Adhe Adhoore Khwab: My Impressions

Safina Joseph Ganis

Ohio, USA

Adhe Adhoore Khawab, an Urdu novel by Shahid Siddiqui is a story of resistance against hegemonic forces responsible for the social stasis. The highly radical political messages are communicated in a style imbued with love and softness. The setting of the novel is a college campus where Prof Saharan Roy and Imtisal Agha, two major characters of the novel meet. Both of them have charismatic personalities and are driven by the dreams of changing the unjust society through education.

The story of Adhae Adhoore Khawab progresses dramatically, and climaxes at personal sacrifice by the protagonist of the novel. It is a story about the need of critical education and social justice in our society, a narration of dreams of social change and social justice that Prof Roy kindles in the eyes of his students.

Adhe Adhoore Khawab also focuses on the role of a mentor through the character of Prof. Roy who was very honest toward his profession and responsibilities and acted as true mentor to his students. He is conscious of injustices of society and dreams to have equal educational opportunities for all the students in the country. His ideology is not just confined to abstract theories but finds its way in his actions as he participates in the movement of restoration of judiciary, gets arrested and finally breathes his last in the jail. 

Imtisal’s character is one of the most lovable characters I have come across in fiction that I have been exposed to.

Dr. Shahid Siddique depicts the personality of Prof Roy as embodied with perfect humanly qualities. The writer artistically and dramatically controls the strings of scenes and words in Adhy Adhoore Khawab from the beginning to the end of the novel. The reader is intrigued with the events in the novel and reads on with growing interest till the story in the novel ends.

Imtisal’s character is one of the most lovable characters I have come across in fiction that I have been exposed to. She is smart, intelligent, and graceful and shares the dreams of changing the unjust society. After the death of her mentor she makes a conscious choice of joining the teaching profession in a local school for the welfare of the children of her village which was in fact a sincere effort to carry forward the dream of his mentor.

It is my privilege that I was the first person to read the novel, even before it was sent for the printing. It left a long lasting impression on me. I felt emotionally attached with the characters in the novel and I was really moved by the story. I saw myself as Prof. Roy or Imtisal and I could relate to these characters. I could feel the sensation of love in me that often times is inexpressible.