Not much after I relocated from my earlier society and started residing a few kilometres away from there, I got a fracture in my left foot. So after a few weeks of bed rest, I started walking in my society. I had utterly no idea who my neighbours were.
A lady in her mid-fifties, who I suppose lived in the house just next to mine, asked about my well being and how I got injured. In that short conversation, she asked me a fundamental question that ‘Where I’m from?’ Without thinking much, I replied, ‘ We are from Pakistan.’ Her expressions were a cocktail of fear and amazement. She thought for a moment and asked, that where did I put up before shifting here.
I felt like an idiotic ISI agent standing right in the middle of the road. But I have this habit of telling people from where I belong to or where my roots are.
My Grandfather came to India after independence back in 1947 across the border. Undoubtedly we north Indians have faced innumerable invasions and massacres. We’ll talk about this sometime later. Today, I’m here to talk about the book I recently finished. It’s called “And The Mountains Echoed,” written by Mr. Khaled Hosseini.
Khaled was born in Kabul, Afghanistan, and moved to California afterwards. His book called ‘The Kite Runner” was highly acclaimed and his most successful work.
“And The Mountains Echoed” is a story of Abdullah, a ten-year-old kid, whose life resides in his younger sister Pari. He loves her more than anything in his life. But one day, his father had to give Pari to a financially well off family because of his monetary conditions and because of various other reasons. The story is about how Pari and Abdullah reunite and in what circumstances.
The book is a work of tragedy – filled with hope and pages filled with void. The story runs in a multi-level format where, in every chapter, the protagonist seems to change. All the characters are appropriately expressed and well connected.
My agenda to write this post is not to give a book review but to write about the things which needed to be discussed.
The first is, as I just wrote above, about the habit of seeking one’s root. I’m totally in favour of the fact that one should not differentiate based on one's cast and background. But, on the other hand, I think it is essential to seek one's own background. It is crucial to know who our ancestors are and how we channelized our way into this society.
The second is about the importance of memory. Suppose we try to think about this at a basic level. In that case, we can quickly conclude that everyone and everything exists as it is or as it was just because of our memory. There is no meaning of relationships or engagements, love or hatred, and so on. Everything exists in our memory.
Now you might be thinking, why I’m talking about these things in a post related to a book?
My answer is, you need to read the book for that. I feel that these two points are like the boat's two oars, which helps the boat row forward.
I’ll love to write a separate post related to these points. Till then, do read the book and share your views in the comment box below or mail me at hrntales@gmail.com.
Love, Laughter, and Peace
Himanshu R Nagpal
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