Title: Qatar
Author: K.R Meera
Translator: Nisha Susan
Genre: Literary Fiction ; Magical Realism
Pages: 120
BACKSTORY ON PICKING UP THIS BOOK
I panic-purchased Qabar and many other books by Westland Publisher and their imprints when Amazon decided to shut down Westland Publisher and was going to scrap down all their existing books. This was a heartbreaking moment in the literary world. I’m glad Westland has tied up with Pratilipi and they still continue to publish books. So yeah, this book was sitting in my bookshelf from early 2022. Finally, in the end of 2023 I picked up the book majorly because of the size of the book which helped me boost my reading list for that year.
REVIEW
This book has a powerful blurb and I was instantly captured with the premises of the plot. As the foundation of Ram Mandir is set in the land of Babri Masjid in the Ayodhya, the protagonist, Bhavana, an Additional District Judge who presides over an ancestral property dispute case between a rich petitioner Kaakkasseri Khayaluddin Thangal and a Hindu trust to whom his ancestral property was sold to. The petitioner seeks the justices of court when his ancestral Qabar (grave) is being destroyed by the trust to make way for new construction. The author meticulously draws parallels between the Babri Masjid case and Kaakkasseri Khayaluddin Thangal case.
The best thing about regional language books that are based in the interiors of southern parts of India, is they mostly speaks about folklore and legends which has been passed on generations after generations. Nobody knows the authenticity of these stories but these stories keeps everyone grounded to their roots. When Khayaluddin Thangal seeks the court stating his ancestral Qabar has to be saved, judge Bhavana ask for proofs for the existence of this Qabar in the first place as any law system would ask for. Sometimes, not everything that is proven reflects the truth, and not everything lacking sufficient evidence is necessarily false. At times, the search for these unprovable proofs can lead to late justice or no justice.
Bhavana, a young single mother of an ADHD child has her own hardships to be endured. She is a divorcee whom her husband left behind because of the condition of their child. One of the reasons for her decision to become a judge is because the employee benefits that will come along with the job, she has her own quarters, servants who can stay with her child for 24/7 and take care of him. The love and affection she showers her son Advaith with is extremely heartwarming an emotional to read. The author has also deep-dived into the adversities of raising a child with special needs.
Bhavana strives to be the best judge she can be, carefully weighing the situation and the case with a discerning eye but Khayaluddin Thangal, an illusionist, magician and Djinn worshipper makes it complicated for her. He makes use of his power to turn the tables in his favour, this one case flips Bhavana‘s neatly organised life upside down. Bhavana can feel the power Khayaluddin Thangal possess and she is afraid that his power might tamper her judgement at the same time filled with curiosity and desire to know more about this attractive and neatly dressed man who has Sean Connery’s body and Kamal Haasan’s eyes.
This case not only throws light on Khayaluddin Thangal‘s ancestors but on Bhavana‘s ancestry as well. She starts discovering more about her ancestor Yogishwaran Ammavan about whom she starts getting visions and unworldly experiences. This book also dwells a lot on how these ancestral stories are passed on from one generation to another. How these stories are tweaked for the convenience of the storyteller and listener, misinterpreted like in a game of Chinese whispers, or maybe lost in translation. There are two extremely interesting characters in the book, they are Bhavana’s parents. When Bhavana’s seeks her parent’s help in knowing about Yogishwaran Ammavan and his story, she could vividly see the difference in narrative of both her parents. Her father’s side of the story is censored has a patriarchal touch ups overflowing with every corner of the story whereas her mother’s verison focuses on the patriarchal oppression present in the legend.
I truly admired Bhavana’s mother for the remarkable woman that she is. Separated from her husband to uphold her rights and dignity, she embodies a modern, forward-thinking mindset through her choices. She leaves her husband after he prevents her from caring for an injured dog when she brought the dog home. Instead of giving up she choose to live independently at an old age. In her new home, she adopts many dogs and immerses herself in intellectual books. I deeply respect both Bhavana and her mother for standing up for themselves and making tough decisions which are extremely difficult to make.
When I began this book, I didn’t realize it was a work of magical realism and now I realise this is first magical realism book I have ever read. Initially while starting the book, I found it little challenging to grasp what was happening, but nonetheless I was completely captivated and wanted to see the end of it. Although it’s a short read, it is packed with deep set of emotions, folklore, and societal themes. I was pleasantly surprised by how effectively such vast topics were addressed in such a small book. One of the highlights for me was the way the plot was structured and how the book end. Particularly how the author intertwined the ancestral stories of Bhavana and Khayaluddin Thangal—that was truly mind-boggling. Only a writer like K.R. Meera could craft such an art, and it’s clear why she is a Sahitya Akademi Award-winning author. Nisha Susan‘s translation was exceptional; it felt so seamless that I hardly noticed it was translated at all. The book had such an apt title and cover. I loved it so much.
Overall, without a doubt it was an extraordinary read that truly captivated me. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and found myself racing through its pages. I will wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone who is interested in exploring Indian magical realism, as well as those who are looking for a narrative rich with deep themes and emotional resonance. This book offers a unique blend of folklore and societal reflections that makes it a standout choice for readers seeking something profound and thought-provoking.
My rating for this book would be 4 out of 5 stars.
Happy Reading Folks!
