Kingdom's End

by Saadat Hasan Manto

Unknown Binding

About the author

Saadat Hasan Manto (Urdu: سعادت حسن منٹو, Hindi: सआदत हसन मंटो), the most widely read and the most controversial short-story writer in Urdu, was born on 11 May 1912 at Sambrala in Punjab's Ludhiana District. In a writing career spanning over two decades he produced twenty-two collections of short stories, one novel, five collections of radio plays, three collections of essays, two collections of reminiscences and many scripts for films. He was tried for obscenity half a dozen times, thrice before and thrice after independence. Not always was he acquitted. Some of Manto's greatest work was produced in the last seven years of his life, a time of great financial and emotional hardship for him. He died a few months short of his forty-third birthday, in January 1955, in Lahore.

Reviews

[Areeb · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Kingdom's End" or "Badshahat ka Khatma" in Urdu is a short story by Saadat Hasan Manto. The story follows a young male protagonist, Manmohan, who receives a strange call from an unknown, mystical lady. Manmohan, who works and resides in an empty office, develops a liking for the caller, and this one call leads to a series of long phone conversations. These two, who in reality are completely unknown to each other, develop a strange relationship. They find solace, peace, and joy in their almost daily conversations and even start to look forward to their daily phone call.