The Sea has the Answers by Shuma Raha
Niyogi Books. Rs, 595, 379 Pages

The opening of the book hints at an exciting story ahead. Something has occurred, but the details are initially kept a mystery, drawing you in to read more. As you read on, you find out that Urmimala Das has just experienced a difficult moment in her married life. Her charming husband, Shankar, whom she often teased as a ‘ladies’ man’, made headlines in the newspaper today. The story revealed that he had been accused of sexual harassment and assault by colleagues and others associated with him, adding a tense and intriguing twist to the narrative.

Urmi was completely taken aback by what happened; she hadn't sensed any warning signs beforehand. She recalled feeling so joyful when the ‘Me Too’ movement began in the Western countries and then gained momentum in India. She had shared with her husband how inspiring she thought these brave women were, having the courage to speak out and reveal their abusers.

She isn’t sure how to handle the shock that has turned her elegant life in upper-crust Kolkata upside down, where she was often in the company of elite women living carefree, secure lives. One of them gently urges her to step away from the turmoil she’s caught in and take some time to breathe. She decides to do just that. She escapes to Kinjalka, her charming seaside retreat facing the Bay of Bengal, a gift from her grandfather. As she reflects on her move, she feels grateful for the opportunity to find some peace and clarity. The house is filled with cherished memories of her childhood.

But she had never contemplated going anywhere to deal with the trauma. Yes, she had thought of drastic measures, but never a holiday!

Ironically, Shankar Das had wanted her to sell it when she inherited it, calling it a ‘white elephant’. Now she was glad she had not listened, and she found it a good way to distract herself. She wants to repair the crumbling structure, thinking of staying there. She also wants to repair her life. Her husband calls, worried about what she is contemplating, but she does not respond.

Shuma Raha gets into Urmi’s mind, chiseling away at her thoughts, fears, and apprehensions. Clearly, she is not a passive victim seeking rescue from her high-flying friends. She wants to deal with it herself. She uses her mind to dissect the trauma, and the reader often wonders how a woman with her intelligence could not see through her philandering husband.  He had sold her falsehoods for years. But in real life, too, most women do not see it because they do not want to confront that reality.

While her mind processes years of her ‘failed marriage’, she cannot resist the charms of a much younger man, plunging into a torrid affair.

Narrated in vibrant, often lyrical prose, the novel offers a rich exploration of themes like power and its misuse, misogyny and sexual violence, faith and betrayal, self-deception, and many shades of truth. These themes unfold against the backdrop of some of India’s most pressing social issues today. Through a heartfelt and insightful story, The Sea Has the Answers gently delves into topics like power, complicity, betrayal, desire, resilience, and the challenging journey of rediscovering one's identity.

As Shuma Raha vividly paints word pictures and creates lyrical scenes to describe everything imaginable, she explores a heartfelt and often overlooked topic: the inner world of a woman discovering her husband's infidelity—not just with one woman, but many. She also compassionately examines the thoughts of those who felt helpless when subjected to sexual abuse. Additionally, she looks into the mind of a proud, powerful man who suddenly finds himself stranded in a chaotic world of his own making, with no straw of hay to hold onto. 

Urmi associated Kinjalka with security, tranquility, and childhood memories, and hoped that just being there would heal.

Her present changes when she meets Zakir Ahmed, 28, an investigative journalist working to uncover scandals involving a godman with an ashram next to Kinjalka, after he hits the headlines for being charged with rape. There is an odd sense of comfort she feels when she is with him, and as he, fifteen years younger than her, mildly flirts with her, she does not feel any discomfort. She does not want to circumscribe her life anymore and does not want to hold back her feelings or sexuality. Her torrid affair with him decides whether she will ever go back to Shankar. She has decided to rejoin and reclaim her life. She is going to live life the way she wants and love the man who loves her back.