India Song

The story unfolds in Calcutta during the monsoon season of 1937, a time marked by widespread leprosy and oppressive weather. The city’s atmosphere reflects the themes of stagnation and emotional turmoil experienced by the characters. The backdrop sets the stage for the personal dramas and societal tensions that follow.

Anne-Marie Stretter, the wife of the French ambassador, is introduced as a woman with a complex past, including her musical talent and her marriages across Asia. She has spent seventeen years in various Asian capitals before settling in Calcutta, carrying her unfulfilled ambitions and emotional baggage. She now navigates a life filled with societal duties and inner dissatisfaction.

Anne-Marie is involved in an affair with Michael Richardson, a businessman. Her husband tolerates this extramarital relationship, which highlights her dissatisfaction with her stagnant marriage and life in Calcutta. Their affair adds emotional complexity and tensions to her personal story.

A significant event occurs at the embassy, where a reception is held with guests including the Austrian ambassador and the Vice-Consul of Lahore. During the event, tensions emerge as the Vice-Consul, who has a disturbed past involving shooting leprosy patients and attempted suicide, becomes infatuated with Anne-Marie. His flirtation culminates in him pleading to stay overnight with her.

The Vice-Consul publicly declares his love for Anne-Marie, leading to a dramatic outburst. His behavior prompts his forcible removal from the embassy, highlighting his mental instability and the tension caused by his infatuation and troubled history.

The following day, Anne-Marie, Michael, the Austrian ambassador, Georges Crawn, and a young guest travel to the delta islands, where the ambassador’s villa is located. The outing marks a change of scenery and a moment of fleeting escape from their emotional struggles. The Vice-Consul secretly joins them later in the day.

That evening, the group dines together at the 'Prince of Wales' hotel, where the Vice-Consul joins them separately. During dinner, the complex relationships and unspoken tensions among the characters become evident, especially with Anne-Marie and Michael’s disillusionment.

After dinner, Anne-Marie leaves the group and spends the night alone on a park bench by the beach. Her coat is later found there, symbolizing her sense of loneliness and emotional detachment from her surroundings.

Following the tumultuous events, the Vice-Consul resigns from his post, visibly disturbed by his actions and feelings. His departure signifies a collapse of his mental state and a turning point in his troubled life.

Michael Richardson, overwhelmed by the emotional turmoil and Anne-Marie's death, returns to England. His departure marks the end of his involvement with her story and highlights the tragic conclusion of their intertwined lives.

Anne-Marie’s life ends tragically after her night alone on the beach. Her death underscores the themes of loneliness, despair, and the pursuit of freedom from emotional suffering that permeate the story.

The narrative closes with the aftermath of the characters' actions, emphasizing the tragic outcomes—Michael's return to England and his death, alongside the Vice-Consul's resignation—highlighting themes of lost love and emotional disillusionment.