 |
| 'Kafans' drying in the sun near the Kaaba, Mecca during Hajj. |
'The Shroud' by Banu Mushtaq is a short story that appears in her collection Heart Lamp (2025). The story is framed by the tenets of Islam which decree that it is wise to procure one's shroud or kafan in one's lifetime. This practice is encouraged to remind the faithful that life is ephemeral and one must devote oneself to doing good deeds.
Significance of the shroud
The shroud is the great leveller. Everyone, rich or poor, must die someday. They will be judged according to their merit by Allah.
The cloth used to wrap one's corpse is washed in Zamzam water and kept to dry near the Kaaba at Mecca in Saudi Arabia. Pilgrims undertaking Hajj - a visit to Mecca - mandatory for capable and financially well-off Muslims, routinely do this. They also obtain shrouds to take back home for those who were unable to make the trip. Zamzam water is water drawn from the spring at Mecca and is believed to have medicinal properties.
Shroud as the pivot of the story
Yaseen Bua, a young widow who does odd jobs to feed her children, asks the wealthy Shaziya to bring a shroud for her from Mecca. However, this is not to be.
Structure
The story operates on a skillful flashback technique. The backstory of the shroud is revealed after the passing of Yaseen Bua is announced. The narrative slowly builds up to explain why Shaziya is horrified with the news.
Character depiction
Shaziya
Banu Mushtaq presents to us a delightful cameo of a middle-aged Muslim woman in Shaziya complete with her foibles and petty obsessions. From the time the story opens with Shaziya lamenting 'those damn tablets' (167) which she has to take, to when the reader leaves her weeping at the end (186), one connects with her and even sympathizes with her human predicament.
Lost in the swirl of shopping at Mecca, death is very far away from Shaziya's mind. Chided by her husband Subhan to observe the Hajj rituals and not to compromise her niyyat (pure intention), she nevertheless throws caution to the wind. (176-77) It shows how the rich can get away with whatever they do.
Yaseen Bua
The story provides a striking contrast between Shaziya and Yaseen Bua. The interaction between the two shows how the lower classes are despised by the higher classes - though in Allah's eyes all are equal. It is this social evil that Banu Mushtaq skillfully holds up to ridicule.
Shaziya's contempt for the marginalized extends even to the currency they use. 'Money from the pockets of poor people was, just like them, broken, shattered, crumpled, wrinkly, diminished in essence and form.' (173) This polyphony of words makes one marvel at the translation by Deepa Bhasthi of the short story which was originally written in Kannada.
Subhan
The dynamic between Shaziya and Subhan is witty to the extreme. The harried husband has to cart all the gift items from Mecca back home defying the baggage restrictions on the flight. The narration is very down-to-earth - because it happens in all households.
Saba
Women to women relationships are well-described. Consider the trenchant sentence, 'No matter how terrible Saba was - being the daughter-in-law, she had all the cunningness which came with the role.' (183) The telephonic conversation between Shaziya and her Saba's mother is hilarious.(184)
Islamic customs
The customs of the devout are well-described. One is the ritual of asking others for forgiveness before proceeding on Hajj. (169) Yaseen Bua does not observe 'Iddat'. (170) This is the waiting period after the passing of the husband. She is reduced to a house help, the lonely shadow, an outcaste, seen on social occasions, waiting for scraps to feed her children. She describes herself as a 'hakir-fakir.' (172)
Literary comparisons
The opulence with which Shaziya lives recalls Begum Jaan in Ismat Chughtai's short story 'Lihaaf' / 'Quilt.' Like Begum Jaan, Shaziya has vassals to pander to her every whim. Shaitan is one such. As her mother puts it, 'Shaitan comes early in the morning, presses your legs, drapes a blanket around you, pats you back to sleep and stops you from offering namaz.' (167)
'The Shroud' is a deep dive into Muslim rituals and faith. It is very different from Premchand's 'The Shroud'. It is faith that binds Shaziya and Yaseen. The greatness of Banu Mushtaq is to enable Shaziya to realize the folly of her hubris (pride) and say, 'How unfortunate. If this poor woman were to hold out her seragu and beg Allah for justice on Judgement Day, even if I poured out all my good deeds, I will still be at fault.' (182)
As Anjeera says, it shows the cost of procrastination - something we all do.
-------------------
Pic courtesy: Soan Kashmir on Facebook,1956. The arrow indicates where the shrouds are. Page references are to the hard copy edition by Penguin Random House India. E-copy is shared in the first line. Updated 23/1/26.
Comments