I Just love Shashi Deshpande’s writing, her prose are always enchanting to read it gives me immense pleasure to read her works, which are ‘simple and sophisticated ’ at the same time! She writes about ordinary people, about their loneliness, their emotions, their agony, their helpless situations in life. Her characters are easily relatable or should I say they are ‘there’, they are ‘real’!

[b:In the Country of Deceit|6664030|In the Country of Deceit|Shashi Deshpande|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/book/50x75-6121bf4c1f669098041843ec9650ca19.png|6858844] is a story about Devayani the main protagonist who lives independently in a small town surrounded by few relatives and friends. Her life initially is uncomplicated. Often she receives few letters from her loved ones insisting her - either to leave that place and live with them or constantly indicating her to get married. Then enters Rani, an ex-film actress who lives in that same town and gradually becomes a good friend to Devayani. Finally through Rani, Devayani meets DSP Ashok who instantly falls for her (though married and has a daughter) still he just can’t stop following her. Finally Devayani accepts him and enters the country of deceit ( in this book the country of deceit is nothing but ‘deceitful love’ which Devayani was a part of) where she constantly lies and deceits her loved ones and secretly meets this man and finally falls in love with him, a love which has no boundary, no ethics, no morals . She knows whatever she is doing is not right and it has no future but she is helpless. The fear and guilt of becoming “the other woman” in someone’s life is always there and is constantly eating her up inside every time she meets him, but she is helpless. She urges herself to stop this nonsense yet again she is helpless.

“Why did I do it? Why did I enter the country of deceit? What took me into it? I hesitate to use the word love, but what other word is there?” (a line from the book)

Though I knew whatever Devayani did was a mistake yet I felt sorry for her. Her continuous brooding over herself and for her love for a man who can never be hers’, really makes the reader feel helpless. This powerful writing really had a great impact on me. I am sure Devayani is going to stay in my mind for while now because I really liked her.

my book journal ( )