Through MT’s eyes: How women shaped his life, literature

In MT's writing, women appear everywhere – on the margins, on the edges, or on the other side. However, MT never claims that any of them are mere reflections of life; they live more in his soul than on the pages. 

When asked if he had a good woman friend, he once said: "At different stages of my life. Not just one, but many . There are still those who are very affectionate, in many places, in different parts of India. When they talk on the phone for just five minutes, it is a joy. I don't know if I should call it affection or love, but there is no element of lust in it. When not working, they’ll say, ‘Come here, stay here for a few days,’ and so on. They make up for many things we lack.

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During my college days, I was close to many girls. By ‘closeness,’ I mean that some of them had a certain freedom with me. In class, without the teacher’s notice, they would ask “Vasudevan, correct this or that,” and would place papers in front of me.  It was rare in those days to have such conversations. When I used to pass by their hostel, I could feel some standing there and watching. But beyond that, there were no opportunities to be very close or intimate.

My mother was the eldest in the house and carried the weight of the family without showing it. I never saw my mother go to the temple, nor did she pamper the children. Her focus was always on the family’s welfare. When our house was being partitioned, there were four of us as children. My mother would say, ‘Not four, but five. Cheriyamma (mother’s sister) has a daughter. These four boys will manage, but there is a girl there, so not four, but five.’ And so, she gave them part of the property. That was our mother.”

When you listen to MT, you realise that his work is a journey through time, shaped by love for women. They remain alive in his words, never fading, never forgotten.