Lalita bothers me in much the same way that "vilaval" does... it goes to that image of female narcissism and laziness. Perhaps I've simply been with too many misogynists over my lifetime. Sure, some of the paintings convey the "longing" of the man who wishes he could stay, but that last-minute admiration can turn so easily on a dime to "you lazy bitch". Which is a double-blow, given the vulnerability and fatigue of the situation.
Perhaps in India, men are not the same villains.
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