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Khushwant Singh’s new novel, The Sunset Club, looks at life through the eyes of three cronies in their twilight years
On the contrary, he is writing for hours at a stretch, day after day no computers and laptops or any other connected bandobast. Till date, he pens down each word. Begins writing early in the morning and continues through the day putting down the realities of the day in his characteristic style — one that is not just readable but relays the ground realities, the everyday happenings, the aspirations-cum-wants of the people out there, those thoughts that hit us all but few are equipped with the courage to talk aloud, to put them down on paper And in this latest book, he has relayed just about anything and everything that confronts each one of us. Webbing and inter-webbing them through three ageing men, who meet every evening at a park. Sitting on a bench, they comment and converse, discuss and dissect, offload and do much more along the strain. Through these three characters, Khushwant Singh takes you through an entire array, a journey of sorts. In fact, its bewildering how their conversation touches every possible aspect that one can imagine. You seem to flow with their conversation till the very end, when you get some sort of a jolt, as the two of them depart, leaving you yearning for more from these three. "Meet the members of The Sunset Club — Pt Preetam Sharma, Nawab Barkatullah Baig and Sardar Boota Singh. Friends for over 40 years, they are now in their eighties. And every evening, at the sunset hour, they sit together on a bench in Lodhi Gardens to exchange news and views on the events of the day, talking about everything from love, lust, sex and scandal to religion and politics
In fact, what is amazing is that Khushwant has also weaved in seasons of the year in his tale. So much so, that each chapter has a heading to go along with the varied seasons that come along — The Month of Flowers, Spring into Summer, Now that April is Here , May of the Laburnums, Month of the Scorcher, Summer Merges with Autumn, December of the Blue Moon But though the seasons change, the format remains unchanging, as these characters talk and keep on discussing what you and I could talk — perhaps in our drawing rooms or in our bedrooms. And another highlight is that Khushwant has dedicated this book to Reeta Devi — ‘For Reeta Devi of Tripura, Maharani of Sujan Singh Park, Delhi’s own Mother Teresa.’ Yes, Reeta Devi is one of those working from morning to sunset — caring for the disadvantaged living in Delhi’s slums, tending to the ill and needy in the various lanes and bylanes of this Capital city.
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As
you hold this latest book, The Sunset Club, from Khushwant Singh
you simply marvel at his writing prowess — at 95, he is writing not
just two weekly columns but also one book after another. No, no giving
up. No slowing down. No retiring.
