Khuda Ki Basti By Shaukat Siddiqui Pages: 532

Shaukat Siddiqui’s novel Khuda Ki Basti is regarded as one of the novels that received widespread acclaim in the world of Urdu literature.

The novel was published in 1957, and because of its success, it was awarded the Adamjee Literary Award in 1960. The novel has also been translated into more than 40 languages.

The central theme of the novel is the life of the oppressed and impoverished classes, contrasted with the arbitrary behavior and bullying of the capitalist system. Alongside this, there are romantic episodes that keep the novel from becoming overly heavy.

There is an extraordinary seriousness to this novel. You will rarely find an opportunity to smile while reading it, but your interest will continue to grow rather than diminish.

One of the novel’s most remarkable qualities is how completely the reader becomes absorbed in it. While reading, you become so immersed that it feels as though the events are actually happening to you. At one point, I even skipped through a couple of pages because of the effect the injections were having on Sultana’s mother.

The novel’s writing style is extremely simple and fluent, so there is no difficulty in reading it. The prose flows easily and naturally.

The novel also vividly portrays the living conditions, customs, clothing, and general atmosphere of Karachi. It describes, among other things, the practice of inviting guests into the house rather than having them sit in a separate sitting room, as well as guests becoming overly familiar with the women of the household. The consequences of such practices are also presented by the author within the novel itself.

As for the characters, each one appears to represent and reflect the circumstances in which they live.

The central character, Salman, gives up his love, Sultana, for the sake of the welfare organization Falak Paima, and serves his community by becoming a “Spy Lark.” Sultana is the novel’s principal female character. She is constantly frightened, anxious, and timid.

Bahadur Ali is the shrewd capitalist of the novel, known for his influence and wealth. He manipulates and misleads people under the guise of religion. Ali Ahmed is the president and “Spy Lark” of the welfare organization Falak Paima. He is an intelligent, sensible, and farsighted character who is constantly thinking about the betterment of society.

The author has also demonstrated remarkable skill in describing scenes and settings. His descriptions of hot and cold weather, the movement of the winds, and the surrounding atmosphere create an enchanting experience for the reader.

The novel has also been adapted into a television drama and broadcast twice on PTV, where the drama received tremendous popularity as well. Due to the unavailability of a physical copy of the book, the novel was read on a laptop.