The Dream

Zeenat:

I winced at the awful formatting!

(Chowk Editors: Can it still be fixed?)



Another story in the finest traditions of Islamic heritage perceived and vociferously practised in the land of the believers!

The only redeeming feature perhaps was the ending --- agonising and painful as it was, it was short unlike Saima Sarwar/Imran`s.

Let`s do the ablutions for the namaz-e-janaza to be followed by the prayers for the heavenly ensconcement of the grateful and ungrateful dead.

sadly, impotently,

temporal

Every time I read this writer(which I have done twice), I feel like suggesting her/him to come out of their world of melancholy. The writer`s points are a constant repeat, nothing new. Bringing up issues/problems does not assist in resolving them. Coming up with a route/an alternative/a solution to resolve them is far more effective. Probably the writer needs to develop, an optimistic thinking pattern or the eyes to visualize, ``to every action there is an equal and opposite reaction`` myth. In other words, ``To every problem there is a solution.`` How you implement or excercise is the real test! I`ll look forward to reading something that is a solution to the issues the writer has been raising than another fictional piece.
[The reader can be enlightened on the current affairs/fiascos by CNN/BBC or other channels, but the reader will not see those channels working on finding solutions to ``our`` problems. Something to keep in mind.]

In the meanwhile, I`d like to propose an antidote:

No Comments.

Temporal, Fairdinkum, I give up.

THANK YOU ED

--t

depressing.... I need a dose of positive emotion now.

sadly, impotently, arrogantly bigoted

t

urstruly,
I haven`t read the piece yet...should I?
From the responses, I get the impression that it is gloomy...
I feel a little positive after reading Shandana`s piece, and I don`t want to feel gloomy this week.
Just say yes or no....

Regards,
Fairdinkum

temporal (with a small `t`)...the theme of the story is true ... it haunted me for months before i wrote it out as a fictional story.

zahra ..scout... i`ll make sure my next posting is optimistic ..lets brush the problems under the rug...;)

This ones sure left me sad and gloomy..

guess we need some relaxing,motivating and hilarious ones now...soon...

cheers.

RE: Fairdinkum # 8

On the contrary I was gloomy after reading Shandana`s piece when this one came as a comic releif.

But I would recommend that pick up any Urdu magazine and open the BehnoN ki Mehfil section and read this piece there. Just pick anyone of `em.

Regards

Urstruly,

Against your sound advice, I read it. Yeah, definitely belongs in Akhbar-e-Jahan`s teen auratain teen kahanian.

Zeejah:

An illuminating correction:-

Providing an alternative/ a solution is not at all synonymous to ``brushing the problems under the rug.`` Probably it is your way of seeing things; Unresolvable! An Issue!

This is the second time I have read your repeating theme. I voiced my concerns the 1st time and by mistake treaded on your article the 2nd time, and felt the same.

Kindly do care to develop some insights into enlightening the readers on how can the problems[you have been very activley identifying] be resolved ? Your perceptions ? If it is not your cup of tea, just ignore my comments.

Additionally,

a) If you intended to portray the dream as a ``nightmare`` - Ok, the message was conveyed.

Or

b) If you intended to bring up the maltreatment of women in our society, you did not enlighten the reader on anything! That`s where I`d prefer to illuminate my mind via CNN/BBC than a fictional piece.

Or

c) If your intentions were directed towards the chauvinist community and signal them to look into the mirror, and feel bad, I am not sure of your effectivity in that regard also. [Sorry, I cannot speak on their behalf.]

Note: My thoughts are targetted towards your thoughts typed in black and white, and not towards you as a person. I guess, when it comes to hearing the horrifying and terrible stories like that, I am too sensitive to read them as a fictional piece. Being a staunch believer, I have always believed that there is a resolution to all the issues, whereas, being a problem solver [an integral part of my field]I am out in the world taking steps, not ``brushing them under the rug.`` Have you been looking into that ?

It is the responsibility of a true WRITER to
weave ALL aspects of concern within a society.
Although this work is a part of what I sometimes
refer to as ``The Razor Blade Club`` at CHOWK, it
deserves merit for being well written and to the
point.
Full credit goes to the writer of this story
for hitting all of us readers with her literary
hammer. Bravo!

Ras

PS: temporal, reluctantly, once again I agree
with Reply #1

The ending reminded me of a Malayalam film `Adaminte Variyellu` (Adam`s Rib) from the 80s made by KG George. Its the intermingled story of three women, from three classes, one very rich, another working middle class and third the rich woman`s maid servant. The movie documents all sorts of unsupportable happenings in each woman`s life, mostly to do with unbearable men and their unbearable impulses. Finally, unable to cope, the rich woman loses her character, the middle class woman loses her very sanity, the lowest class woman ends up in a destitute home. But when she faces exploitation there too, for her no folding-sholding, she begins a rebellion. The movie ends with the maid servant leading a procession and the viewer gets let off the hook :-).

My advice is, make some movies, too. If one feels the need to look hard at the depressing stuff, one might as well win some international awards while doing it :-).

Sadhana

Something reminscent of Sidhwa`s `The Bride` here.. of course, I read that many years back and it`s a wee bit hazy now!

Ras #13:

Re: ``PS: temporal, reluctantly, once again I agree
with Reply #1``

Yaara kiya mushkil hay! Apna address bhaijiyay. Hum flowers, rooh-afza ya mitchell ka mango squash ya koi aur jannati mashroob bhaij kar maazi ko madfun kar daingay. Deal?

rgds,

t