by
When Chandni turned thirteen, two things happened to change the course of her entire life. Her father died suddenly. And, she discovered a clue to the mystery of her missing grandmother who had been a child-bride - a piece of paper stuck behind an old photograph. Angry and hurt that her grandmother’s name is taboo in the Rai family, the fiercely loyal Chandni now married at nineteen is determined to unearth the truth and re-instate honour into her family’s name and embarks by train on a risky quest to visit the ancestral home of her grandparents in central India. When robbers attack the train she undertakes a feat of remarkable daring by pretending to be dead Even after her harrowing experience the indomitable Chandni does not give up and when her grandmother’s old retainer appears on the horizon, it is as if fate decides to lend a hand in the next phase of Chandni’s life. She listens spellbound to the poignant love story of the ill-fated Prince Kunjan and the hauntingly beautiful Kantabali. They had appeared to her on purpose. It was up to her to find out why. Chandni will cross continents journeying to Manchester in England to join her handsome husband TJ. After the birth of their son, she is beset with crippling headaches; TJ’s deceits and abuse become a regular occurrence; Chandni must make a choice. She returns to her childhood home in Mauchak, India where instead of support the community rejects her – a woman who has left her husband faces social stigma. In the face of insurmountable odds can the fighter in Chandni rise to fulfill her grandmother’s vision? Spanning a period between early to mid-twentieth century, and moving from eastern to central India then to Manchester, England, Moonlight-The Journey Begins explores the complexities of life, Christian missionary influence on colonial India, the love of one's family and willingness to forgive them for their mistakes, to learn from ancestors.
Chandni’s relief was so great she wanted to hug the woman, but this wasn’t the time for emotional outbursts. “You must go…now. Get help.” Propelled by the woman’s pain-filled voice, Chandni ran towards the open door and started to climb down the steps; in her hurry to get out, one foot became tangled in her garment and sent her flying down. The next instant, she was lying face down on the hard ground. Immediately, her ears had picked up the drumming of hooves. They had seen her and were coming to where she lay, exposed and helpless.
Trying hard to stay motionless, she slipped the large gold bangles from her wrists, thankful they had been made with a lot of years of usage in mind. The bangles came off easily. She scrabbled viciously at the earth with her nails only just managing to cover the bangles with what little sand, stones and dust the hard ground yielded.
READ MOREThe chain around her neck was another matter. Still with face pressed to the ground, she took a deep breath, gathered all her strength, then, with great care slid one hand under her body and up to her neck, and pulled with all her might. The chain remained intact.
Time was running out for Chandni. The horses were gaining ground.
She was filled with fury.
Chandni vowed she would not let them take the chain, a wedding gift from her mother.
And she wouldn’t give up without a fight.
COLLAPSEJF Garrard, Author of The Literary Elephant wrote:"A moving story about family and fortitude... the author presents a tale of sadness and hope in an admirable fashion."
"Purabi Sinha Das elegantly describes the struggles of two generations of women through the lens of a patriarch Indian culture. The reader will be absorbed with Chandni Rai’s journey as she peels back layers of family secrets to find her missing grandmother while finding the strength to cope with her own horrible present reality. A complex and moving story."
