Book Review: ‘The Patient In Bed Number 12’ Is A Chronicle of Fractured Lives
The novel explores the fragile intersection of the personal and the political in post-pandemic India, a nation reeling under the weight of its contradictions.
It's been nearly five years since the Covid pandemic struck, and the world seems to have moved on from the tragedies of 2020-2021. Economic and social impacts have been studied, yet, the human stories of loss and longing remain largely untold. Raj Kamal Jha’s ‘The Patient in Bed Number 12’ bridges this gap, presenting an intimate yet sweeping narrative of post-pandemic India through the eyes of a dying man awaiting his estranged daughter.
The novel explores the fragile intersection of the personal and the political in post-pandemic India, a nation reeling under the weight of its contradictions. Through the lens of a dying father’s confession to his estranged daughter, Jha captures the ripple effects of intolerance, systemic neglect, and the unyielding human spirit.
A Father’s Plea, A Nation’s Mirror
The story opens within the confines of an ICU, where the patient lies in bed number 12, tethered to life by machines and hope. His dying wish to reconcile with his daughter, Nisha Kumar-Rahman, and meet his granddaughter provides the narrative’s emotional core. Yet, this is no mere family drama; Raj Kamal Jha’s confessional framework reveals the layers of generational estrangement and social fault lines.
The father, once blinded by prejudice, now seeks redemption for disowning Nisha over her interfaith marriage. Nisha, in turn, carries the scars of a society that views love through the prism of identity. Their fraught relationship becomes a microcosm of a fractured nation grappling with its own demons. The novel is both tender and unrelenting, refusing to offer easy resolutions while acknowledging the possibility of reconciliation.
A Kaleidoscope Of Lives
Raj Kamal Jha’s brilliance lies in his ability to expand the story beyond the ICU walls, crafting a chronicle of interconnected lives. The novel’s fragmented structure, divided into sections like ‘Text and Images’, ‘Numbers’, and ‘Video’, mirrors the chaos of a society unravelling at the seams. Each vignette, though seemingly self-contained, engages with the larger themes of loss and the human cost of indifference.
One haunting subplot involves a viral hate video that upends a family’s world, exposing the insidious reach of digital violence. Another follows migrant labourers on an arduous journey home, their plight emblematic of systemic neglect.
The author’s refusal to name political figures or systems lends the story a universality, allowing readers to focus on the lived experiences of his characters rather than the mechanics of power.
The Pandemic As Metaphor
While the pandemic looms in the background, it functions less as a plot device and more as a metaphor for social decay. The novel brings out the existential despair and quiet heroism of those on the margins: a mother battling cancer worries about her forgotten pickle jar; a son replays his mother’s dying words in an endless loop; a nurse juggles professional duty with personal anguish. These moments, rendered with poetic precision, elevate the ordinary to the extraordinary.
He writes, “The custom of every good mother is to wake up before the child does, so she is up even if her head throbs with a hangover the morning after a late night she had with her best friend on turning thirty-five, their first get-together since the second wave of the pandemic killed six people in her apartment complex. She needs to iron her daughter’s blue pleated skirt for school, this morning they have resumed classes in hybrid mode, online and offline teaching on an experimental basis after the curve has flattened, and we are taking all precautions, the school said. Her daughter is nine, thirteen years more till she finishes college, maybe fifteen, sixteen years before she starts earning, living on her own.”
We can find Raj Kamal Jha’s art of storytelling, as a blend of prose, poetry, and visual imagery challenges traditional storytelling norms. His use of chiaroscuro, both literal and metaphorical, imbues the text with a haunting beauty. Each word crackles with significance, demanding the reader’s full engagement.
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The Weight Of Intolerance
The novel’s political undertones are both subtle and searing. He depicts the pervasive nature of hate and its devastating consequences without resorting to polemics. A subplot involving Nisha’s husband, whose name betrays his religious identity, underscores the fragility of existence in a society divided by faith. Yet, its characters are not mere victims; they are survivors, their dignity intact despite the odds.
A Bold Experiment
‘The Patient in Bed Number 12’ is not without its challenges. Its fragmented structure, while innovative, may disorient some readers. Yet, this deliberate disjointedness mirrors the unpredictability of life itself, adding depth to the story. Raj Kamal Jha’s experimental approach pushes the boundaries of fiction, making the novel as much an exploration of form as it is of content.
In its closing pages, the novel offers a cathartic release, its emotional weight lingering long after the final word. Jha’s ability to humanise these larger forces, showing their effects on personal lives, is a true mark of his literary skill.
Raj Kamal Jha’s ‘The Patient in Bed Number 12’ is a novel of love, loss, and the quest for redemption. Its fragmented yet cohesive storyline highlights the pulse of a nation at a crossroads, offering a heartfelt reminder of our shared humanity. Tender, urgent, and fiercely original, this is a novel that demands to be read and remembered.
Book: The Patient in Bed Number 12 by Raj Kamal Jha
Price: Rs 599
Publisher: Penguin
The writer is a Bengaluru-based management professional, curator, and literary critic
[Disclaimer: The opinions, beliefs, and views expressed by the various authors and forum participants on this website are personal and do not reflect the opinions, beliefs, and views of ABP News Network Pvt Ltd.]
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