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Aankhon Se Dil Tak
This book has 18 stories that have middleclass women as protagonists, caught in variegated situations. These stories also examine shades of relationships between man and woman, parent and child, among siblings, etc. Most of the central characters struggle against odds that crop up in life for reasons beyond their control. It is remarkable that none of the characters in these stories is a Muslim. With deft strokes, Behl highlights the characters’ response to different situations. For example, Muhafiz (literally, the protector) is the story of an old widow whose father had sent her to live with his brother as a child. There her cousin molests her, thus destroying her faith in all relationships. Now she lives alone. One day Shantabai, a poor widow, offers her girl-child, Chandni, to the old woman on the plea that the child would serve her. But the old woman declines and instead suggests that Chandni be sent to an orphanage. Shantabai prefers to send the child to her cousin, saying that she would be mehfooz (secure) there. This makes the old woman recall her own tragic years as a child and takes Chandni in her care. Another story Kokh-jali (literally, one whose womb is scorched) contrasts the lives of two women. Kalyani, a daughter-in-law of a rich landlord family, is thrown out of her house by her husband for being barren. While she’s moping in a temple she meets Malti – an old woman. The latter takes her to her home. There she proudly talks of her two sons – one settled abroad and the other in Bangalore. One day Malti becomes seriously ill. It’s only then that Kalyani learns that actually the two sons had forsaken Malti long ago. Saraab has elements of black magic. Maya is childless and goes to temple regularly, hoping to be blessed with motherhood. In her absence, her husband begins to pay attention to a young widow, Sudha, whose father is a tantric. One day Sudha asks him to meet her in a park. There she tells him to beware of her father’s tantric spells that are leading him astray. She also advises him to be loyal to his spouse. Thus, instead of taking advantage of the man’s wayward ways, she opts for the straight and narrow. Behl explores the female psyche in depth and gives it a contemporary context. The language is lucid and there is simple linearity in the narrative development. The volume is unputdownable. Hope these stories will be translated into other languages for wider readership. |
URDU was popular both as a
medium of instruction and as vehicle for literary creativity in
pre-independence India. After Independence, Urdu lost its status to
Hindi and other Indian languages in India, while it became numero uno in
Pakistan. However, lately, there’s been a resurgence of sorts in Urdu
writing in India, with women writers making notable contributions. Renu
Behl, a Ph.D. in Urdu and winner of the Lala Jagat Narain Award, is one
such woman author. In 2001, she came out with her debut collection of
short stories titled Aina. This is her second such anthology.