Of Dark Realities

Laila ke khutoot, literally meaning ‘Let- ters of Laila’, is the story of a prostitute, her perspectives on men and the idea of conjugal love revealed through the letters she wrote to one of her lovers. In the latter part of the book ‘Majnun ki diary’ Qazi Abdul Ghaffar, the author tries to portray the confusion, cynicism and alienation of so called educated young men who had gone astray in pursuit of their unbridled sensuality. A perfect staple for feminist critical writing, Laila’s letters have an exaggerated tone and scorn for men whose sole purpose of existence appears to be fulfillment of their sensual pursuit. Written in a powerful hard-hitting Urdu prose the text is a satirical invective against the hypocritical institutions, religious conventions and age old biases that were responsible for the predicament of women.