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Slice of Life
This kaleidoscopic collection of 20 short stories has included authors ranging from the 1887-born Charan Singh Shaheed to Prem Gorkhi of comparatively recent vintage (b. 1947). These reflect trends in the 20th century Punjabi literature, influenced as it was by the communist dogmatism as much as by the western liberalism. These stories, apparently chosen on the basis of chronology and representative character, tell us about life and times of ordinary people from Punjab. The backdrop is predominantly pre-Partition with mainly rural or small-town protagonists, mostly females, peopling the narratives. The Divine Sight is a rib-tickler that underscores the perils involved in a mortal acquiring and employing divine powers. On the other hand, Bhua is an amusing take on Punjabi hosts’ propensity for lethal hospitality. The protagonist flees a wedding feast binge to visit his aunt only to be plied with more rich food. Pity the guest! Pir Galarh Shah pits superstition against rationalism. The story’s didactic tone doesn’t detract from its readability. On the other hand, The Miracle rationalises the Panja Sahib-related saakhi by giving it a freedom-struggle context. Another freedom-struggle related story, A Rebel’s Daughter, highlights the sacrifices made by freedom fighters, irrespective of their age or gender. There’re absorbing studies of characters and circumstances in such stories as Life-n-Death, wherein a poor man is torn between suspicion and love for his wife even as he feels vulnerable to the dishonourable designs of an upper caste village toughie. I’m No Ghaznavi! dwells upon unrequited love and the protagonist’s desire to protect his memories from the vagaries of time. The Wretched Fellow is an interesting case study of educated middle class male’s egoism as contrasted with a rickshaw-puller’s quixotic doggedness. Eye of a Doe is a powerful comment on attitudes during the anti-Sikh riots. Then there’re perceptive stories that deal with woman’s suppressed sexuality. While trying to explore feminine psyche each story stops short of allowing its protagonist to break suffocating societal shackles. In Bhabhi Maina, the protagonist turns her yearnings into sublime love for a kid next door, while Radha of Raas Leela gives vent to her fantasies on a youngster. In both the stories, the narrators are school going boys who’re attracted towards older women. While in Bhabhi Maina the lady turns her unsated desires into quasi-platonic equation, ever mindful of societal norms, Raas Leela’s Radha is more adventurous. Yet it’s the former who meets a tragic end, whereas the latter is able to escape the denouement awaiting her. The third story Hey, Your Milk, This! is about a housewife’s milkman-centric fantasising. Elsewhere, women wage battles against adverse circumstances. In The Kareer Branch, Balwanto’s stoic silence in the face of abuse ends in a volcanic eruption that takes her life; in A Silent Wish, Gita—let down by her husband and kin, and disillusioned with society’s crude hypocrisy—opts for mental peace; even as Pooja in Thursday Fast and Dhania in A Festering Wound use their bodies to sustain their children and crippled husbands. Moments Hung on the Cross dwells upon a mother’s fears of losing her child to her ex-husband in a custody-related court case, while And thus Crashed the Idol`85 juxtaposes the characters of two sisters in a situation when tradition is giving way to the march of civilisation. The two stories that leave one confused are The Dog and I and Pemi’s Children. In the former, the author tries to psychoanalyse a dog that inexplicably turns nasty, while in the latter one is left wondering as to who Pemi is. However, both the stories captivate you for their narrative styles. It may be a coincidence
that the compiler-translator has selected 20 slices of the 20th century
Punjabi fiction. I’m sure there’re many more where these came from.
We’re waiting Prof. Nayar!
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