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यहाँ हाथी रहते थे
कुछ ज्यादा ही तेजी से बदलते हमारे इस वक्त को बारीकी से देखती प्रख्यात कथाकार गीतांजलि श्री की ग्यारह कहानियाँ हैं यहाँ। नई उम्मीदें जगाता और नए रास्ते खोलता वक्त। हमारे अन्दर घुन की तरह घुस गया वक्त भी। सदा सुख-दुख, आनन्द-अवसाद, आशा-हताशा के बीच भटकते मानव को थोड़ा ज्यादा दयनीय, थोड़ा हास्यास्पद बनाता वक्त।
विरोधी मनोभावों और विचारों को परत-दर-परत उघाड़ती हैं ये कहानियाँ। इनकी विशेषता - कलात्मक उपलब्धि - है भाषा और शिल्प का विषयवस्तु के मुताबिक ढलते जाना। माध्यम, रूप और कथावस्तु एकरस-एकरूप हैं यहाँ। मसलन, ‘इति’ में मौत के वक्त की बदहवासी, ‘थकान’ में प्रेम के अवसान का अवसाद, ‘चकरघिन्नी’ में उन्माद की मनःस्थिति, या ‘मार्च माँ और साकुरा’ में निश्चल आनन्द के उत्सव के लिए इस्तेमाल की गई भाषा ही क्रमशः बदहवासी, अवसाद, उन्माद और उत्सव की भाषा हो जाती है।
पर अन्ततः ये दुख की कहानियाँ हैं। दुख बहुत, बार-बार और अनेक रूपों में आता हैं इनमें। ‘यहाँ हाथी रहते थे’ और ‘आजकल’ में साम्प्रदायिक हिंसा का दुख, ‘इतना आसमान’ में प्रकृति की तबाही और बिछोह का दुख, ‘बुलडोजर’ और ‘तितलियाँ’ में आसन्न असमय मौत का दुख, ‘थकान’ और ‘लौटती आहट’ में प्रेम के रिस जाने का दुख। एक और दुख, बड़ी शिद्दत से आता है ‘चकरघिन्नी’ में। नारी स्वातंत्र्य और नारी सशक्तीकरण के हमारे जैसे वक्त में भी आधुनिक नारी का निस्सहायता का दुख।
हमारी जिन्दगी की बदलती बहुरूपी असलियत तक बड़े आड़े-तिरछे रास्तों से पहुँचती हैं ये कहानियाँ। एक बिलकुल ही अलग, विशिष्ट और नवाचारी कथा-लेखन से रू-ब-रू कराते हुए हमें।
विरोधी मनोभावों और विचारों को परत-दर-परत उघाड़ती हैं ये कहानियाँ। इनकी विशेषता - कलात्मक उपलब्धि - है भाषा और शिल्प का विषयवस्तु के मुताबिक ढलते जाना। माध्यम, रूप और कथावस्तु एकरस-एकरूप हैं यहाँ। मसलन, ‘इति’ में मौत के वक्त की बदहवासी, ‘थकान’ में प्रेम के अवसान का अवसाद, ‘चकरघिन्नी’ में उन्माद की मनःस्थिति, या ‘मार्च माँ और साकुरा’ में निश्चल आनन्द के उत्सव के लिए इस्तेमाल की गई भाषा ही क्रमशः बदहवासी, अवसाद, उन्माद और उत्सव की भाषा हो जाती है।
पर अन्ततः ये दुख की कहानियाँ हैं। दुख बहुत, बार-बार और अनेक रूपों में आता हैं इनमें। ‘यहाँ हाथी रहते थे’ और ‘आजकल’ में साम्प्रदायिक हिंसा का दुख, ‘इतना आसमान’ में प्रकृति की तबाही और बिछोह का दुख, ‘बुलडोजर’ और ‘तितलियाँ’ में आसन्न असमय मौत का दुख, ‘थकान’ और ‘लौटती आहट’ में प्रेम के रिस जाने का दुख। एक और दुख, बड़ी शिद्दत से आता है ‘चकरघिन्नी’ में। नारी स्वातंत्र्य और नारी सशक्तीकरण के हमारे जैसे वक्त में भी आधुनिक नारी का निस्सहायता का दुख।
हमारी जिन्दगी की बदलती बहुरूपी असलियत तक बड़े आड़े-तिरछे रास्तों से पहुँचती हैं ये कहानियाँ। एक बिलकुल ही अलग, विशिष्ट और नवाचारी कथा-लेखन से रू-ब-रू कराते हुए हमें।
196 pages, Hardcover
Published January 1, 2012
2 people are currently reading
18 people want to read
About the author
Geetanjali Shree
18 books248 followersGeetanjali Shree गीताजंली क्ष्री (She was known as Geentanjali Pandey, and she took her mother's first name Shree as her last name) (born 1957) is a Hindi novelist and short story writer based in New Delhi, India. She is the author of several short stories and three novels. Mai was short listed for the Crossword Book Award in 2001. She has also written a critical work on Premchand.
