Love Across The Salt Desert

Q1. How do Najab and Fatima prove the success of love across the
salt desert?
"The Rann of Kutch is a vast, lonely desert, almost impossible to
cross, yet some people do cross it for reasons of their own." Yes,
Najab Hussain wanted to be with someone he loved and mentally he
had already reached his destination uniting him with 'hoor-eyed'
Fatima, the daughter of the spice-seller much before he could
physically meet her overcoming every fatal impediment across the
salt desert.
Najab crossed the border to reach Pakistan and met Fatima there.
Though it was not that easy for Najab to fight shy of Zaman, the
cross-border trafficker, and the strict in vigilance of Indus Ranger,
yet gathering all strength of mind Najab did it. His life was at stake,
but he did not bother. The sand storm could not keep him away
from being flooded with exuberant feelings of love.

Q2. In which area does the salt desert on the sub-continent lie?
The Thar Desert, also known as the Great Indian Desert, is a large arid
region in the northwestern part of the Indian subcontinent that covers
an area of 200,000 km2 (77,000 sq. mi) and forms a natural boundary
between India and Pakistan. It is the world's 17th largest desert, and
the world's 9th largest subtropical desert.

Q3. What does an Indian smuggler carry to Pakistan?

 They used to smuggle things from India to Pakistan. They would
take tendu leaf and sell them across the border.

Q4 Which Bollywood film is inspired by Keki Daruwalla's famous

story?
J. P. Dutta's Bollywood film Refugee is attributed to have been
inspired by the story of Keki N. Daruwalla based around the Great
Rann of Kutch titled "Love Across the Salt Desert" 

Q5 Write a summary of the story.

The story bears its title not only because of the fact that sole and
main avenue of the entire dramatic action is the Thar or Kutch
desert, known for its salt lagoon, but also for other reasons like its
being the hottest desert in the subcontinent and as such not so easy
to cross unaided, its being devoid of water bodies; it’s being
cheered by mirages and also because of its being guarded by Pak
rangers on one side and BSF personnel from their watchtowers from
the other side. Needless to mention that “Salt” is a symbol standing
for a harsh.

Najab, a reticent and diffident budding youth from Khavda, Rann of

Kutch is captivated by the peerless and bewitching beauty of Fatima
( a clove seller’s daughter from Sindh, the Pakistani side of desert
referred to as “Hoor” and elopes with Najab. None of the lovers
spare even a moment’s thought to petty considerations like
Nationality, linguistic barrier, Parental permission, etc. They are not
even deterred by the danger of crossing the inhospitable and
dangerous desert unaided illegally.

To start with, Najab is introduced as a diffident, strangely

introverted youth with dreamy eyes notorious for blushing even at
the mere mention of a girl. Despite his being only 20 years of age,
he had trudged across the desert with his father Aftab—a smuggler
— four times and knew everything about the desert and was
confident enough of crossing the desert alone if so needed.

Fatima- a paragon of beauty, the daughter of Pakistani clove seller,

a witty old smuggler – being under pressure of marrying Mahfouz
Ali – a far off relative with extremely slurred speech, was taken by
innocent and all smiling face of the young Najab who had come to
stay at her house during his fourth illegal trip across the desert.
Having failed to elicit even a word from Najab in the morning, she
did receive a positive response from him in the evening thus brings
about a sea change in his personality.

Najab, after falling in love with Fatima, turned out to be a “Dare

Devil” as for his return to Khavda, he shipped away alone with his
camel Allahrakha determining to bring back Fatima as his mother’s
daughter-in-law. He braved all the perils and dangers during his
desert odyssey. His daring was crowned with success when he
finally stepped on to the Khavdan soil with Fatima bringing in
torrential rains which ended three years of death-dealing drought
and thus bringing relief and new lease of life to Khavdans’ who in
return welcomed Fatima with open arms as a bringer of joy to them.