As I delved into this searing tale of a promising young life blighted by an abysmal marriage, I couldn’t help but wish the book was titled differently. ‘I Want to Live’ might have been a cry of hope. Malika Amar Sheikh was the daughter of Amar Sheikh, a legendary folk singer of revolutionary anthems. He was a committed Communist Party of India worker and a great singer who could hold thousands in thrall. It was at this time that he met Kusum Jaykar, an educated woman with a graduate degree and also a party member. They overcame social opposition to their marriage on familiar, religious grounds, and the party’s opposition to it on ideological grounds.
They ran away to get married. Malika was the second child, born eight years after her sister, Prerne, who would be a loving, supportive figure in her life for many years. As a tiny baby, Malika got pleurisy. She received dedicated care from her family and spent the hours reading. Thus pampered, Malika withdrew into a dream world, building a cocoon around...
