Here is only one take on  Leo Tolstoy’s  Anna Karenina- there are more –

Today Anna Karenina could be anywhere in the world- you may call it a story of lust and infidelity or love or a story of a real woman who is complex and stunning- we all `thrown in’ at this moment of time- Pratibha Chopra

Any society that does not face its conflicts head-on …that if it just chooses to push them under the carpet and does not evolve and revisit its ways of life as per the lived lives of people and the challenges thereof, it suffers in confusion and chaos and fails in protecting its best values , like loyalty , and character, character not in conservative terms but  in terms of integrity and authenticity. The lack of clarity and chaotic mess lead to a disastrous situation where people lack moral and spiritual courage and live a frivolous life without giving much thought to elevating one’s life with authenticity and choices that define the structure of the lived lives with civilizational finesse…

Writing is one phenomenon that has the capacity to address the confusions at a particular time in society  and  an  individual’s life  and reach us an authentic discourse to avert tragedy and darkness , a darkness where people are in a stupor and go with the flow of  nonchalance and couldn’t care less bravado . But sooner than it is expected the reality catches on and it is difficult to deceive oneself…the stretching of one’s emotional capacity to a  bizarre waste and one’s libido to unkempt pursuits, unkempt …I say because they might be those that alienate oneself from one’s being….and one just moves along with the periphery of responses without giving much thought to their relation with our authentic being…

The newspapers today in India are full of such angst …angst without its awareness!    Any awareness could save us and make us think before we jump – leap we must but authentically.

Russian literature is being picked to give the reader a template  of richness of lived human lives. They have the capacity to refurbish our spirit and speak to our soul.

There is one country and its people in the whole world who have had the courage , grit and charisma to live beyond the `defined’ horizon and redefine the frontiers by leading new paths where there were none and where the world was caught in `either or’ and was thrown in …The questions were many of the matter and the spirit and of the a priori , thus confronting the world with a colossus …&it was up to humanity to create signifiers of a new mapping and urgent interventions :-

these words as praxis , as action , that is loaded with various meanderings and is a blank sheet till a colour blasts anew and various vantage points emerge…A new challenge erupts …this playing out of the `present moment’ has to be revisited

but with a new design …Russia has been doing it all the time …So here I will bring the stark richness of this complex role…for you and me to savour …Literature , you know in addressing and invoking the moment of transition ….The very moment when you are thrown in and you could either look the  other side or just act . When words are a `becoming’  , a praxis which could make , mar , hold or chart out new paths where there are none…Taking the cue from Tolstoy , here are some readings  from Anna Karenina …This signifies the takeoff from when the world of dogged religious black letter   that pushes you with gravity and you are so low that none but an `against gravity’ takeoff will redeem you…

Anna Karenina, is one feminine character in the world literature who is bewitchingly rich in her diverse and complex life. We all know she is married to Alexanrovich Karenin who is a conservative administration and is doggedly religious to the black letter and forgiveness, penance , sacrifice of the flesh and looking down on meandering s and choices of the heart and vagaries that of the

body are most denigrating to his mind. This sacrifice and Christian penance  seeks a `price’ always and is never its own reward. Karenin has a `set’ structure  of his conservative religion and its prescription imposing on real living and lived life.

Consider the following excerpts from Leo Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina. The conversation is between Vronsky and his Colleague …about the military life, the importance of power as it appeals to Sepukhovsky and Anna Karenina’s lover Vronsky is sceptical of it. The dialogue then starts off on a note on how one looked at love and woman….Here are the excerpts;-

There is one  important thing I lack for this ,” said Vronsky.”I lack for this ,” said Vronsky , “I lack the love of power. I used to have it but no more.”

“Begging your pardon , that is not true –now,” added Vronsky to be honest .

“Ah true now ; that is another thing ; but that now will not last forever.”

“Perhaps not, ” replied Vronsky.

“You say perhaps ,” went on Serpukhovsky , as if guessing his thoughts , “and I say for sure . That is why I wanted to see you , You did what you had to do . I understand that. But you must not overdo it, I only ask you to give me carte blanche . I shall not offer you my patronage –although I don’t know why I should not –how often have you patronized me!” But I hope our friendship is above this . Yes, ” he said , smiling at him as tenderly as a woman , “give me carte blanche , leave your regiment , and I will inconspicuously pull you up.”

“But can’t you understand I want nothing?” said Vronsky . “Nothing , you say , but that things should remain as they are.”

Serpukhovsky got up and stood in front of him.

“Nothing you say , but that things should remain as they are, I know what that means. But listen ; we are the same age, you have probably known more women than I have .”

With a smile and a gesture Seprukhovsky assured Vronsky ha had nothing to fear , he would touch the sore spot gently , gingerly. “But  I am married , and believe  me, by knowing only one woman ( as someone has said ) and this woman your wife whom you love , you will gain a better knowledge of all women than if you know thousands.”

“We will come in a minute , “ Vronsky said to an officer who glanced into the room to summon them to the colonel.

