Mamta Kalia

article was published in 1901 and first
book in 1903. This literary creation
merely satisfied my ego, and nothing
else. Initially I kept writing on topical
incidents. My stories were translated by
others in 1914 and they ware published
in Hindi magazines. Then I learnt Hindi
and started writing for Saraswati. After
that came my ‘Sewa Sadan’ and I quit
the job and started living my independent
literary life.
Madaan : Any affair happened in your
life?
Premchand : No, I never had any affair
with anyone. Life itself kept me so
involved, and earning bread was such
a task that it offered little space for
romancing. There were some minor
attractions as happen to everybody, but
I can’t call them love affairs.
Madaan : How do you see an ideal
woman?
Premchand : To me an ideal woman
is an embodiment of service, sacrifice,
purity- all rolled into one. A sacrifice
that never ends, a service with smile,
and a purity nobody can raise a finger at.
Madaan : Tell us something about the
romance of your married life and some
other facts?
Premchand : There is nothing like
romance in my married life. It is just
about an ordinary thing. My first wife
passed away in 1904. She was an
unfortunate woman. Not a bit beautiful,
and though I was not satisfied with her
I kept carrying on without any grudge
or grouse, as all old husbands would
do. When she died, I married a child
widow, and am happy with her now.
She has developed some literary aptitude
and writes stories sometimes. She is an
intrepid, bold and uncompromising
simple woman who is dutiful and
sentimental to a fault. She participated
in non-cooperation movement and was
sent to prison. I’m happy with her. I
Never ask anything of her which she
can’t give. She may break, but can’t be
bent.
Madaan : What’s life been like to you?
Whether economically you’ve been
content?
Premchand : To me, life has always
been work, work and work only! When
I was in government service, even then
I gave my entire time to literature. I
enjoy working. You are hard put to it
when faced with money problems.
Otherwise, I’m quite content with my
luck. I got more than I deserved. I’m
a failure, economically. Can’t do business,
and hardship never leaves me. Have
never been a journalist, but have been
forced to be one by circumstances, and
whatever little I earned from literature,
I lost in journalism.
Madaan : How do you weave your story
line?
Premchand : In weaving a story line,
I’m guided by the idea of bringing out
whatever is beautiful and manly in human
characters. It is a complex process.
April-June 2010 :: 85