Her first story, Bel Patra (1987) was published in the literary magazine Hans and was followed by a collection of short stories Anugoonj (1991)
The English translation of her novel Mai catapulted her into fame. The novel is about three generations of women and the men around them, in a North Indian middle-class family. Mai is translated into Serbian, Korean and German. It has been translated into English by Nita Kumar, who was awarded the Sahitya Akademi award for the translation. It has been also translated into Urdu by Bashir Unwan with preface by Intizar Hussain. Furthermore, it has been translated into other languages: into French by Annie Montaut, into German by Reinhold Schein...
Her second novel Hamara Shahar Us Baras set loosely after the incidents of Babri Masjid demolition.
Her first story, Bel Patra (1987) was published in the literary magazine Hans and was followed by a collection of short stories Anugoonj (1991)
The English translation of her novel Mai catapulted her into fame. The novel is about three generations of women and the men around them, in a North Indian middle-class family. Mai is translated into Serbian, Korean and German. It has been translated into English by Nita Kumar, who was awarded the Sahitya Akademi award for the translation. It has been also translated into Urdu by Bashir Unwan with preface by Intizar Hussain. Furthermore, it has been translated into other languages: into French by Annie Montaut, into German by Reinhold Schein...
Her second novel Hamara Shahar Us Baras set loosely after the incidents of Babri Masjid demolition.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
October 28, 2025
Geetanjali Shree is like your fellow passenger on a train ride. You sit next to each other, initially hesitant to even talk, but then she breaks the ice by pointing out the trees and the mountains outside your window, that you didn't seem to notice. She takes out the lunch, shares it with you, you become friends, and start chatting because it's going to be a long journey. She shares the many stories that she has lived, experienced, or seen over the years.
She is a good friend, and just like any good friend she doesn't hide anything, and expects the attention that a good friend deserves. "Are you listening to me?", "Are you following me?", she asks several times after reading the expressions on your face. Once you pay attention to her words, you no longer feel rushed into a forest of words, but gently led into the fairyland of remembrance. She reminds you to feel; feel honestly, deeply, and freely. She shows you how to live in the present, feel the breeze on your skin as it touches your lover. "Can you see this? You have to!" she whispers in your ear as she shows you the diamond shaped Fuji Mountains, above and on the Kawaguchi Lake, and you realize that you have been living without embracing the entirety of life. When the train comes to a final pause, she says goodbye, all you are able to say is "thank you!" in return.
She is a good friend, and just like any good friend she doesn't hide anything, and expects the attention that a good friend deserves. "Are you listening to me?", "Are you following me?", she asks several times after reading the expressions on your face. Once you pay attention to her words, you no longer feel rushed into a forest of words, but gently led into the fairyland of remembrance. She reminds you to feel; feel honestly, deeply, and freely. She shows you how to live in the present, feel the breeze on your skin as it touches your lover. "Can you see this? You have to!" she whispers in your ear as she shows you the diamond shaped Fuji Mountains, above and on the Kawaguchi Lake, and you realize that you have been living without embracing the entirety of life. When the train comes to a final pause, she says goodbye, all you are able to say is "thank you!" in return.
September 20, 2025
Her short stories are even more experimental and enjoyable than her novel. So many stories in one collection… such diversity of work! In love with her after reading this. : )
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews