Comfortably Numb

Sheila Kumar's Storehouse

Published on: 02/13/20 7:52 AM

Book review: In Search of Heer by Manjul Bajaj

Having decided on a retelling of the fable of Heer and Ranjha, writer Manjul Bajaj has dipped her pen verily in a lyrical stream.

Lushly packed with evocative descriptions of young men and old, of nubile girls and timorous old women, of men with evil on their mind, a swiftly flowing river, cattle both fine and scrawny, thoroughbred horses, crows, pigeons, camels, the sweetest goat ever, In Search of Heer is an old  love story told afresh variously through the voices of her lover, a sympathetic crow/ pigeon/ goat/camel.

The relationships are exquisitely drawn, be it the combustible passion of the two lovers; Ranjha and his deceptively friendly sister- in- law; Heer and her once loving, now despairing mother; the venal Kaido Langra and the little girls he preys upon; Ranjha and his companion for a time, the goat;  Heer`s sister-in-law Sehti and her secret sweetheart,  Murad.

Stories packed into one story, flowing seamlessly, relentlessly  on. Referencing mainly Waris Shah`s poetic rendition of Heer`s story, Bajaj layers it with contemporary pertinence. Heer is undoubtedly a feminist, a fiery feminist at that. Ranjha is no foolhardy desperate lover here, he`s a sensitive, deeply caring one.

Heer`s paedophile uncle is an unforgettable character in this book; the reader winces and keeps wincing but cannot stop reading about Kaido Langra as he becomes the village`s conscience-keeper in a successful attempt to conceal his dire doings.

Carnal passions, a violent falling in love, a spiritual quest, a woman who knows her mind, men and women forced into marriages of convenience, the tightening of orthodox bands on a hitherto innocent peoples.

This is an absolutely   compelling recount of the tragic romance between Deedho Ranjha and Heer Syal.

book reviewdoomed loversfictionHeer-RanjhaIn Search of HeerManjul Bajaj

Sheila Kumar • February 13, 2020


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