While Susie’s story deals with a real issue in a practical, straightforward manner, Magesh’s story as depicted in Vibhuti Cat is deliberately a little more elusive and otherworldly. Shikhandin’s prose is reminiscent of Lewis Caroll, overflowing with poetic whimsy and childlike wonder. Though Magesh’s tale may be narrated in the third person, the perspective from which the tale unfurls seems very much that of its young protagonist. In Vibhuti Cat, text and image run along together like the siblings whose story it tells—both depending on each other for support and strength. The Vibhuti of Magesh’s imagination is rendered beautifully on paper by Lakhera—the style of drawing deliberately childlike, yet at the same time evocative of how real the animal feels to Magesh. With help from Shikhandin’s charming words, Lakhera’s portrayal of Vibhuti makes the imaginary pet seem like a tangible extension of Magesh’s subjectivity. The cat is at once a symbol of Magesh’s innocence, his inability to toe social norms, his desire to fly away and his playful yet incredibly perceptive nature. Vibhuti is an outward expression of Magesh’s inner world, a vehicle for his dreams. Magesh is confined because of his condition, but through Vibhuti, he can go anywhere—attend regular school with his brother, sneak into cupboards, prayer rooms, offices… even fly to the moon! Through Vibhuti, Shikhandin makes a child such as Magesh incredibly relatable, especially to the average reader—who may not understand Magesh’s situation but understands the pain of loneliness. After all, every child has had a Vibhuti at some point of their life—a companion woven out of fantasy, yet one that helps you navigate a very daunting reality.
Chimamanda Adichie was worried about the perception of this very reality, when she spoke of the pitfalls of inadequate representation in her TED talk. A single story is dangerous, it can make you feel very alone if you’re not the subject of its telling. With books such as Susie Will Not Speak and Vibhuti Cat, there is hope that this loneliness may abate; that stories may cease to be singular and dangerous—instead becoming heterogenous, safe spaces to loudly and proudly give voice to all who want to be heard.
Amanda D’Souza is a magazine editor by profession and a writer by passion. She has a penchant for puns, a fondness for fiction, a love for literature and an affection for alliteration.
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