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Ghalib at Dusk
In today's context, this is a rare of stories that in their delicate nuances and unspoken drama, reveal quiet courage that infuses the spirit of the men and women of India, Pakistan and Bangladesh.
- GenresShort StoriesFiction
192 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 30, 2009
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
April 18, 2020
It was a pleasant surprise to find Nighat Gandhi's evocative article, "Landscapes of the Heart", in the Literature section of the Daily Star. This was because I had just happened to finish reading her book of short stories, "Ghalib at dusk and other stories". I loved the article as much as I did her stories.
When an ex-student presented me this book several days ago, I was happy, but I didn't know then that it wasn't just any collection of short stories. These stories are by a person who has lived in Bangladesh, Pakistan and India (as a citizen of each country). She has dedicated the book to the people of these three nations who, she says, will bring lasting peace to these lands where she "belongs". Thus, my happiness took on a new dimension. It promised to be an exciting book.
The writer's unusual background lends a touch of novelty to her writing; her feeling that she belongs to all three countries is of great relevance in today's world of discord, discrimination and disillusion. Her preface also helps one to understand her though-processes and style, better.
Having had homes in three countries seems to have given Gandhi a feeling of deep love and a sense of belonging for all three, as well as, a global persona. Apparently, there's no other contemporary writer who lives and writes in India and Pakistan and who feels completely at home in both countries. Both nations have a lot of value and meaning for her, although she relates differently to each.
She talks about the way things have changed over the years, and also about how some things remain the same, citing an example from Mirza Ghalib's time through a couplet of his. Back then, Ghalib had been disturbed by people's cruelties towards fellow humans, and even now, so many years later, the senseless violence is rampant in the subcontinent (and everywhere else). She hopes that the inhabitants of this scarred region will be able to overcome all the bitterness of the past some day and move forward.
Gandhi's stories concentrate on the small, precise details of the lives of ordinary individuals. She is drawn by the events that occur in the lives of insignificant members of society, of those who are not treated with respect or understanding; these people could be dwelling in any city of the Indo-Pak subcontinent and be of any religion or ethnic background. She bases her plots on the cracks or spaces created by the differences in gender, class, religion, ethnicity, etc; and the restrictions and limitations they put on people.
The collection (with its enticing title) has short stories which leave behind a long trail of reflections, insights and protests deep in our hearts. The stories take place in three historic cities: Karachi, Allahabad and Ahmadabad. Like Arundhati Roy, Nighat Gandhi "finds beauty in the saddest of places". She brings out different shades of feelings as she writes about the hold destiny has over the way some people's lives turn out, and how these people grapple with their lot, and learn to accept it.
"Risk" is about a Christian salesgirl in Karachi who is exploited by her rich, selfish boss. It will make you cringe, but will not allow you to be unsympathetic. “Fishing At Haleji” traces a helpless father’s quandary regarding what decision will be best for his unmarried daughter who has breast cancer, and his trying to escape from the merciless situation. “In Lieu Of Gold” will reach out to readers as they read of a humble man’s offerings to his dead wife.
“Mariam’s Bath” which is about a “dangerously insane” woman and a psychology student who is doing research on mad women (and whose own sister had been mad and had killed herself), will leave you pondering about sanity, sympathy and the role of compassion in healing mental trauma. In “Hot Water Bag” and “Trains” we have tales that drive home the poignancy of the way life makes people accept unwanted situations. They lay bare the pretences and facades of marriages which are seemingly fine, but are actually shaky compromises, surviving because there’s no real alternative.
“Love: Unclassified” is a strange story about a relationship you can’t give a name to; it is difficult to analyze, but not difficult to empathize with. It ends beautifully. “It conveys waves of tranquility to her beloved’s troubled being in a way no prayer has managed to, yet”. “An Undelivered Letter” is a very touching story that looks at the stark truths of life and makes us feel the unfairness of what fate dishes out to some humans.
“Navratri Night” is a moving narrative of a man dying of cancer, his grieving, anxious wife, and their shared past (with its glories and pains). Their bond was a silent one, and as they went through their struggles, this bond grew stronger. The futility of looking back at a happy past is expressed very effectively as the story ends: “She watched his eyes gazing into nothingness. She sensed their shared helplessness, their longing for that shared past, and the sadness of knowing that not a single moment could be resurrected”.
The last three stories probe the “normal” feelings of people looked on as “abnormal” by those who are physically and mentally whole. “Desire By Any Other Name” is a sensitive (and sensual) depiction of a young man’s healthy urges in an unhealthy body crippled by polio. “Family Duty” gives an insight into a mentally unbalanced woman’s life and relationships.
Gandhi seems to have saved the best for the last. “Ghalib At Dusk” has a personal touch that makes it endearing. Many of us can identify with the nostalgia and experience a kind of “déjà vu” as we go through her story. Simply, but vividly presented, this story is a treat for aficionados of Urdu poetry. This narration also reflects subtly and profoundly an “incomplete” man’s yearning for “complete love.
This remarkable collection of short stories is a ‘must read’ for any every one who enjoys fiction.
