NEW URDU WRITINGS : FROM INDIA & PAKISTAN

298 Pages·2014·1.02 MB·English

by  Rakhshanda Jalil

TRANQUEBAR PRESS
New Urdu Writings
Rakhshanda Jalil went to Delhi Public School and graduated in English
Literature from Miranda House, Delhi University. She also has a doctorate in
“The Progressive Writers’ Movement as Reflected in Urdu Literature” from the
Academy of Third World Studies, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi.
A well known critic and literary historian, Rakhshanda Jalil has edited two
collections of short stories; written a collection of essays on the little known
monuments of Delhi; a literary biography of a feminist writer; and published
more than eight works of translations, among several other publications.
Rakhshanda Jalil runs an organization called Hindustani Awaaz, devoted to the
popularization of Hindi-Urdu literature and culture and blogs at
www.hindustaniawaaz-rakhshanda.blogspot.com and another at IBN Live.
At present, she is engaged in a study of Indian secularism.
Raah-e mazmoon-e taaza band nahin
Ta qayamat khula hai baab-e sukhan
— Wali Deccani (1667-1707)
(The path of new themes is not closed
The gateway of languages shall remain open till doomsday)
New Urdu Writings:
From India & Pakistan

Edited By
Rakhshanda Jalil
TRANQUEBAR PRESS
An imprint of westland ltd
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93, 1st Floor, Sham Lal Road, New Delhi 110 002
First published in India by TRANQUEBAR, an imprint of westland ltd 2013
Copyright © Rakhshanda Jalil 2013
The copyright for the individual stories lies with the respective authors All rights
reserved 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
ISBN: 978-9-383-26037-9
Typeset by Ram Das Lal This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall
not by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, resold, hired out, circulated, and no
reproduction in any form, in whole or in part (except for brief quotations in
critical articles or reviews) may be made without written permission of the
publishers.
Contents
Acknowledgements
Introduction
From India
Short Short Stories
Joginder Paul
Empty Bottles
Jeelani Bano
The Gun
Tariq Chhatari
Mourner of the Feet
Khalid Javed
The Slaughterhouse Sheep
Khurshid Akram
The Biggest Sin
Noor Zaheer
The Curfew is Strict
Anis Rafi
The Hyena Falls Silent
Syed Muhammad Ashraf
City
Tarannum Riyaz
A Night’s Paradise
Faiyaz Riffat
The Last Show
Mazhar-uz-Zaman Khan
My Story
Shahida Yusuf
On Board the M V Gandhi...
Anwar Qamar
Pin-prick
Awaz Sayeed
Somewhere, Something is Lost
Anjum Usmani
From Pakistan
Lest My Breath Disturb Thy Peace
Neelam Ahmed Basheer
The End of Time
Perveen Atif
Vanilla Crumble
Asif Farrukhi
A State of Emergency
Ahmed Hamesh
Revulsion
Hasan Manzar
Three Very Short Stories
Azra Abbas
Mughal Serai
Mirza Hamid Baig
Kumkum is Fine
Zahida Hina
Did the Pink Pigeons Win?
Fahmida Riaz
By the Time You Know
Salma Awan
The Eyes of Jacob
Mansha Yad
Snow
Neelofar Iqbal
The Man-eater
Nikhat Hasan
Jabala’s Son
Intezar Husain
Coffin
Ali Akbar Natiq
Glossary
Notes on Contributors
Notes on Translators
Acknowledgements
I am deeply grateful to Dr Asif Farrukhi, an indefatigable writer, editor and
dedicated translator from Pakistan. Asif has not only helped in the selection of
some of the stories from Pakistan, but also put me in touch with some excellent
translators from his country. Moreover, Asif has ungrudgingly given permission
to use translations of some of the writings that have appeared in Duniyazad, the
literary journal he edits from Karachi.
Dr Khalid Javed, of the Department of Urdu, Jamia Millia Islamia, gave valuable
suggestions, as did Prof Shamim Hanafi, Professor Emeritus in the same
department. The staff at the Zakir Husain Library — everyone from the
Librarian, Dr Ghayas Makhdumi to the two deputies, Dr Abidi and Dr Amera
Khatun and Shahab Azmi in particular, helped in locating texts from the
university library’s rich collection. Amera has since retired from the university
library and I, too, have moved on from Jamia where I worked when I first began
work on this volume several years ago; nevertheless, my link with the university
and some of its staff remains in the form of this volume.
Prof Tariq Chhatari, of the Department of Urdu, Aligarh Muslim University,
whose story has been included in this collection, helped in choosing other
stories, too. As always, I have relied on his judgment and eclectic reading.
The Urdu poet, Shahryar, helped as always by providing support and
encouragement. Knowing that he was but a phone call away and could remove
doubts and throw valuable light was a source of much comfort — both
personally and professionally. His tragic passing away in February 2012 is an
immense loss.
My mother, Mehjabeen Jalil, has not only translated a story for this collection
but read many, many more and helped me as I trawled in a sea of stories, looking
for the ones I wanted to include here. My daughter, Aaliya, helped in typing out
my mother’s translation done in long hand. Seeing them with their heads
together, going over the nuances of words and meanings or industriously pecking
away on my laptop, I am reassured that Urdu is alive and well in India.
I am grateful, also, to each of the contributors without whom this anthology
would not be complete. For, it is their work that you hold in your hands today.