‘Sparrows’ is a brilliant short story from one-India era. It is written by a great film-maker and writer, K. A. Abbas. Once, the story ‘Sparrows’ was conscripted in the world’s best stories along with ‘The Lost Child’ (Written by Mulk Raj Anand).
K. A. Abbas was master at writing short stories, presumably influenced by O. Henry. However his writings presented a different picture of India. Humanity being one of the main themes in his writings, like Mulk Raj Anand. They both were the contemporary writers of that India when the cinema was black and white. Reading K.A. Abbas is all about knowing the old culture of India.
A bit about Sparrows
Rahim Khan, the protagonist, is a stolid figure, almost devoid of emotions. He lives alone and the whole village is fearful of him, because he brutally beats children and men on slightest pretexts. With time, he has grown so obtrusive and rough that humanism has left him. But why did he turn like this?
Once in the magnificence of his youth days there was no one who could compete with him in wrestling and other sports. It's his deepest desire to join Circus folk; as well he fell in love with Radha, a Hindu girl. He being very true to his soul wanted to marry her, but the social and religious barriers ended his love affair. Since then Rahim Khan turned against his society to where he's very much part of it.
At his parents’ behest he marries a Muslim girl. Soon, a drastic but dark change takes over him, so he tortures his wife to such a degree that she runs away, so his sons. One rainy evening, he discovers a nest of young sparrows, at first, he wants to destroy it, but traces of hidden humanism stops him and he feels captivated by them. Being in acute solitude and loneliness he likes their chirping. One rainy evening, he feels the privation of the drenching sparrows and then like their savior he repairs the nest while allowing himself being drenched in the rain for long hours. Next day, Rahim Khan dies of fever. Though Rahim Khan's fear to the villagers was true, but it was his humanity that saved the lives of sparrows at the cost of his own life.
No comments:
Post a Comment