A Teacup in My Hand

I do not want to further disturb the train of thought that was discussed in this fictional piece, but it will be unfair not to analyze and evaluate the story from a different angle.

What I would have liked to see -

a. Sonya should have taken her mother in law to task for forcing her son to marry someone else. The very idea to marry or have sex with another woman to have a child sounds pretty disgusting. Slapping XYZ (whatever her hubby`s name was) did not convey much. I would have liked to read a conversation between the m-i-l and Sonya. It seems that m-i-l was all in power to do whatever she could. We are misleading our future generations.

b. I wished there was a court where Sonya could file a suit against her husband on various accounts, e.g. inability to withstand marital responsibilities, inability to refuse the orders of his mother impacting their marriage, and excluding her from his plans of a 2nd marriage.


What the writer should not have done
(By doing that she supports the cultural mental fatoor)

c. Portraying women as the maker or breaker of a relationship. So, it`s Sonya who could not have a child. Why was that important to prove? It also gives a message that women are the ones with some issues when it comes to not being able to have a child. Why could not the man have some issues ? Is that a taboo subject ? Again, the man was shown as the all-in-power king here who could impregnate another woman and have a child through her. Yes, he looked emaciated and not his usual self, but beyond that it was Sonya who had to reinvent her life. It also portrays a poor image of men.

d. The writer saves the man from the wrath of his wife by putting the blame on the mother in law for impacting his current relationship. It also ascertains that men have no say in the relationship with their wives and can be twisted in any direction by their mothers. These mothers are also women. What are we saying here?

e. Now, let`s visit poor Huma who was used as a scapegoat in this episode. It`s unfair to misuse cousin relationship.

In short, I would not change this story but I would like to read a sequel that is in complete contrast to this story. Probably, that can be a story of Ujala and Umar`s son.

I think Hamidm can come up with some interesting ideas based on all the years of Hoor and Zaibunissa reading :p

#39 (addendum)

...Therefore, take your pick of tears or puke! :)

#34
(further thoughts)

Hamidm2 mian, thanks for your confidence in my abilities. Now that you mention it, I am all excited and my creative juices are really bubbling up in heady heat - I can not wait to get cracking to claim that mantle as THE writer of sappy paperbacks that make women cry and drive real men to puke and to cry out.

Before you know it, this web site will start drowning in tears on one side and puke on the other side!

What a sangam that will be!! :)

All of it thanks to YOUR encouragement, sir!! I am beginning to fall in love with you.

Tahera Sajid,

Touching story. It made me think seekingly about the fickle nature of humanity; how one person in a relationship, like a dysfunctional wheel, could separate from the when the road to life became discomforting.

I have heard so many times the cliche: ``Love will survive.`` It almost makes the phenomenon of love sound like an objective, living entity. Well, love is only as real as it is in mutual capacity felt and lived and understood.

I like this piece of prose but would also like to know what the message the author wants to send across. Also, given the cultural and religious tradition in this context, was Umar wrong in obeying his mother or was it unreasonable of Sonya to act the way she did? A further illucidated perspective on these issues would be helpful in understanding the piece better.

However, I can feel Sonya`s rage by these lines:

``She opened the door. There he stood, unshaven and dishevelled. She felt no love for him, only contempt.

With one swift movement, she slapped him hard across his cheek – the cheek she had touched lovingly so many times in the past.

He stared in disbelief.

“Don’t ever come here again.” She muttered coldly.

Umar saw steely resolve in her eyes… and knew he was beaten.``

Peace!

Re: # 38

Thank you so much for your indepth review...
This story was not meant to be essentially moralistic. Truth is relative. Umar was not wrong, nor was Sonya. Life is all about making choices, be they right or wrong. Once done, however, one has to live with the consequences...as did Sonya and Umar!
Your line `love is only as real...understood` seems to put things in proper perspective quite nicely!! :)

#36 Philosopher

Yaar, may I gently enquire why you are so upset with me? To the best of my knowledge, I have never interacted with you. :)

#34
:)

Re: # 34hamidm2 gadhay

only a person of your calibre can admire a 3rd class man like bjkumar.

you are going very well to your third class mentality.and man dont try to creat `awareness` in me coz baby i m adoing phd in philosophy and i am miles away from what your countless forefatherfathers can imagine. i know u r a `balanced` nation. but u wont concentratere.i know. i am Quran

Well TS...do you see yourself as Mills and Boon material? I would have thought Virago more likely.

