Arefa Tehsin’s novel will make you contemplate and scrutinise your surroundings. A murder in the home of one of Udaipur’s prominent Muslim families in a newly independent India becomes the pivot to highlight the many ideologies that make up the social fabric of life

This is no ordinary book. It’s more than a murder mystery, even though the book opens on a tragic note, young Ahad finding his dead teenage sister, Sanaz, on the auspicious day of Makar Sankranti in 1950. The plot looks simple enough on the surface. But unlike all the mystery books where the police and saviours are searching for the criminal throughout the story, Tehsin shows us the milieu around the murder. All the activities take place in 24 hours, but it’s unlike what you see on OTT, here nothing has been narrated in a hurry. It is a slow read. I savoured the rich language and felt the emotions of the many characters who came alive in the book. And the wicked witch in the peepul tree is just another magnificent peg to hang the plot on.

We all know that the sun changes passage on January 14 and that is the day India celebrates by flying kites and eating sweet delights. Tehsin takes us to the home of Bohra community’s most influential man—Dada Sahib, loved by Hindus, Muslims, the king, villagers, forest dwellers. In the newly independent India multiple changes are afoot, as the government breaks the shackles of erstwhile rulers to embrace democracy. The change has come after centuries—for long, India was ruled by the Mughals and then the British. Many prejudices and rules will now break, thanks to a liberal like Dada Sahib and his social reformer, beautiful wife Mena.

Any mystery author would have put the police and suspects centrestage, but Tehsin adopts a different approach. Even though she has intimated the reader about the death of young Sanaz, the pretty daughter of Dada Sahib and Mena, she now introduces us to the world around Dada Sahib. There is no mention of the murder again till the middle of the book. Tehsin weaves a story around the many shades that make up each and every one of us—this includes our thoughts, beliefs, the society we are brought up in, the individuals we become, the dreams we have and the aspirations that shape our lives. Also, sadly, our status starts defining our adulthood.

I did not forget about the murder, but the depth of characters and their social status and behaviours had me engrossed. I was transported back to my school books which tell us about the dangerous social divides and polarisation of communities. I had read about social reforms, battle for freedom, equality for all—a nation that embraces its differences under a giant umbrella, moves forward to find its place in the world.

This book touches upon many themes—empowerment, reform, feminism, freedom, racism, casteism, paedophilia, child marriage, ostracization of widows, role of transgenders, religion, customs, cultures. It also shows us how money and sex transcend all this.

Tehsin is a master storyteller, who has woven this rich tapestry of life on the sub-continent. Dada Sahib is based in Udaipur, but has friends all over Mewar, now Rajasthan. He supports the new government and an egalitarian society. Through the novel, Tehsin gives us glimpses of life in the then princely state—the untouchables living on the fringes of the town, merchants in another part, Bohra community in one part, the Maharana in his palace and affluent Hindus in another. There are references to the causes that prevail in the current times as well—environment concerns, racism, literacy, urbanisation.

She peels off layer after layer in each chapter and you are left astounded by what lies beneath. I have a habit of reading the last page first and then beginning the book, but the end of this book does not give you a clue about what happens in the middle. Each chapter is a short story in itself. And the twist in the tale is the secret that dies with Sanaz, that the police unearths. That is the most unexpected part and then the end that leaves you pondering over youth, wisdom and repurcussions of the choices we make.

There are many sad moments, disgusting moments, but Tehsin’s language is not expletive. She narrates it like just another day, sans the fiery undertones. Even then, everything touches the heart—the palpable plight of Parijat, the untouchable, who has been exploited since childhood. The sleazy Hariharan is a mixed bag. Badi Bi, Ismail, Sugra bai and her daughter Khandija, are all products of their walled-in lives, living under the kind roof of Dada Sahib. Their lives are full of emotional blackmails and little jealousies. Doonga and Nathu from the Bhil community change the tone, bringing the simplicity of the forest to the city, living by honour, loyal to the core, yet the affluent masters fail them.

In this book, I found treachery, lust, greed, injustice, loss of childhood, rebellion of teenage love; heartache and trauma touch all humans, irrespective of their social status. The book delves deep into the complex web of life and even more puzzling behaviour of humans and the eras they live in. The interconnectedness of life reflects when you observe the day’s happenings, step-by-step, piece-by-piece.  

Tehsin’s canvas shows us how the mind creates a deeply ingrained belief system that keeps making an attempt to keep apace with eras and changes. Every book has the power to arouse a dominant emotion. This book made me contemplate on the freedom we enjoy—we are 75 years old, and we still see a world in turmoil. There is never peace, just change.

BOOK DETAILS

Publisher: Harper Collins India
Language: ‎English
Paperback: ‎344 pages
Price: INR 399, Kindle edition available

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