वो लोग जो आपके कुछ नहीं लगते। ना कोई रिश्ता ना
कोई जानकारी। सोशल मीडिया की इस दुनिया में बहुत से ऐसे लोग मिलते है जिनसे कोई बातचीत
नहीं होती फिर भी वो आपकी दिनचर्या का हिस्सा होते है। आपकी टाईमलाईन पर उनके
पोस्ट आते है। हम उसके जरिए ही धीरे धीरे उन्हें जानने लगते हैं। उनके पंसदीदा
गीत, नज्में, शायर, और फिर एक दिन वो चले जाते हैं। हमेशा के लिए। आपकी पलकें नम
हो जाती है। दिल कुछ एक पल के लिए पत्थर-सा हो जाता। आप यकीन नहीं कर पाते कि कल
से वो आपकी वर्चुअल ही सही लेकिन इस छोटी सी दुनिया का हिस्सा नहीं होगें। गर्म
पानी आँखों से गालों तक आ जाता है। आप रोना नहीं चाहते, उनके लिए जो आपके कुछ नही
लगते।
25 जुलाई को ट्वीटर टाईमलाइन पर पढा इंदीवर जी (@frozenmusik) नहीं रहे। उनसे मेरी कभी कोई बातचीत नहीं हुई थी। मैं नीलेश मिसरा सर के लिए थोडा-बहुत
लिखती हूँ ये उन्हें मेरी टाईमलाईन देखकर पता चला होगा। अभी जनवरी में जब जयपुर
लिटरेचर फेस्टीवल में नीलेश सर भी पहुँचे। तो उन्होंने सर के सेशन की टाईम-स्क्रीन
टैग की। उन्हें लगा होगा शायद मुझे पता नहीं है। मैंने उन्हें प्राईवेट मैसेज करके
इतनी सी रिक्वेस्ट की “Sir, I won’t
able to attend Neelesh Sir’s session, will you record some clips, just thodi
bahutplease please”
उन्होंने कहा उनके बेटे को फीवर है, फिर भी वो
कोशिश करेंगे। मैंने उनसे मना भी किया “ रहने दीजिएगा सर, इट्स नॉट देट इम्पोरटेंट”मैं भूल भी गयी थी अगले दिन उन्होंने वो वीडियोज यू-ट्यूब पर अपलोड कर दिए। ही इज़/वाज़ काईंड सोल, मैन ऑफ हिज़ वर्डस। अभी तीन दिन
पहले जब टाईमलाईन पर पढा वो नहीं रहे तो सच में अजीब लगा, लगा जैसे इट इज़ सम काईंड ऑफ प्रेंक।
लेकिन ये न्यूज़ पवन झा जी की टाईमलाईन से थी। कार्डियल अरेस्ट। आज 28 जुलाई 2017
को जयपुर में ही उनकी मैमोरियल बैठक है।
नौ साल पहले मम्मा को भी ऐसे अचानक एक एक्सीडेंट
में खो दिया था। आज भी सुबह उठती हूँ तो लगता है वही घी के दीपक की गर्माहट लिए
मम्मा की हथेली मेरे सर पर ठहर जाएगी। आँखे खोलकर वो सबसे मीठा ख्वाब खो देना बहुत तकलीफ देता है। मम्मा के समय रोना नहीं
आया था। शायद उधारी है। जब भी कोई जाता है तो किश्तों में निकलती है।
She lived in the graveyard like a
tree. At dawn she saw the crows off and welcomed the bats home. At dusk she did
the opposite. Between shifts she conferred with the ghosts of vultures that
loomed in her high branches. She felt the gentle grip of their talons like an ache
in an amputated limb. She gathered they weren’t altogether unhappy at having
excused themselves and exited from the story.
I think it is not an easy task to
write few words on brilliance. You hesitate, You slow down a bit, You go
through the pages over and over. Literally, I have been struggling with
right words while writing this piece on Arundhati Roy’s The Ministry of Utmost
Happiness. Perhaps, you could relate this uneasiness.
I should not be biased but I am
helpless. To be Honest, Arundhati Roy is among those authors, who drew me
closer to fiction. And made me believe I could survive on reading. She is the
epitome of Brilliance. She had proved it twenty years back, by fascinating us
with small things and I’m happy to say, she didn’t lose that
charm in her recent novel The Ministry of Utmost Happiness as well.
Basically, Arundhati Roy has woven so
many characters with two main Protagonists, who were all trying to place the
broken pieces back together. We could relate to their resilience, empathy,
their daily struggles for survival with their determination to find hope.
The Ministry of Utmost Happiness
begins with Anjum, a delhi based famous Hermaphrodite (Hijra), once Aftab. Since
childhood he has been facing denial. Whereas all he wants acceptance to his natural
self, and then he finds out a prostitute Bombay Silk, who is running a shelter—House of Dreams. Aftab gets fascinated by this place, leaves his home and turned into Anjum, a transgender. How Anjum’s journey ends with city
graveyard? I would not spoil the magic of Roy’s storytelling, by telling the
whole plot but eagerly want to share this extract.
Do you know why God made hijras?” Anjum’s housemate Nimmo asks her
one day. “It was an experiment. He decided to create something, a living
creature that is incapable of happiness. So he made us.” Think about it, she
says. What are the things regular people get upset about? “Price-rise,
children’s school-admissions, husbands’ beatings, wives’ cheatings,
Hindu-Muslim riots, Indo-Pak war—outside things that
settle down eventually. But for us the price-rise and school-admissions and
beating-husbands and cheating-wives are all inside us. The riot is inside us. Indo-Pak
is inside us. It will never settle down. It can’t.”
As story sets in modern India, Roy tried to draw reader’s attention
on some socio-political issues as well, that go hand in hand with fiction. First
six chapters covers the story of Anjum, and then comes Roy’s second
Protagonist, Tilo— an illegitimate child, belongs to a group of Kashmir Independence
fighter. Roy has beautifully woven this character Tilo and her relationship
with Musa, (her lover, maybe, maybe not). Rest story revolves around her only.
Yes! I agree, In some parts,
I too feel disconnected, her description
on many events (Gujarat Riot’s, Kashmir, capitalism, 1984 riots, naxalism) made
me doubt if I am reading fiction or else? , but This is Arundhati Roy, It takes courage to do experiment and weave the brutal truth, especially the part on martyrdom.
Overall, Characters are so engaging, that they seemed real to me, I
could sense their pain, at some point I wished to continue with their revolutionary
Journey. I mostly loved her balanced
narrative, it accomplished to transport me into another realm, if I talk about Roy's writing, It is breathtaking, lyrical, and beautifully written, especially Tilo's Part.
Roy focused on many issues as caste and gender, and most
importantly what I learnt —who are we to pass comments on someone’s existence,
how could we judge someone on the basis of their faith, color, body fat, religion,
and upbringing.
In an interview with Barnes and Noble, Arundhati Roy mentioned “Everybody
in the novel has some kind of border running through them. Anjum has the border
of gender, for Tillo it is caste, for Nimmo it is Indo-Pakistan, Saddam has
caste and religious conversion. Even the graveyard, where much of the action of
the book is located, is some kind of border between life and death. The book is
also about how, when you harden these borders, this violence of inclusion and
exclusion results."
All in all, The Ministry of Utmost Happiness by Arundhati Roy can
be read by hundred ways, it is up to you how you perceive the art and respond
to rhythm of storytelling. I would like to say "Go read this beautifully executed
book" Highly Recommended!
READER’s MOMENT
I don’t know where to stop, or how to
go on. I stop when I shouldn’t. I go on when I should stop. There is weariness.
But there is also defiance. Together they define me these days. Together they
steal my sleep, and together they restore my soul. There are plenty of problems
with no solutions in sight. Friends turn into foes. If not vocal ones, then
silent, reticent ones. But I’ve yet to see a foe turning into a friend. There
seems to be no hope. But pretending to be hopeful is the only grace we have . .
.
She didn't stop him. She knew he'd be
back. No matter how elaborate its charade, she recognized loneliness when she
saw it. She sensed that in some strange tangential way, he needed her shade as
much as she needed his. And she had learned from experience that Need was a
warehouse that could accommodate a considerable amount of cruelty.
They had always fitted together like
pieces of an unsolved (and perhaps unsolvable) puzzle- the smoke of her into
the solidness of him, the solitariness of her into the gathering of him, the
strangeness of her into the straightforwardness of him, the insouciance of her
into the restraint of him. The quietness of her into the quietness of him.”
There was no tour guide on hand to
tell her that in Kashmir nightmares were promiscuous. They were unfaithful to
their owners, they cartwheeled wantonly into other people’s dreams, they
acknowledged no precincts, they were the greatest ambush artists of all. No
fortification, no fence-building could keep them in check. In Kashmir the only
thing to do with nightmares was to embrace them like old friends and manage
them like old enemies.”
It had to do with the way she lived,
in the country of her own skin. A country that issued no visas and seemed to
have no consulates.
ABOUT AUTHOR: Arundhati Roy is an Indian writer who
is also an activist who focuses on issues related to social justice and
economic inequality. She won the Booker Prize in 1997 for her novel, The God of
Small Things, and has also written two screenplays and several collections of
essays.
For her work as an activist she received the Cultural Freedom Prize awarded by
the Lannan Foundation in 2002.
There are things even love can’t do. If the burden is too much and stays too long, even love bends, cracks, comes close to breaking and sometimes does break. But even when it’s in a thousand pieces around your feet, that doesn’t mean it’s no longer love …
Title – Stay with Me
Author: Ayobami Adebayo
Genre: Fiction, Romance
Publisher: Canongate Books
Pages: 300
Rating: 5/5
Frankly speaking
I celebrated reading with STAY WITH ME. With her debut, Ayobami Adebayo hooked me at the first
page, in fact first lines that say “I must leave this city today and
come to you. My bags are packed and the empty rooms remind me that I should
have left a week ago.”
After exploring few more pages, I
stopped for a bit, took a deep breath, and silently thanked to the Author for
weaving such beauty.
When it comes to story, I would say it
is an intense tale of love, care, grief and loss. Plot sets in Nigeria mainly 80’s.
When country had been suffering from some political issues as well, that was
all in backdrop. Basically Story
revolves around a couple named Yejida and Akin, who were struggling and finding
a way to conceive, somewhat same scene we find here in Indian families, How dramatic Mother-in-law and her tantrums turns
the story, In a way after introduction of second wife gives pace to the story. I
have to confess here, I could hardly put down the book. Author explored the beauty
and drew attention towards respective culture, customs esp the bitter truth of Polygamy and some
health related issues as well. She crafted them so sensibly, I am just left in awe.
"I became known as ‘the pregnant woman
with the ripped dress’, even after the baby was born. But I did not care that
people pointed and smiled behind their hands during a hymn or the Nicene Creed
at the church. I had become immortal, part of a never-ending chain of life. New
life kicked within me and soon I would have someone that I could call my own.
Not a stepmother or half-brother. Not a father shared with two dozen other
children or a husband shared with Funmi, but a child, my child."
With crisp narration and well
developed dialogues. Author wins the reader’s heart and time too.
Heart breaking scenes of Yedija, that
internal struggle just makes you fall in love with the protagonist. You feel
her pain, her anger, her suffocation. I don’t say it is some depressing read.
In fact author put those emotions in such way; I was smiling at a time with
teary eyed.
If I could summarize this beauty STAY WITH ME, I would say, It simply explores the depth of human
relationship. And truly deserves recognition It is long-listed for the Bailey Women’s Prize for fiction 2017.
