Fiction–In Translation–Urdu
By Khalid Jawed. Translated from the original Urdu by A Naseeb Khan
Creating an absurdist world, it is not love but rather hatred and lust that are the clearer emotions in the novel. ‘The lines of love perpetually spiral into a whirlpool. Hatred and lust are better for they never fall prey to misunderstanding and doubt. Their manoeuvres, principles and rules are transparent…. It is love alone that remains trapped in doubt and suspicion, perpetually soaked in fear.’ The narrator celebrates lust.
Reviewed by: Mohammad Asim Siddiqui