Fashioned from a common clay

Like an artfully executed miniature painting, Musharraf Ali Farooqi’s new novel Between Clay and Dust is about a culture that is no longer there and two people dealing with its aftermath. The lead characters, Ustad Ramzi and Gohar Jan, are remnants of a bygone era. Ramzi is the leader of a pehelwan clan and the custodian of a wrestler’s akhara and Gohar Jan is a tawaif (a courtesan).

Once a fighter known for both his skill and strength, Ramzi is struggling to defend his clan’s honour against an onslaught of new money, corrupt promoters of the sport and the silent rebellion of a younger brother.

Gohar Jan, a talented artiste and a fiercely independent woman, comes across as a majestic mistress of a clan that is not dissimilar from Ramzi's men of muscle and rigour. Her tragedy lies in a reluctant acceptance of fall from fame and fortune and a delicate friendship with Ramzi, the only man, albeit celibate, who has appreciated her art. The Ustad-e-Zaman, or the retainer of the ultimate title of the champion, is as lonely and proud as the fallen courtesan.

The counterpoint of akhara and kotha, as parallel arenas of public performance, are resonant with allegorical references to change and decay. The novel is mostly based on narrative, reminding one of dastangoi, the Urdu art of storytelling. This is not surprising for an author among whose many accomplishments is translation of Urdu epics such as The Adventures of Amir Hamza and Hoshruba. The idea is to keep the story flowing. In his swift-flowing narrative, gestures, nuances and suggestions take precedence over dialogue and dramatic action. The protagonists, although often in proximity, barely exchange a few words.

Though the story is set in an age today’s generation might find it difficult to relate with, it connects every aspect of life and transcends context. It’s about uncertain, unfulfilled relationships and lives where what is not said and not done is as important, if not more, than what has been said and done. The tone of the novel is reminiscent of folklore stylistics. With this particular narrative, Between Clay and Dust retains a constant sense of a quiet unfamiliarity, never burdened with turgid prose even when there is high emotional drama involved.