Ghany: A cathartic sketch of life

One kind of aridity is passing over the present literature; especially in fiction. The
cause behind it is not that the literature is not being produced. Rather the number
of books coming to the readers is much more than the previous time. Now a day
the popular literature is not also less in number. Readers are also rushing to many
of this writings. But the scarcity of good books is not ending. A group of readers
are being attracted with some popular books but vacuum remains same especially
in the context of quality writing. The book that creates a universal appeal with an
artistic and lively presentation of life is rarely found. Now a day a story teller is
telling a story just arranging words after words. Some are writing only for the sake
of writing where art and life is absent. Though art for art sake and art for man sake
both stand is popular in literature but neither art nor life exists in maximum
literature especially in novel. Some are busy to grab readers, someone wishes to
be celebrity, and someone wants cheap popularity. That’s why they never want to
dig the wound of people and time of our society. They just compile words without
synchronic and diachronic study of man and society. As a result story narrated in
fiction takes a lifeless concrete shape which never leads us to think further. A
literature is not only the narration of well and woe of the characters but it is a story
with artistic presentation and with well knit language that touch our inner mind.

In spite of this limitation, with some rare exception, some young writers are seen to
stand boldly against the current of present time. Rabiul Karim Mridul is one of
them whose writing throws a big question among the readers. He never gives any
solution of this question but give a passage to look forward. When present writers
are busy to portray the story of love affair and our decorative life style, Mridul has
focused on the root of life. The subject selection and art of storytelling has made
his novel exception but realistic. He has covered a vast range of life and time that
have given his novel a concrete shape like an ancient banyan tree under which
readers can easily get a longing shelter and soothing feeling in chaotic life. This
novel has surpassed his previous novel Jolpai Ronger Coat where he also portrayed
an outstanding story of life. No doubt this book based on draught of 1974 is totally
exceptional in comparison to any other temporary writings. Even in our fiction this
type of issue is rarely found. Ghany indeed has filled this bareness very
successfully.
The story has been started with a cathartic journey of Hateem Ali and his wife
Husneara during the drought in 1974. Mridul, in the very beginning of the story
has presented such a cruel reality of life that directly pierces the heart of the
readers. A question always overwhelms us. Is it possible? Are our hunger and fate
really so atrocious? Does a wife yield herself to another man at the presence of her
husband? This is the beginning of Ghani which is completely unexpected and
shocking. Bearing his own son on the back Hateem Ali moves impassively just like
an inert man towards the farm house of Moynamondol. His wife Husneara
apparently shy and soft accompanies with him in order to surrender her honor and
shame to Moynamondol. There is no alternative way to survive. Starting of this
novel is so abrupt that, without any preface it will plunge the readers into the
pebble of terrifying famine. Readers are not ready to accept it at all. Really it is
impossible, unbearable and beyond our patience. When the first part of the novel is
busy with the measuring the borderline of our patience, then second part comes
with lucid and soft sounding rhythm of words. He narrated as “The night is being
extended and it is spreading a quilt of darkness over the earth. In the darkness a
half moon is blooming like sun flower. After one or two days the half moon will be
full and decorate herself as youthful girl. This is just like what beauty is outburst
from the teen age girl before the time of stepping into youth. The glow of the moon
is just showering over the night. The fragrance of radiance is being melted with the
breeze and this beam is just falling like dews on the grasses. This fragrant light is
advancing from north to south touching the soft stiff of waves of the river Ghagat.
The whole earth is being devoured with a strange illusion”.

In this part one of the central characters Shahana appears whose blooming time is
grabbed in her juvenile mind in spectacular way. Here Jahir, Monowara Begum,
and mother of Shahana come in light. Now the story is totally opposite than the
previous cathartic story. Life here is very cool. It presents the perpetual love of
man and woman. But 74 again come. Roise enters in new plot. He alone searches
a mad woman named Jahan in a dark night on an marooned station. The cry of
Jahan Pagly spreads over the night breaking all the silence. The story starts from
three different stages but at the end it forwards with two parallel lines. In one side
Shahana and Jahir on the other side homeless Roise. Characters get mature with
the passes of time. In the mean time devastation of 71 spread out in greater
Rangpur area. But life never stops. Story also moves on. Love and sorrow come
simultaneously. This life has been sketched very skillfully .Meanwhile famine
comes as a lofty tongue of a snake. In this stage readers get suffocated with the
hardship of life. Is it the life of human being? What life our previous generation
had past? Father himself offers his own daughter to the landlord only to remove
hunger. Parents keep embracing their dead child without burying so that they can
collect money showing dead body. This type of plot has been portrayed like an
image of famine that covers a wide range of conflict, struggle against hunger and
zeal for survival. He has portrayed every character in such a way that these
characters are nothing but puppet of his hand. But they are live and each of them is
different than other.

The most stunning side of Mridul’s writing is his narrative style and well knit of
language. His use of symbol, simile, metaphor, word selection and creation of
human feelings is really fascinating. Many sub plots have been assimilated
centering the main plot that made his novel spectacular. He has inserted many
characters in his novel that covered a vast canvas of life. Presentation of life and
nature of Rangpur region have been portrayed very lively. Every character and the
use of multi-dimensional language of the local people have boasted up Ghany in an
outstanding height. Mridul could easily present the novel in formal language and
even it was easy for him. But he didn’t do it. Rather he let the characters talk in
dialect of Rangpur as Aktarujjama Eliash let the characters talk in local language
of Bagura in his famous novel Khoabnama.

Though all the characters are portrayed with great care in his novel but Shahana
and his daughter Runu, Jahir, Husneara, Hateem Ali, Monju Sir, Jahan Pagli,
Amni Buri etc are evident specially Hosneara, who in course of time has become
extraordinary from a simple folk. In this context Shahana who came as an
influential figure seems to be faded in second part of the novel. Focus is diverted
from Shahana to Husneara. Indecisiveness of the character Jahir, simplicity of
Hateem Ali, mythical presence of Jahan pagli made the novel exceptional. It will
be unfair if we ignore the character Monju sir. Though he is presented in short but
the readers will keep him in their mind for the way his life is presented in the
novel. It really makes the readers distress.

It can be claimed that Mridul is coming boldly to take his position in contemporary
Bangla literature. The massage of his coming he gave in his first novel Akhane
Akash Nill. His other novel Jolpai Ronger Coat has made this position more
strong. Ghany came this year in Ekushe Book Fair. When most of the
contemporary writers are engaged in writing about love affair, Mridul has chosen
the different context like 74. He felt liability to the history and the day bygone.
Through the novel he has thrown the question in different form to the rules and the
rulers. Undoubtedly, it’s an audacious step in literature. Mridul’s main strength is
his unconventional story and well knit language. Ghany is the document of the
blending of this two.

The cover of this book is designed by Charu Pintu and it is published by Suddho
publication. This book is found in Ekushe Book Fair in stall no 702 and its printed
price is 500.