Thursday, December 30, 2010

The Voracious Reader

(1) Woh Jo Sh'ayri Ka Sabab Hua by Kalim Aajiz
(2) Jahan-e-Deedah by Mufti Taqi Usmani (DB)
(3) Naseem-e-Hiyadat Ke Jhhonke (Three Volumes)  Compiled by Mufti Roshan Shah
(4) The Last Mughal by William Dalrymple
(5) Lahore Se Ta Khaq-e-Samarqand o Bukhara by Pir Zulfiqar Ahmed Naqshbandi (DB)

A single person fed these books to Miyan last year.
Others must have done their own feeding.
Not to forget the books borrowed from library on the cards of so many people.
And his own books.
And the constant supply of periodicals, for Miyan was strategically located-he was in touch of PR Office people because it is full of his protegees.

How many people are doing that in the 74th year of their life? Not many. One might say that he had nothing else to do. That is travesty of truth. It discounts Miyan's backbiting (gheebat ) club. In the day there will be several sessions of different kinds of delegates descending like migratory birds. In fact it was like a constant flow of visitors.

But then it can be said that these gatherings served the purpose of venting out the things that he read. Just sometime back he read an article about a courtesan in a glossy magazine from a place that has noticeable presence. "I did not know that place is famous for such out put also", remarked Miyan.