"I had expected them to talk about my
childlessness. I was armed with millions of smiles. Apologetic smiles, pity-me smiles,
I-look-unto-God smiles name all the fake smiles needed to get through an
afternoon with a group of people who claim to want the best for you while
poking at your open sore with a stick and I had them ready. I was ready to
listen to them tell me I must do something about my situation. I expected to
hear about a new pastor I could visit a new mountain where I could go to pray;
or an old herbalist in a remote village or town whom I could consult. I was
armed with smiles for my lips, an appropriate sheen of tears for my eyes and
sniffles for my nose. I was prepared to lock up my hairdressing salon
throughout the coming week to go in search of a miracle with my mother-in-law
in tow. What I was not expecting was another smiling woman in the room, a
yellow woman with a blood-red mouth who grinned like a new bride."
About The Author
Ayobami Adebayo's stories have
appeared in a number of magazines and anthologies, and one was highly commended
in the 2009 Commonwealth short story competition. She also has an MA in
creative writing from the University of East Anglia where she was awarded an
international bursary for Creative Writing. Stay With Me is her Debut Novel.
यहाँ पहले दिन सब कुछ अजीब था। लगा आँखो
के सामने डॉक्यूमैंटरी-फिल्म चल रही हो। दिल्ली, शहर था या रंगीन दिलों का अजायबघर,
नहीं जानती। आसमान को चीरती उँची बिल्डिंग्स। कहीं न खत्म होने वाली सड़के और उनपर
इतनी गाडियाँ कि दिन में तो सड़के दिखाई ही नहीं देती थीं।
सबसे अजीब मुझे वो मैट्रो लगी। जिसका
लेडीज़ कम्पार्टमेंट जैसे गुल्लक में बजते सिक्के। कुछ दिन जरूर मुझे उलझन महसूस
हुई...फिर लगा जैसे मैं इन लड़कियों को पहचानती थी। हर किसी के चेहरे पर फिक्र, आँखों
में बैचेनी, जैसे घर की दहलीज पार करने के बावजूद भी वो अब-तक कहीं अटकी थीं। यही
सब तो था जो मैं जोधपुर में छोड़कर यहाँ दिल्ली चली आयी थी। मेरी बचपन की दोस्त
आमेरा के पास।
तुमने लिस्ट चेक कर ली? कुछ और चाहिए तो अभी
बता दो, वहाँ पापा नहीं मिलेंगे मैंने कहा। मैं उससे ज्यादा शायद खुद को विश्वास दिला रहा था कि कुछ
दिन बाद निखिल मेरे साथ नहीं होगा।
आप तो ऐसे बोल रहे हैं जैसे मैं हमेशा के
लिए जा रहा हूँकहते हुए वो दरवाजे पर एक थपकी देकर कमरे से चला गया। उसकी हथेली की
वो थाप उस दरवाजे पर नही जैसे मेरे दिल पर लगी थी। जाने के बाद वापस लौटना क्या इतना
आसान होता है, क्या मैं लौट पाया वापिस कभी अपने घर? ये सवाल मेरा खुद से था,
जिसका जवाब ढूंढने की ना जाने क्यूँ मैंने कभी कोशिश ही नहीं की?
