She has taken loan from Kedar Adhikari, a lawyer with dreadful past, to save her husband. Kedar had done forgery and to save himself from law, had done another morally unacceptable works. Doctor had advised Nora to take Hemanta away to Madesh otherwise he wouldn't live. She couldn't get money from anyone and at last has taken loan from Kedar. But he had one condition that is she must have her father's signature as witness. But before she could take her father's signature, her father died. So she made forgery signature to take loan. She has been paying regularly but destiny has something in her store. Hemanta has been made manager of bank where Kedar works. Hemanta and Kedar are school friends but because of Kedar's past. So he fires him and Kedar uses Nora's secret to reinstate him. Nora now falls in great problem. She fears if her husband knows then he would die to save her but she doesn't want that. She wishes to die rather than see him in problem. But when Kedar's letter reaches Hemanta, everything is opposite. He becomes too scared about his social status and when Nora tries o explain why she had to take loan, he doesn't listen. For him, she has done great mistake. He decides they can't be together as husband and. For social fear, he cannot send her out of home. Social prestige and status is greater for him rather than his wife's love. But later when Kedar sends another letter stating he won't tell this to anyone and wants to close the chapter, Hemanta becomes very happy. Now he realizes he's safe, so again he wants Nora to be with him. But Nora has seen and understands that she has been living together with stranger for past 8 years. For the first time they become serious and sit together to discuss. He had treated her as his doll, a possession, material property, a thing that can only speak and act strictly as per his command and desires. She searches dignity, humanity and love in her husband but for her but there's none. He had prevented any opportunity for her to realize her potentials as an individual. She has woken up from dream. She realizes she has been wrong in one of her most cherished hopes and beliefs, the belief that her husband would sacrifice his honor at least when he realizes how much she has sacrificed her honor, dreams, and life. So she leaves him.
I don't know how justifiable is Nora's exit but when I saw her and tried to feel her putting myself in her shoes, I find her decision a right one. Relationship is not just about supporting each other in happy times, but also lending arms in sour times. Marriage is that string which joins two souls together. There should be respect, love, tenderness, faith, trust etc. for each other. But in Nora's case I feel there's none. Hemanta had treated her as doll only with whom he can play whenever he wanted. There's no liberty for her. She's lost in doll's house. May be people might question what kind of mother she is, but still deep somewhere I feel she did right thing. I may sound feminist, but searching own identity is not feminism. If Hemanta has left Nora like this, people wouldn't have had problem. See the story in different angle. Not from "the glass is half full" ideology but from "glass is half empty" then may be it would make sense.
This play is adapted from Henrik Ibsen's A Doll's House but with Nepali. There have been intense debates about her exit. People in Europe especially Germans couldn't digest the ending and made their own version. Even dramatist Henrik Ibsen had to rewrite another version with happy ending but later he regretted.
There are numbers of Nora in our Nepali society. Some dares to live like her some don't. Have you seen her lately? What's she's doing? If so please don't forget to write.
And how do you feel about her exit? Is it justified? Please comment.
Aarohan Theater Festival is going on at Guruku everyday till February 12 at 4.30 pm. Be there to taste the Theater experience.
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