TBoB

Re: # 30
No, not M&B... Virago, anytime!!! :)

#25 Hamidm2

[haven`t read anything like this since ``the sheikh`s unwilling wife`` by sharon kendrick]

Mian, that link you gave contains some real gunpowder of a plot!

Wow!

I read from the description:

“...The Sheikh will claim his wife…

It’s been five years since Ayesha set eyes on her impossibly attractive husband from Islamabad – five years since she walked out on their sham of a marriage and took her five children with her – as well as a precious secret. But she’s always known that he will come for her – finally motivated to do the right thing, through the urgings of the local Mullah – who would have it no other way! And when he does she will be lost to the sensual promise of his glittering black eyes – those joyous encounters sans the encumbering foreskin… And she will melt like freshly-made butter and submit!

Submit to the yearnings of the flesh – at the urgings of the Mullah – the Sheikh!

Since discovering that he is the son of the powerful tribal ruler, her khala is determined that Ayesha should resume her rightful position as his son’s wife and accompany him to the promised land. But how will this proud woman, of Khalistani descent, react when she discovers that he already has a son with another woman in the meanwhile…?”

Like I said, wow!

Re: # 26


bj mian,

....... i think you have some real talent and a great future as a writer of sappy paperbacks that make women cry and drive real men to puke and cry out: ``Praised be God that he has not created me a gentile! Praised be God that he has not created me a woman! Praised be God that he has not created me an ignoramus !`` ....... unfortunately some of can`t be so sure about the last one ..........

...... anyway, i don`t mean to belittle tahera`s skills as an aspiring m&b authorette (no, that is not a real word), but i`d rather od on dean koontz, john grisham and stephen king before i touch this sissy stuff ........

simply wonderful ! ....... haven`t read anything like this since ``the sheikh`s unwilling wife`` by sharon kendrick ......... i honestly think it should be published - here is a link to a great publisher:

http://www.millsandboon.co.uk/cgi-bin/millsandboon.filereader?45f407ff0054bd08273f58d0dc9e0663+EN/catalogs/NULL

Re: # 25

:)

khula and talaaq are two separate things....
even if a woman does not reserve the right for talaaq while signing the nikaak contract, she always has the right for khula....

since u seem to be not so familiar with the Islamic Shari`ah, let me tell u this, the wife can ask for khula for no reason at all, but can not ask for divorce on the basis that her husband has married another woman....

now go and do some homework to learn the difference between talaaq and khulaa....

Re: # 24
You wrote,

...a woman...always has the right for khula.... the wife can ask for khula for no reason at all...

Well according to the Sahria`ah (that you seem to have read something about), does NOT allow women to seek khula without a valid reason; these `reasons` are actually enumerated in Islamic Jurisprudence and are only a few.

Again the right of a woman to divorce her husband is absolutely NOT allowed in Sharia`ah. This right of a woman to divorce is actually a part of the ``Family Laws`` in Pakistan, enacted by President Ayub in early 1960s. This has nothing to do with Sharia’ah; it is just a specific Civil Law in Pakistan, to provide some protection to women in an otherwise completely unequal situation in marriage. Infact most of the religious leaders in Pakistan have been doing their utmost for years to repeal these very laws.

Therefore in Pakistan when a women who keeps a right to divorce her husband, goes to the court to do the same, it is still called `khula` (not talaaq) because technically she cannot give `talaaq` to her husband under the Sharia`ah Law. The only difference from a `regular` khula here is that she does not have to provide any justification/reason for her decision; while otherwise she would have to come up with a `justifiable reason`. In either case in Pakistani court it is called `khula` and not `talaaq`.

Although I think this debate about the exact terminology is useless while assessing a short story such as this (it is divorce whichever way you see it), I am writing these comments as a student of law, with the hope that in future before you post any rude comments again, you would first go and read about whatever you are writing yourself.

As far as the article itself is concerned, it simply had me enthralled from the beginning to the end. I never seemed to have lost my interest and curiosity as to what was coming next. The theme of the story was good and relevant to the present. It proceeded seamlessly so that there never seemed a break in the narrative. That is great storytelling. Although the story could have taken so many turns, it is the choice of the author to take it where she wants it to go. I don`t think the story was predictable; maybe because I really can`t see into the future! There is a strong message of hope for so many women like Sonya who might otherwise simply `accept their fate`. Great story. Way to go Tahera. Hope to see more from you.