यहाँ छत पर मेरे सामने खड़ा ये बत्तमीज
लड़का क्या वाकई मेरे बचपन का दोस्त कुनाल था? उसके कहे शब्द “अब तुम इतनी भी अजनबी नहीं हो” मेरे दिलो-दिमाग में गूँज रहे थे। धड़कनों
में शोर था लेकिन मैं चुप थी। क्या जबाव देती उसे? बचपन का वो पक्का दोस्त जो कहीं
खो गया हो उसके अचानक सामने आने पर, क्या जवाब दिया जाता होगा, ये मुझे पता ही
नहीं था।
अभी कुछ देर पहले तक मेरी जिंदगी वैसी ही
थी जैसे बीते छ: सालों से हुआ करती थी। अलार्म बजते ही आधी-नींद में स्प्रिंग की
तरह उचक के खड़े हो जाना। बिखरी फाईल्स को बिस्तर से समेटना। लैपी चार्जिंग से
निकालकर, मोबाईल चार्जिंग पर डालना। इस बीच दो मिनट चुराकर ट्वीटर चेक कर लेना।
मूड अच्छा हुआ तो डीपी बदल दी और अगर मूड खराब हुआ तो 140 शब्दों में जरा
आउट-रेजिया देना। और सबसे जरूरी काम, घर से निकलते वक्त मेरे दोस्त, निखिल के उन
दो-चार रोमांटिक मैसेजेस पर वो किस्सी वाली स्माईली चिपकाते हुए गाड़ी का स्टीयरिंग
घुमाना और ये पहुँच गई मैं सीधे ऑफिस।
लेकिन
आज लग रहा था जैसे मेरे हंसते-खेलते रूटीन का स्टीयरिंग, उछलकर किसी और के हाथ में
चला गया हो
Have you ever skipped your heartbeat
while holding a book? I got that feeling, once I received this beauty Amir
Khurau: The Man in Riddles by Ankit Chadha. Literally I was holding it like a
baby and my eyes stuck on its cover, inner pages led me into a new world, world
of colourful imagination, secret lanes, magical pauses, and the utter desire to
solve those riddles without turning the page.
Structure
Basically Ankit Chadha compiled the mesmerizing
verses of Amir Khusrau, actually twenty riddles with bit of cultural description
of his era, each page accompanied with beautiful illustration by Urmimala Nag. Though I am not much aware of Khusrau Yet, I
easily connected with this book; few riddles were reminiscent of my childhood.
Core
Amir Khusrau, was an eminent poet of medieval
India, known as Tuti-yi-Hind (Parrot of India), he contributed to Indian
classical music, Sufism, Qawwali, Persian Literature. Many lyricist still using
his verses to enhance the beauty of current songs by giving them sufiyana touch
like..
Here Ankit Chadha spotlighted Amir Khusrau
as—when reading khusrau’s poetry, it is evident that the
poet intends to convey two meanings one that has to do with everyday world
while the other delves into other worldly.
Also, Ankit didn’t forget to reveal
the soulful relation between Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya, the great sufi saint and
Khusrau. While reading this book I could sense that Khusrau was a major cultural
icon and as far as I know, he was the founder of Ganga-Jamani Tahzeeb, His
prolific image stands him among the world cultural History.
Ankit rejuvenated the soulful work of
khusrau in such a profound manner. The best thing about Ankit’s book, You don’t
need to be literature-friendly, even a kid will learn and enjoy it. I read this
breathtaking beauty within an hour, avoiding everything.
All in all, Amir Khusrau: The Man in Riddles
is gorgeously honest. Trust me, you don’t want to miss this book. Exquisite!
Reader’s
Moment
Here, I want to pick a little piece—
Dil ka to
dumbal bhayaa
Aur nainon
ka naasoor
Jo okhat se
dukh katey
Toh main bhi
karoon zaroor
Ishq
Translation:
The eyes are
ulcers
And the
heart is a boil
If seeking a
cure helps,
Then I shall
toil.
ABOUT AUTHOR
Ankit Chadha is a writer and storyteller,
who specializes in weaving research-based narratives for performance in the
oral art of Urdu storytelling—Dastangoi. His works revolve around Sufi poetry
and history education.
उसके वो बेमकसद सवालों के जबाव ढूंढना मुझे अच्छा लगता था, उसके गीले बालों की खुश्बू, वो अचानक से आकर मेरे कंधे पर उसका हाथ रखना, ज़िद करके मेरी ही प्लेट में खाना-खाना, और रात को सोते वक्त मेरे हाथ को खींच कर तकिया बना लेना, अक्सर मुझे हैरानी में डाल देता, कोई कैसे इतनी जल्दी इतना करीब आ सकता है, मेरी समझ से परे था।