Vronsky was very anxious now to hear Serpukhovsky out. “Here then is my opinion . A woman is the main stumbling block in a man’s career . It is hard to accomplish anything when you are in love . There is only one way of making love a comfort rather than an obstacle : marriage . How shall I …how shal I put it?” mused Serpukhovsky, who was fond of a metaphor . “Wait … wait …  ah , yes! The only way to carry a burden and at the same time have  your hands free is to carry it on your back . That is marriage. That is what I came to understand after I was married. All of a sudden my hands were free. But just try to carry that burden

without getting married ! You will find your hands so full you cannot possibly do anything else. Look at Mazankov , Krupov. Women ruined their careers .”

“ Ugh , but what women!” said Vronsky , recalling the vulgar French woman and the actress to whom these two gentlemen were attracted. All the better for them . The higher the position of the woman in society , the worse for the man . Instead of simply carrying his burden, he has to snatch it out of another man’s hands.”

You have never been in love , ”” said Vronsky softly, gazing into space and thinking of Anna.

“That may be . But remember what I have said . And this too: women are more materialistic than men. Men make a great thing out of love but women are always

terra-a-terre.  Coming , coming !”  he said to a servant who entered. But the servant had not come to call them. He had come to give Vronsky a letter.

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Here is a very resplendent and stunningly seductive excerpt from the same book Anna Karenina…..

For a moment she came to herself and was horrified to discover she was doing exactly what she had resolved not to do . But even though she knew she was bringing ruin upon herself , she could not stop , could not resist showing him he was in the wrong , could not surrender to him.

“I never said any such thing ; I only said I felt no sympathy for the sudden attachment you had made .”

“Why is it that you , who boast so of your candour , persist in not telling the truth?”

“I never boast and I never lie , ” he quietly , fighting down his rising anger. “I am very sorry if you do not respect-”

“Respect is an invention to cover up the empty place where love ought to be . If you no longer love me it would be better and more honest to say so.”

“No, this is becoming insufferable !” cried Vronsky, jumping up. He took his stand in front of her and said slowly:  “Why do you try my patience this way?” He said it with a look that indicated he could say much more but eschewed doing so . “It has its limits , you know.”

“What do you wish to say by that ?” she cried, appalled by the undisguised look of hatred in his face , especially in his cruel , menacing eyes.

“I wish to say …” he began , but interrupted himself with: “I am obliged to ask what it is you wish of me.”

“What can I wish ? I can only wish that you should not abandon me as you think of doing ,” she said , comprehending all that he had left unsaid . “But no, it is not that I wish , that is secondary . I wish to be loved , and there is no love . In other words , all is over.”

She turned to the door.

” Wait! Wait!” said Vronsky , still frowning but putting his hand on her arm to stop her. “What is the trouble? I said we would have to postpone our departure for three days , in reply to which you said that I lie and am dishonourable.”

“Yes, and I repeat that a person who could rebuke me with his having sacrificed everything because of me-” she said, recalling words spoken in an earlier quarrel , “- that such a person is worse than dishonourable, he is heartless.”

“Oh , there is a limit to endurance ! ” he cried , dropping her hand.

He hates me , there is no doubt of it, she said to herself , and in silence , without looking back , she went out of the room with unsteady steps . He loves another woman , there is even less doubt of that, she went on as she entered her own room. I yearn for love and there is no love. In other everything is over, she repeated, and an end must be put to it.

But how? she asked herself as she sat down in the armchair in front of the looking glass.

Her thoughts were of where she could go-to the aunt who had brought her up, or to Dolly , or abroad all by herself? She wondered what he was doing now alone in his study , and whether this quarrel was final or could be made up, and what their former friends in St. Petersburg would say about her now , and what Karenin would think .

These and many other thoughts as to the consequences of their separation came into her mind , but she did not give herself up completely to them. Deep within her there was another vague thought that intrigued her but which she dared not face .

In recalling Karenin , she recalled the time of her illness after her confinement and the regret she had felt then :

“Why did I not die?” had been her words and feeling at that time . And suddenly the vague , deep-lying thought took shape. Yes , this would answer all her problems. Yes , to die !

The shame and disgrace suffered by Karenin and Sergei, and my own horrible shame-all this would be wiped out by death. If I died he would feel remorse and be sorry and love me and suffer for my sake . With a smile of self-pity frozen on her lips , she sat there putting on and taking off a ring, vividly imagining his steps , roused her. She made as if to be putting away her rings  and paid no notice to him.

He came up to her, took her hand and said softly:

“Anna , we will go the day after tomorrow if you wish it. I agree to everything.”

She did not reply.

“What is it?”  he asked.

“You know only too well , “she said , and at that moment, unable to stand the strain any longer , she burst into tears.

” Leave me ! Yes, for good !” she gasped between sobs.

“I will go away tomorrow . I will do even more. Who am I ?  An immoral woman woman . A stone around your neck . I don’t want to torture you -oh, I don’t want to do that ! I will give you your freedom . You don’t love me, you love someone else!”

Vronsky implored her to be calm and assured her there was not the slightest reason for her jealousy , that he had never ceased loving her and never would , that he loved her now as never before.