When an ex-student presented me this book several days ago, I was happy, but I didn't know then that it wasn't just any collection of short stories. These stories are by a person who has lived in Bangladesh, Pakistan and India (as a citizen of each country). She has dedicated the book to the people of these three nations who, she says, will bring lasting peace to these lands where she "belongs". Thus, my happiness took on a new dimension. It promised to be an exciting book.
The writer's unusual background lends a touch of novelty to her writing; her feeling that she belongs to all three countries is of great relevance in today's world of discord, discrimination and disillusion. Her preface also helps one to understand her though-processes and style, better.
Having had homes in three countries seems to have given Gandhi a feeling of deep love and a sense of belonging for all three, as well as, a global persona. Apparently, there's no other contemporary writer who lives and writes in India and Pakistan and who feels completely at home in both countries. Both nations have a lot of value and meaning for her, although she relates differently to each.
She talks about the way things have changed over the years, and also about how some things remain the same, citing an example from Mirza Ghalib's time through a couplet of his. Back then, Ghalib had been disturbed by people's cruelties towards fellow humans, and even now, so many years later, the senseless violence is rampant in the subcontinent (and everywhere else). She hopes that the inhabitants of this scarred region will be able to overcome all the bitterness of the past some day and move forward.
Gandhi's stories concentrate on the small, precise details of the lives of ordinary individuals. She is drawn by the events that occur in the lives of insignificant members of society, of those who are not treated with respect or understanding; these people could be dwelling in any city of the Indo-Pak subcontinent and be of any religion or ethnic background. She bases her plots on the cracks or spaces created by the differences in gender, class, religion, ethnicity, etc; and the restrictions and limitations they put on people.
The collection (with its enticing title) has short stories which leave behind a long trail of reflections, insights and protests deep in our hearts. The stories take place in three historic cities: Karachi, Allahabad and Ahmadabad. Like Arundhati Roy, Nighat Gandhi "finds beauty in the saddest of places". She brings out different shades of feelings as she writes about the hold destiny has over the way some people's lives turn out, and how these people grapple with their lot, and learn to accept it.
"Risk" is about a Christian salesgirl in Karachi who is exploited by her rich, selfish boss. It will make you cringe, but will not allow you to be unsympathetic. “Fishing At Haleji” traces a helpless father’s quandary regarding what decision will be best for his unmarried daughter who has breast cancer, and his trying to escape from the merciless situation. “In Lieu Of Gold” will reach out to readers as they read of a humble man’s offerings to his dead wife.
“Mariam’s Bath” which is about a “dangerously insane” woman and a psychology student who is doing research on mad women (and whose own sister had been mad and had killed herself), will leave you pondering about sanity, sympathy and the role of compassion in healing mental trauma. In “Hot Water Bag” and “Trains” we have tales that drive home the poignancy of the way life makes people accept unwanted situations. They lay bare the pretences and facades of marriages which are seemingly fine, but are actually shaky compromises, surviving because there’s no real alternative.
“Love: Unclassified” is a strange story about a relationship you can’t give a name to; it is difficult to analyze, but not difficult to empathize with. It ends beautifully. “It conveys waves of tranquility to her beloved’s troubled being in a way no prayer has managed to, yet”. “An Undelivered Letter” is a very touching story that looks at the stark truths of life and makes us feel the unfairness of what fate dishes out to some humans.
“Navratri Night” is a moving narrative of a man dying of cancer, his grieving, anxious wife, and their shared past (with its glories and pains). Their bond was a silent one, and as they went through their struggles, this bond grew stronger. The futility of looking back at a happy past is expressed very effectively as the story ends: “She watched his eyes gazing into nothingness. She sensed their shared helplessness, their longing for that shared past, and the sadness of knowing that not a single moment could be resurrected”.
The last three stories probe the “normal” feelings of people looked on as “abnormal” by those who are physically and mentally whole. “Desire By Any Other Name” is a sensitive (and sensual) depiction of a young man’s healthy urges in an unhealthy body crippled by polio. “Family Duty” gives an insight into a mentally unbalanced woman’s life and relationships.
Gandhi seems to have saved the best for the last. “Ghalib At Dusk” has a personal touch that makes it endearing. Many of us can identify with the nostalgia and experience a kind of “déjà vu” as we go through her story. Simply, but vividly presented, this story is a treat for aficionados of Urdu poetry. This narration also reflects subtly and profoundly an “incomplete” man’s yearning for “complete love.
This remarkable collection of short stories is a ‘must read’ for any every one who enjoys fiction.
June 22, 2012
simple,well written little stories set up in very different yet common backgrounds one can relate to.Thanks keyur for this one!
October 1, 2022
This book is wild, exhilarating, and confusing. It will make you want to have more of each story but it won't give you more.
It has a very unique way of highlighting the most dangerous and taboo topics. ❤️
Loved it!!
It has a very unique way of highlighting the most dangerous and taboo topics. ❤️
Loved it!!
August 1, 2012
Well narrated stories... will leave you wanting for more, sometimes a different end, sometimes a different flow of events... but mostly somewhere not so bright, not so dark.. there is sulkiness, dark passion and a carefully tread theme in all these stories.. takes the reader to an age and time where you can relate to the characters in each story.. good read
March 31, 2013
Its good
October 19, 2014
Detailed review at http://www.anureviews.com/ghalib-at-d...
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews