Sunday 17 June 2012

Homage to Raja Gidh



There has been a lot happening around us, we all fall prey to the evils of society, have to deal with strange circumstances/people, complicated situations and at times we are bombarded by natural disasters and ordeals. Lately, life has witnessed to some serious roller coaster scenarios but yet we move on, we shake and we break but we cannot stand still. We fight, we smile, we battle and we laugh. There is no such thing as “Life” and there is no fun in life without tragedies and turmoil’s. There is always a dawn after dusk. Only thing which will not change is us, human beings, more I try to understand human nature and kinds, I get confused and re-start my learning and my yearning will never end. It was the 40th year of my acquaintance to this abode, and I bumped into my destiny who was drapped into an EE (Eternal Emancipation). I still haven’t found the actual purpose of myself reaching out to such heights as described in “Sufi” terms as ‘Irfan”. I have to reach to some unknown destination for unknown purpose, or maybe my role is also be a medium for someone else, maybe more than that. I accidently bumbed into a thought which became reality and I called her modesty, whereas she turned out to be a destiny instead. I didn’t know about "irfan state", she told me, dragged and  left me at the entrance, she knew all about my lifelong work, which I had labeled as Sixth Element, I wanted to share a paragragh but I ended up sharing entire manuscript and I realized tha she was sixth element, herself.  She was discovered as a medium of interface between me, my destiny and emancipation, before I could wake up to myself, she had left the building. She didn’t leave from me, she somehow made me what she was, and I became her. She was an angel but seemless soul, now she lives in me in the form of formless form. She got me into Raja Gidth, which I read it after 20 years and I was lost in transition, still wandering between two pendolums of the world (mine which is this world) and hers (which is other). I have no regrets at but so many sweet sentiments to share and to create eternal awakening. I shall do that. I need to find something, or someone which I don’t know myself. Maybe another Gidh, another “Lahasil”.Yes, I have to reach out to attain something which I dont know myself. My roll is lot bigger than I might have imagined.



Zindagi hay ya toofaan, ham tou is jeesnay kay hatho’n mar chalay


 But such is life and such are we humans, twisted yet elegantly hiding. It might be nostalgic to go back in time and be old fashioned for a change. I am a strong promoter of Urdu. So let’s for a change talk about something which may be “un cool” for most of us, There are so many outstanding masterpieces written by Urdu writers: Ismat Chughtai, Qurattulain Haider (Anny), Saadat Hassan Manto, Patras Bhukhari, Imtiaz Ali Taj, Abul Kalam Azad, Deputy Nazeer Ahmed, Amarta Pratem, Krishan Chandar, Rajindr Singh Bedi, Fatima Suriya Bajia, Munshi Prem Chand, Ashfaq Ahmed and Bano Qudsia, Qudratullah Shahab, Ahmed Nadeem Qasmi, Noon Meem Rashid, Mushtaq Ahmed Yousufi, Ibn-e- Safi, along with other legends. I purposely highlighted these names so that whoever is reading this post and probably wearing out by now, but might at least remember these names which would also serve my purpose of writing them. Somehow I feel Urdu is utterly Romantic language and it is sweetest medium one could express, romance of Urdu is commendable and ultimate. I feel Urdu writers made odd things romantic, just by simple words and fine tuning of expressions; things like eating, waiting, remorse, pain, sickness and all so many other daily life things (Urdu may lafzo’n ki chashni ki jo meethass hay us ka koi sanni nahi). Loving or liking Urdu is simply Romantic: Just this one line says, what I am trying to say:

“Wo baydardi say sir kata’yn……….. Ameer or may kha’ho’n unsay, Huzurr: Aahista aahista, Janab: Aahista Aashista”………………………………………Ameer Minai. (usage of Huzurr and Janab, speak volumes about the intricacy of Urdu)


 
This book (Raja Gidh) or concept might be contentious but I still feel it is worth reading for. Few more stories that I shall be talking about in my future posts are more controversial but very thought provoking, for example: Lihaaf by Ismat Chughtai and Thanda Ghosht by Saadat Hassan Manto  (short stories), for which both writers faced prosecution because of their progressive and liberal approach. When we can read and appreciate the thoughts and works of Angrezi writers like Paulo Coelho, than why not some Urdu thinkers and writers as well (and I bet we feel so cool to quote and read him). A dearest friend of mine asked me when the last time I read Raja Gidh, I had to sadly say long time and she said, read it again, so I complied. I felt that whenever you read books like Raja Gidh (whatever age or time in life), every time it will shake you and give you a different message and a thought, even reading it recently, I kept going back and forth to understand things, smiling to realize elements which I could have never understood, twenty years ago. Today, Raja Gidh gave me different dimension of my existence and enlightened me inside out.  I got so much hooked up to it that I highlighted almost the entire book and it is literally multi colored with highlighters. I decided to share and write a bit about it to pay tribute to this wonderful book. We should always remember our lost glories, learn from them and create awareness about the richness of Urdu Prose and Poetry, which has tremendous messages and concepts for readers and thinkers and our future generation. All of my fellow age group members and young guns (newer lot) must read and understand these amazing jewels. Novel is called Raja Gidh written by Bano Qudsia, in 1981. Name, of the author and the book seems so out dated and most of us wouldn’t even know her work (besides old PTV dramas) but let me assure you, this is one spectacular novel with so many notions we can relate to, whatever is happening in our society today. In this day and age when rapid advancements are being made in the field of Human Genetics, and considering what we now know of the impact of hereditary genes in molding the recipient's personality. It is quite amazing to learn that author had already tackled sensitive issues like, unrequited love, sex, yoga, kundalini, tantra, women, men, depression, fear and loneliness, theories behind human nature and traits, how and why it erupts in a person like you and me. There are so many aspects of life are addressed and reasoned in such an intricate manner, way back in 1981.



In Raja Gidh, Bano Qudsia, puts forth her theory of hereditary genes through a fictional tale. She manages to convince the reader that money/fortune/fame/education earned through illegal or falsehood affects a person's personality (for the worse), and that part of this personality then gets transferred via hereditary genes to the next generation. Out of all her novels, none has received as much recognition as Raja Gidh which centers around the forbidden truth. The plot builds around the symbol of a vulture, a bird of prey that feeds on dead flesh and carcasses. On various occasions Gidh is mentioned in relation of mankind or even better than that. The moral thought implies that indulgence in the forbidden leads to physical and mental degeneration. This is creative writing at its best. It is one of the most widely read and acclaimed Gidh is the Urdu word for a Vulture and Raja is a Hindi synonym for king. The name anticipates the kingdom of vultures. In fact, parallel to the main plot of the novel, an allegorical story of such a kingdom is narrated. Wrapping her theory around a novel makes it all the more interesting for the reader. As she's done in her other novels before this one, her way of telling the story ensures that the reader remains hooked to the book.
Bano Qudsia has written this novel drawing on the religious concept of Haraam and Halaal. Many readers tend to interpret Raja Gidh as a sermon, in which Bano Qudsia puts forth her theory of hereditary transmission of Haraam genes. Naturally the plot is woven to support the thesis. In the opinion of many readers and critics she manages to convince them that the pursuance of Haraam, be it Financial, Sexual, Moral or Emotional, results in the deterioration of a person's normality in some sense. She seems to suggest that the abnormality is transferred genetically to the next generation. Apart from the above implication the novel has many social, emotional and psychological aspects. The nostalgic narration of the historical Government College Lahore and of the Lawrence Garden Lahore lights upon the days of seventies and eighties when things were simple and radicalism in our society was distinct. Today, I feel I am from the Gidh Jaati and I am one of the Gidh of my own kind, I try to find Simmi Shah, Qayuum and professor sahib in myself, I am in everyone, everywhere. This book has given me a terrible new dimension to carry forward for which I shall meet someone soon who is going to assist me and be the partner in my crime. I am looking into hollow spaces for the wavelength that she shall emit, and it will be instant like a red color and I shall call the concept a lucid dream with no strings attached.

“This novel explains the wars we all fight everyday every moment and the search that takes us from place to place... but the human element, the story like one that unfolds around you... real believable characters that we see walking around us, we read about them in newspapers yet no one gets their complete story... I will not lie the first time I read it I was so confused for days I couldn't comprehend anything but then suddenly, just like that all pieces came together it’s a story of life all around us, the great drama unfolding around us, it’s just a journey of the mind, body and soul and some moments they run in different directions and for moments they just come together... but it completes the story that you read in the newspapers and guess why and how it happened and it doesn’t stop there it explores further... way further and I just am lost for words”.




Synopsis:



Raja Gidh, a phenomenal and classical novel written by Bano Qudsia. This novel not only delineate the long-term effects of “Rizq-e-Haraam” on the lives of human beings ,but helps in revealing some of the main reasons for dissatisfied and catastrophic life.
The characters in Raja Gidh are everyday characters (basically it’s us). It has me, and you and all of us in some ways. The writer compares the ‘human nature’ with ‘Gidh’ (scavenger) and tries to convince the reader that humans are just like Gidhs (even worst then them). If a Gidh eat meat of only dead animal so are humans, who always like to take advantages of weak /disturb and emotionally dead people. In trying to gain what is beyond his/her destination he often choose the forbidden path which leads him to earn Rizq-e-haraam. The writer comprehensively explains the adverse effects of Rizq-e-haraam on human’s genes mutation process. It could lead to insanity and abnormality which is then genetically transferred to next generations.
The second point which is strongly highlighted though out the novel is the concept of “Ishq–e-Lahasil” {Unrequited Love} {love with no destination}. Now this may seem to be a rotten word, or a concept which is discussed by so many writers, poets and thinkers BUT not really, not in the sense in which this book has re-itrrated it. I have come to my own conclusion of life, is the fact that there is no such thing is True Romance without "ishq lahasil'................keep thinking about this because this is a very intense statement. Love for forbidden desires always leads a person in earning rizq-e-haraam which in turn destroys one’s life and at the end the person is left alone with nothing except his discontented life. In this novel character Seemi Shah hailing from upper middle class educated family residing Gulberg, Lahore, and falls in love with her handsome class fellow Aftab in the MA Sociology class at Government College, Lahore. Seemi is a modern and attractive urban girl and attracts most of her male class fellows, including the narrator Qayyum and also the young liberal professor Sohail Aftab belongs to a Kashmiri business family. So basically she had entangled herself in the vicious triangle of three men occupying each corners and she remained in the middle. Though Aftaab loved her but he could not rise above his family values and succumbs to his parent’s pressure to marry someone else against his wishes and leave for London to look after his family business. Now the long story of separation begins. Qayyum, a middle class member of society falls in loves with Seemi Shah, liberal and beautiful women who had a prior and true love for her other class fellow. Due to the circumstances Seemi was unable to marry her beloved and this made her emotionally upset and weak. During this time of depression and loneliness Qayyum takes physical advantage of Seemi Shah but as always remains unsuccessful in emotionally molding her love feeling towards him. This was Ishq-e- lahasil [unrequited love] of Qayyum. He ran after someone who was never meant for him and his desire lead him towards the wrong path and he kept moving in the wrong direction and at the end was left alone with nothing but regret and dissatisfaction. There are so many interesting and mind blowing lines in this novel, I am just sharing these few lines which will give you its flavor:


Urdu Excerpts:
“Describing one October day” (autumn day)“Jiss tarah bhatti say nikal ker makai kay danay safaid phoolay hoay baray or thanday nazar atay hae’n, aisay hi aktober ka yeh din tha”



Why do we go crazy:” “Manay yah na manay koi………asal pagal pan ki sirf aik waja hay………sirf aik waja hay, Ishq laa hassil…………….ishq laa haasil…………..ishq laa haasil……..” (Things, love, money, fame, fortune that we cannot get or didn’t get)

“Men’s thinking” “Shayad her mard kay andar yeh arzu hoti hay kay wo aurot ko iski patri say utaray or apnay rastay per lay ker chalay”

Women: “Aurat kay shar say bacho” jesay heera heeray ko kat’ta hay wesay hi Aurat, Aurat ko katti hay”
As someone else stated a very profound concept almost based on same lines: “
“Jesay Paisa, paisay ko khencta hay, wesay hi Aurat, aurat ko khinchtie hay”

“Human and Madness” “aaj tak insaano ki tarahh koi janwar paghal nahi howa”
“Gidh saying this: “agar mukamal torr per insaano ki sohbaat rahi tou phir……….ham bhi gunha ghaar thera’ye jaye gay, kyon kay yeh insaano say or bhet si baeddi sekh lai’n gay, masllan bughaz or hasaad”.



Human and his faithfulness: “Inssan ka kya hay jab dhoodh denay walay janwar ka kaam nikal jata hay tou wo ussay bhi qasai kay howalay kr deta hay”


“Mad rush of humankind towards greener pastures” “Insaan laahasil kay peehchay bhaag ker kitni lazzat hassil kerta hay”


What are we after” “Insaan ki sab say bari dorr jinsi hay” (race for sex, we are all after sex)  or taqqat bhi jinsi hay jiss say wo her cheez hassil ker sakta hay or kho bhi sakta hay”

 

دیوانہ پن بھی دو طور کا ہے ایک پاگل پن کی وہ قسم ہے جس سے روح، قلب دماغ سب کمزور ہوتے ہیں ، دوسرا دیوانہ پن وہ
ہے جس سے روح میں توانائی آتی ہے وہ ایک ہی جست میں کئی کئی منزلیں پار کرتی ہے
کیا انسان پیدائش کے لمحے سے لے کر موت کی گھڑی تک صرف اسی کوشش میں رہتا ہے کہ وہ کسی طرح اس محسن کو پہچان سکے جو اسے زندگی کے تمام احسانات سے نجات دلا سکتا ہے۔ ۔ ۔؟کبھی کبھی اچانک کسی کے چہرے پر خاموشی اور غم کی دبیز لہریں چھا جاتی ہیں کیا اس لمحے اسے مراجعت کی فکر ہوتی ہے؟ کیا موت کا مہربان سایہ اس پر پڑتا ہے؟ کبھی کبھی بھری محفلوں میں شام کے وقت سب خاموش ہو جاتے ہیں کیونکہ موت کا فرشتہ ادھر سے گزرتا ہے۔ ۔ ۔ اور سب کی سائیکی جانتی ہے کہ انسان موت کے بغیر کبھی مکمل طور پر آزاد نہیں ہو سکتا۔
روح کو محبت صرف اس وقت ہوتی ہے جب انسانوں کی نفسیات ایک دوسرے کی تلاش میں نکلتی ہے۔
ایسی صورت میں نہ وصل میں بوریت ہوتی ہے، نہ ہجر میں اشتیاق۔
ہی سزا نہیں بھگت سکتا، یا ایک ہی خوشی کے سہارے زندہ نہیں رہ سکتا۔ پھانسی کے تختے سے اتر کر بجلی کی کرسی پر بیٹھنا، بجلی کی کرسی سے اٹھ کر صلیب پر چڑھنا، تہہ آب ہونا اور نہ مرنا۔ پانی کی گہرائیوں سے نکل کر سرِ کوہسارے سے چھلانگ لگانا۔ ۔ ۔ ہم سب ایک کرب سے نکل کر دوسری تکلیف کے حوالے ہونا چاہتے ہیں، ایک خوشی سے منہ موڑ کر دوسری خوشی میں ڈوبنا چاہتے ہیں۔ یہ انسان کےلیے اتنا ہی نیچرل ہے جیسے وہ ایک ٹانگ پر ہمیشہ کے لیے کھڑا نہ رہ سکے۔
نفرت کا سیدھا سادا شیطانی روپ ھے۔ محبت سفید لباس میں ملبوس عمرو عیار ھے. ہمیشہ دو راہوں پر لا کھڑا کر دیتی ھے۔ اس کی راہ پر ہر جگہ راستہ دکھانے کو صلیب کا نشان گڑا ہوتا ھے. محبتی جھمیلوں میں کبھی فیصلہ کن سزا نہیں ہوتی
ہمیشہ عمر قید ہوتی ھے
محبت چھلاوہ ہے لاکھ روپ بدلتی ہے۔۔۔ اسی لیے، لاکھ چاہو ایک آدمی آپ کی تمام ضروریات کو پورا کردے، یہ ممکن نہیں۔۔۔ اور بالفرض کوئی آپ کی ہر سمت ہر جہت کے خلاء کو پورا بھی کر دے تو اس بات کی کیا گارنٹی ہے کہ آپ بھی اس کی ہر ضرورت کو ہر جگہ ہر موسم میں اور ہر عہد میں پورا کر سکیں گے؟
انسان جامد نہیں ہے، بڑھنے والا ہے اوپر، دائیں، بائیں۔۔۔ اس کی ضروریات کو تم پابند نہیں کر سکتے۔۔۔ لیکن سیمی بڑی ضدی ہے، بہت زیادہ۔۔۔ وہ محبت کو کسی جامد لمحے میں بند کرنا چاہتی ہے۔
ہر انسان کے اندر ایک چھوٹا سا رب چھپا ہوا ہے، جو چاہتا ہے کہ زندگی میں اسے ایک سچا پجاری، ایک صادق عبد اور ایک سر ہتھیلی پر رکھنے والا سچا عاشق مل جائے۔
بات یہ ہے سر جی کہ جب محبت مل رہی ہوتی ہے تو سمجھ نہیں آتی کہ کبھی محبت دینی بھی پڑے گی"۔ (بانو قدسیہ کے ناول سے
اصلی حق کا تصور اب انسان کے پاس نہیں رہا، کچھ مانگنا ہے تو اصلی حق مانگو۔۔۔ جب محبت ملے گی تو پھر سب حق خوشی سے ادا ہونگے، محبت کے بغیر ہر حق ایسے ملے گا جیسے مرنے کے بعد کفن ملتا ہے۔
انسان کو دنیا میں ایک سب سے بڑی پریشانی ھے۔۔۔ وہ پائیدار ھونا چاھتا ھے اور موت کے ھوتے ھوئے وہ کبھی مستقل نھیں ہو سکتا انسان کی ہر پریشانی کا تجزیہ کرو، اصل میں پریشانی موت سے پیدا ھوتی ھے۔۔۔ آرزو کی موت، راحت و خوشی کی مرگ۔ دیکھو تو آدمی ھر وقت مرتا رھتا ھے، بدن کی موت تو آخری فل سٹاپ ھے، موت کی جھلکیاں، چھوٹی موٹی ملاقات تو
مغرب کے پاس حلال اور حرام کا تصور نہیں ہے اور میری تھیوری ہے کہ جس وقت حرام رزق جسم میں داخل ہوتا ہے وہ انسانی genes کو متاثر کرتا ہے۔ رزق حرام سے ایک خاص قسم کی mutation ہوتی ہے جو خطرناک ادویات، شراب اور radiation سے بھی زیادہ مہلک ہے۔ رزق حرام سے جو genes تغیر پذیر ہوتے ہیں وہ لولے لنگڑے اور اندھے ہی نہیں ہوتے بلکہ ناامید بھی ہوتے ہیں۔ نسل انسانی سے یہ جب نسل در نسل ہم میں سفر کرتے ہیں تو ان genes کے اندر ایسی ذہنی پراگندگی پیدا ہوتی ہے جس کو ہم پاگل پن کہتے ہیں۔ یقین کرلو رزق حرام سے ہی ہماری آنے والی نسلوں کو پاگل پن وراثت میں ملتا ہے۔ اور جن
قوموں میں من حیث القوم رزق حرام کھانے کا لپکا پڑ جاتا ہے، وہ من حیث القوم دیوانی ہونے لگتی ہیں۔
انسان ساری عمرآزادی کی خواہش میں بھٹکتا رھتا ھے چونکہ مشیت آزادی کی خواہاں
نہیں اس لیے اس نے روح کو جسم میں قید رکھا ھے،جب بھی روح مکمل طور پر آزاد ھونا چاہتی ھے تو جسم اس کی اڑانوں کو سست کرتا ھے۔جب جسم آزادی چاھتا ھے تو روح جسم کے اندراحساس گناہ،خداکےخوف کے جال ڈال کر جسم کو قید کر لیتی ھے۔اصل میں انسان پیدئشی طور پر قید ھے اور اس قید سے رھائی کے لیے دیوانہ وار بھاگتارھتاھے
میں جانتا ہوں کہ صرف انسان ساکت ہے کائنات کی باقی تمام اشیا متحرک ہیں کیونکہ انسان مطلوب ہے اور باقی ہر شے طالب ۔ ۔ ۔ افسوس انسان نے اپنے آپ کو مطلوب کی جگہ سے ہٹا کر طالب بنا لیا ہے اسی لیے گردش میں ہے ورنہ وہ اس قدر دیوانے پن کا شکار نہ ہوتا اور اب تک اللہ کی رضا کو پا لیتا۔
کچھ لمحے بڑے فیصلہ کن ہوتے ہیں۔ اس وقت یہ طے ہوتا ہے کہ کون کس شخص کا سیارہ بنایا جائے گا۔ جس طرح کسی خاص درجہ حرارت پر پہنچ کر ٹھوس مائع اور مائع گیس میں بدل جاتا ہے‘ اسی طرح کوئی خاص گھڑی بڑی نتیجہ خیز ثابت ہوتی ہے، اس وقت ایک قلب کی سوئیاں کسی دوسرے قلب کے تابع کر دی جاتی ہیں۔ پھر جو وقت پہلے قلب میں رہتا ہے وہی وقت دوسرے قلب کی گھڑی بتاتی ہے‘ جو موسم‘ جو رُت‘ جو پہلے دن میں طلوع ہوتا ہے وہی دوسرے آئینے منعکس ہو جاتا ہے۔ دوسرے قلب کی اپنی زندگی ساکت ہو جاتی ہے۔ اس کے بعد اس میں صرف بازگشت کی آواز آتی ہے۔
انسان کو خالق نے اس طور پر بنایا ہے کہ اسکا وجود تو ایک ہے لیکن اسکی سائیکی ،سرشت،عقل،قلب جانے کیا کیا کچھ کئی رنگ کے ہیں۔وہ کسی کے ساتھ شیر ہے کسی کے ساتھ بکری،کسی کے ساتھ سانپ بن کر رہتا ہے تو کسی کے لیئے کینچوے سے بد تر ہے۔بدی اور نیکی روز ِ اول سے اسکے اندر دو پانیوں کی طرح رہتی ہیں،ساتھ ساتھ،ملی جُلی علیحدہ علیحدہ
جیسے دل کے تیسرے خانے میں گندہ اور صاف خون ساتھ ساتھ چلتا ہے۔۔۔وہ ہمیشہ ڈھلتا ہے ،ہمیشہ بدلتا ہے،کہیں قیام نہیں،کہیں قرار نہیں۔۔۔وہ ایک زندگی میں ایک وجود میں ایک عمر میں لاتعداد روحیں ان گنت تجربات اور بے حساب نشو نما کا حامل ہوتا ہے،اس لیئے افراد مرتے ہیں انسان مسلسل رہتا ہے۔۔۔۔ہم اس تہہ در تہہ کو نہیں سمجھ سکتے،ہمیں انسان کی پرت کھولنے سے کچھ حاصل نہیں ہوگا۔۔۔وہ رزق حرام سے دیوانہ ہو کہ تضاد سے،عشق لاحاصل سے کہ تلاش بے سُود سے،ہم جسکی سرشت کو نہیں سمجھ سکتے اسکی دیوانگی کا بھید ہم پر کیا کھُلے

English Excerpts


Birds while discussing the human madness, they called up a conference and this is what some bird said : "Why have you called such a huge conference?” asked the Simurgh. An aggressive Kite left her group and moved briskly forward to answer the question. “Master, we have a serious and complex problem. As you might have noticed, the human of today has become civilized for the first time. He has, with his inventive knowledge, travelled to Mars and Jupiter, but there is also something in human instinct that is a cause of his destruction—madness. It is because of this
madness that he has created weapons that can destroy the earth in minutes along with all who live on this sphere. O King of the Birds, we have noticed that some of the birds are also becoming subjects of this madness. We fear that their madness, well, could ultimately become destruction of the world of birds.”


Mynah flapped her wings to gain everybody’s attention, and said: “The first human madness happened when Cain killed Able. The crow saw human helplessness and alighted from the skies to teach Cain how to hide the body of his brother. Look at human pettiness, for they, instead of thanking the crow for his kindness,
denigrated him and have always tried to enslave the birds with their intelligence.
And when people of Cain feasted, they slaughtered wild animals, eating the meat themselves and throwing the bones everywhere. The dogs and cats, seeing this plenty, left their clans and settled in human habitations; they ate their fill and buried the rest in the sand, became victims of greed. This is a long story, Master, very long. . . humans might be the Best-of-all-the-Beings, but we cannot trust them; their company has never been beneficial for birds and animals.
The parrot, being mynah’s rival, interrupted and said: “If human company causes madness, and engenders envy, jealousy, and greed, then how come the donkey isn’t so, even though he is mans’ oldest companion?”
Mynah objected, “Tell me, how the humans have treated the donkey for all his loyalty, and kind-heartedness? How much is he burdened by the humans, and whenever they need to label someone foolish, they call him a donkey. The humans, when they cannot profit from the milk-giving animals, sell them to the butcher.
Let’s not talk about humans, friends, or this discussion will be endless.”



Upon this the Najdi bulbul spoke, “Friends, I am an inhabitant of deserts, my throat is imbued with the songs of the caravans, and my chest is crimson with the blood of human love. I have witnessed humans for centuries, and I can tell you that the cause of Vulture’s madness can be traced to human insanity. Human madness resides in energy, which if stemmed can shatter the self to pieces.”


The fluorescent light flickered thrice, and the Simurg asked: “Raja Gidh, what say you? Do you admit that you are unlike other birds? Do you suffer from fits of humanly kind of madness?”
Raja Gidh alighted from the tree branches and ambled forward to speak:
“Yes, Master. On the moonlit nights, I fall off tall, canopied trees. I lose self control and sort of become like human.
I do not recognize my own kin. Then I wander on paths that lead nowhere.”
“Why are you compelled to act like this? No other bird suffers from such insanity"?
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“Madness is caused by unfulfilled desires, sir,” he said. “These desires,” he continued “are caused by the social taboos present in every culture. In the cultures where one can’t marry one’s cousins, the unrequited love of one’s cousin becomes the cause of insanity.”
“Thank you for borrowing from Freud,” Seemi slashed at him in her scissor- like English.
“Madam, I have not borrowed this from the Repression Theory; I am speaking of Mir Taqi Mir’s madness, Farhad’s madness. Professor Sohail exposed us to one aspect of madness: suicide and death. I am speaking of the other side of lunacy; the kind of madness that is divine, sacred; the kind of madness that drives one to conquer Mount Everest, or dig a canal of milk”.

Interesting thoughts? Mind boggling indeed, I still wonder who was she and and why Raja Gidh is so interesting and comprehensive in terms of explaination of human nature , life and various aspects which makes us live or die……………….. This novel strongly reflects on the negative points of our society today. If only we can understand the concept and adverse effects of Rizq-e-haram and learn to strongly believe in destiny and the fate decided by our own deeds, we are likely to prosper as a good human being and a perfect member of society. Now, it is up to the readers to find the Gidh (Vulture) in this book, as to which character they think is really a Gidh. I strongly recommend this novel to all for reading and understanding. My heartiest appreciation and thanks to Bano Qudsia for such a great contribution to Urdu literature. Let us for a change look into the hidden depth of Urdu and appreciate the forbidden Romance. Let us go back to the forgotten future & “chalo muskeratay howay Urdu kay Rumanwi safar pay aaj chala’yn.



Chalo dildar chaplain, chaand kay paar chaplain, ham hein tayyar chalo…………

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Do take time out and read it, in case you can’t find it, write me, I will send you a copy or manuscript. I fail to understand people who can’t relate to book and the concept, for me, everything and everyone is Raja Gidh, specially my own self. I can simply read and read and read this book, so far I have read thousands of times, few lines, same lines, I don’t know why and to get where I had to get. Now I am lost, wandering, searching for unknown deity & destination. Music is never over.
Ulfat ka SSafar is yet to start. Some how Raja Gidh has redefined and re directed my life.
Show must go on.I shall reach where I belong.