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WRITTEN IN RED INK

 

Crosssword drew me in during my quest for this book. Once Ms Banu Musthaq was all over the press, the world woke up to her tremendous literary contribution. I urgently wanted to get my hands on "Heart Lamp". Our newspapers have perpetually been carrying heart-wrenching accounts of women's plight in India. Irrespective of our background, walk of life, education and financial status, patriarchy spares none. When such a social system is coupled with religious dictations, especially in a minority community, a woman's every living moment becomes a fight for survival. Existence shapeshifts into a thankless job filled with self-soothing compromises and delusions. 

"Heart Lamp" had short stories, but left long-lasting impressions, I wasn't prepared to bear. I had to take breaks between each one for the sake of my own sanity. These cautionary tales required a period of recovery. Mind you, none of them felt fictitious. They can't be. You need to brace yourself for stories like "Heart Lamp" and "Be a woman once, Oh Lord!". From being moved to tears to chuckling at the desperate dramedy thereupon, I experienced chilling episodes throughout this book. Kudos to Ms Banu and everyone who was behind this masterpiece. The concluding Translator's note is a chef's kiss.

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