“Anna , why should you torture yourself and me like this? ”  he said, kissing her hands . His face was full of tenderness and she heard tears in his voice and felt them drop on her hand. And the desperate jealousy she had just suffered turned into just as desperate and impassioned tenderness; she embraced him and covered his face , throat , hands, with kisses.

The richness of women , in a man’s world…and the `patriarch’ not benign and formidable but autumnal and oppressive, simply insensitive to the lived experience- would be disarmed to the `mystique’ of these women…

Women keep deconstructing the so called  `enigma’ of men’s `advances’- especially those men who are `married’ and they want to have you as a `stepney’ as a `tag along’ …As the `missing link’.   BUT THIS VRONSKY LOVES ANNA TO THE HILT UNTIL HE IS SHATTERED BY ANNA KARENINA”S COMPLEXITY AND RICHNESS- take your pick – but don’t forget the dip in a deep poison of your preference for you won’t be able to `live’ with the characters of Leo Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina without losing yourself-

`The other woman’  by Caro Emerald rescues us …she lifts this woman out of her `thrown in’ existence …makes her view the scene and there is a rendering of a perspective to ponder …

The Other Woman – By Caro Emerald                                                     Picture- Caro Emerald

Caro Emerald

Little girl, just keep on waiting
For that man to give you a life
You keep on hoping
So this prince can save you
Keep on dreaming, his scandalous lie
For your love, is he the hero
Does he know that you begging him please
Where angel’s dare, the devil ‘s fill that need
In your despair, does he get up to leave

At the start of his goodbye
Do you ever realize that you never get the chance
All you get is alibis
When smoke begins to fade
And you standing face to face
Does he kiss you in the way to say
You’re the other woman, the other woman

Way that dress, the one you rely on
Slip up high, that shows off your wares
And when he’s arriving, give him that invitation
Keep on wishing on his dollars and cares
For your love, he is your hero, yes
Even though you are begging him please, please
Woman unscared, your risks are never ending
And don’t you pretend
You don’t live what you breathe

At the start of his goodbyes
Do you ever realize
That you never get the chance
All you get is alibis
When smoke begins to fade
And you standing face to face
Does he kiss you in the way to say
You’re the other woman, the other woman
You’ll always be the other woman
You’ll always be the other woman

Baby, trust me
I’ve been there before
You don’t know him
I know him more

At the start of his goodbye
Do you ever realize that you never get the chance
All you get is alibis
When smoke begins to fade
And you standing face to face
Does he kiss you in the way to say
You’re the other woman, the other woman

Source: LyricFind

Songwriters: Vincent Paul Degiorgio / David Schreurs / Caroline Van Der Leeuw / Jan Van Wieringen

The Other Woman lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Downtown Music Publishing, Red Brick Music Publishing

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Also have the video of Caro Emerald singing this song….

Every culture has the missing woman syndrome , there is the one who wires with you and there is the `other’ who inspires you…this `other’ is the `idea’ that you always have…they could be one a many like the `construct’ of `time’ as if it was real…

This `missing woman’ is not a `category’ in economics , like the one who did not attend school, but the one who is more educated than the world can take…

This woman is that `music note’ that refuses to end and  that reverie that can lead you to a `take off’ …Now these women are not many….  Here the song becomes the songstress and it is about becoming…

Here is a song by  Caro Emerald that looks into this `becoming’  ,  A night like this…

A NIGHT LIKE THIS- BY CARO EMERALD

Picture: Caro Emerald

From where you are
You see the smoke start to arise
Where they play cards
And you walk over
Softly moving passed the guards
The stakes are getting higher
You can feel it in your heart
He calls you bluff
He is the ace you never thought
He played that much
And now it’s more than all this cards
You want to touch
You never know if winning this
Could really be enough

Take a look
Beyond the moon
You see the stars.
And when you look around
You know the room by heart

I have never dreamed it
Have you ever dreamed a night like this
I cannot believe it
I may never see a night like this
When everything you think is incomplete

Starts happening when you are cheek to cheek
Could you ever dream it
I have never dreamed, dreamed a night like this

How many times
Have I been waiting by the door

To hear these chimes
To hear that someone debonaire has just a arrived
And opened up to see
My world before my eyes

That silhouette creates an image
On the night I can’t forget
It has the scent of something special
I can’t rest

If I resist temptation
Oh, I know for sure that I will lose the bet

I walk away and suddenly it seems
I’m not alone
In front of me he stands
I stop, before he goes

I have never dreamed it
Have you ever dreamed a night like this
I cannot believe it
I may never see a night like this
When everything you think is incomplete
Starts happening when you are cheek to cheek
Could you ever dream it
I have never dreamed, dreamed a night like this

I have never dreamed it
Have you ever dreamed a night like this
I cannot believe it
I may never see a night like this
When everything you think is incomplete
Starts happening when you are cheek to cheek
Could you ever dream it
I have never dreamed, dreamed a night like this

Source: LyricFind

Songwriters: Vince Degiorgio / Jan P. K. Wieringen Van / David Schreurs

A Night Like This lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Red Brick Music Publishing, Universal Music Publishing Group

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