Broken Stones

=== Interact Filtered ===
view this users filtered interacts

...........................

no words. I feel the numbness.

I have no doubts in stating that this is one of the best contemporary short story that I have read in recent past.

In a word `Terrific`

Bilal

Farzana

So gross, yet so refined; so ugly, yet so beautiful; so grotesque, yet so elegant; so furious, yet so tranquil; so indignant, yet so empathetic; so stern, and yet so funny...

Farzana, you’re a walking volcano, ready to explode...you’re by far the best writer at Chowk. Hats off...

Very good story.

The most pithy line - ``We always remember what we need to forget.``

Everyone keeps ruminating over December 6.
The Hindus do it out of sadism.
The Muslims do it out of masochism.
And December 6 gets a devilish tribute during every riot, a riot being nothing but the pinnacle of sado-masochism.

Ab tau ghabra ke yeh kehte hain ke mar jayenge
Mar ke bhi na chain paaya tau kidhar jayenge!

Dear Farzana:
Forget about political analysis, fiction is your real forte! You have a powerful imagination, a way with weaving words, emotions dripping from them and you describe feelings very well. I especially liked Tarana`s fantasising alternately being a glamourous star and a kothewali. Not a far-fetched combination, if you remember that some of the most glamourous stars of yester years honed their skills at kotha.
...I am not an expert in these matters but I think that the plot could have been strengthened and made more taut in the middle; the riot did not seem to be fully integrated into the plot.
...and finally, does ghati refer to all Maharashtrians or to a particular caste or district in it?

Farzana,
Awsome................Ever thought of writing a novel?
No doubt you are doing a wonderfully tremenduous/tremenduously wonderful job with Upper Crust, but do give a thought to writing a novel.
Regards,
Saman Khan.

Jesus, woman you can write and with a fury which is not odious! To say that I had goose bumps reading this would be an understatement.

To say well done would be inappropriate as I am not in possession of even of a grain to talent to fully comprehend what I have just read.

This is the first time I took courage to publish my fiction. I have been sitting on it for a year, but there was something holding me back. I would occasionally look at it, go over a few lines and then put it to sleep. I have come in early to interact because I know that not many people want to read fiction at Chowk and fewer want to interact on my board if they like something I have written!

arjun_m:
``I had forgotten that my mother was a Hindu, a “ghaati” they had called her.`` With these lines Taraana is merely stating how removed she was from one part of her heritage, and the little she knew was how her mother was addressed.

bts:
Thank you.

Fountainheader:
Life itself is sado-masochistic, isn`t it?

godot:
If you had broken up the fist sentence, it would have made for a decent poem...phir hum bhi keh saktey they ke kisi ne hamare liye nazm/ghazal/shair likha hai...

Re. being ``the best``, without resorting to any fake humility, I do believe it is a relative term; we are just different kinds of writers. So you like my kind. Bohat shukria :)

dost-mittarji:
Once when I had done a real good job of scraping off dead skin from a friend`s feet, she said I could become a pedicurist...ab kya-kya ban jaaye...but your encouragement is important. But please let me continue with political analysis!

[...I am not an expert in these matters but I think that the plot could have been strengthened and made more taut in the middle; the riot did not seem to be fully integrated into the plot.
...and finally, does ghati refer to all Maharashtrians or to a particular caste or district in it?]

This is no excuse, but I wanted the narrative to meander. I did not want the riot to become a `character`; I wanted it internalised in Taraana and Abbaji, representing tomorrow and yesterday and how intertwined they are.

`Ghati` refers to Maharashtrians, but is used in a derogatory manner as it is a term used to address people of lower economic/social standing.

samankhan:
Glad you liked it. Novel? I need to discipline my mind, it goes off in too many directions.
Uppercrust? That is not me. I am Farzana Versey everywhere, for better or worse!

Regards,
Farzana

Etymology of the word - ghati

The word ghati has two meanings, depending on whether you are a Maharashtrian or not. Within Maharashtrians, this term was used to refer to the people who live in the Western ghats, i. e mainly the Western non-coastal part of Maharashtra. Like people from Konkan are called Konkani. The residents of cities like Pune, Nasik, Satara etc would be called ghatis since these cities are located in the ghats.

However non-Maharashtrians refer to all Maharashtrians as ghatis. This mainly started in Mumbai, where most of the Maharashtrians were those who migrated from the ghats.

When non-marathis use it, it is a semi-derogatory term.

However it really has no economic, social or caste-based significant. A poor fisherman in Konkan, a farmer in Central Maharashtra are as ``qualified`` to be called ``ghati``, as the Rahul Dravids, Sachin Tendulkars and Sharad Pawars of this world.

In fact going by the name, `Savita Damle` would be a Konkanastha Brahmin woman, and would not be doing badly socially or economically. If anything, a Damle would look down upon Muslims, in the traditional scheme of things.

The term ``ghati`` was mainly used by Gujaratis, especially during the 50s and 60s when there was a struggle between the two ethnicities for which state Bombay would be a part of. However over the years, it has sort of achieved a non-offensive status.

Author,

There are some amazing lines and ideas here. The first four paragraphs are unbelievably good.

``and of this near-dead man`` is better as ``a nearly dead man``

The narrator is particularly compelling-would be interested in reading more/about her.

And is my reading of this binary of the Hindu/Muslim/sex worker/film star correct?

Just wondering...

=== Interact Filtered ===
view this users filtered interacts

Farzana, 8

``phir hum bhi keh saktey they ke kisi ne hamare liye nazm/ghazal/shair likha hai...``

You can still say that. Consider it a little ``decent`` poem I wrote for you.

No, I don`t care about the writers, it`s the writings that I like or dislike...you maybe the only exception.

simply marvelous! stunning! splendid! fabulous!

=== Interact Filtered ===
view this users filtered interacts

you finally discovered yourself -- Farazana Versey

bravo

Farzana

Let me add to the praise. You are a good writer. When your mind is not wandering too much you should take a few months off and turn in a novel. Good work.

regards