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Light beyond the tunnel
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Shandana Minhas’ debut novel, ‘Tunnel Vision’ captures the personal battles of a modern Pakistani woman
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Word Power Shandana Minhas’ novel is an ode to Karachi
Young Ayesha Siddiqui crashes through the windshield of her green Alto at a busy traffic intersection in Karachi. She drifts into coma. As she sleeps to the world, Ayesha strokes to life the ruffled relationships of her life. The tumultuous, bitter e
xchanges with Ammi, Abba – a missing chapter, Adil, the brother and the men whom interested her, Omar and Saad, are re-lived and mulled over.
Pakistani author Shandana Minhas’ debut novel, Tunnel Vision published by Roli Books, is about the trapeze through the life of a 31-year-old independent, single, working, Pakistani woman. “The name Ayesha has been an obsession with me,” says Minhas. The narrative in which the protagonist’s coma screens all attempts by the world to connect with her, even as she tunes in to the monologues and dialogues around her, seems to have multi-layered meanings. “It is often easier to be numb. The coma represents the state of the world. Sometimes, it hurts to be alive,” she says.
The author admits the burden of the first novel never bogged her down. “It was not a conscious attempt. I just told a story that came to me,” she says. Tunnel Vision also throws light on the fabric of the Pakistani society. But significantly, Minhas brings out the “missing father figure” in a culture widely believed to be staunchly patriarchal. At another level, the absence of a “benevolent protector” seems to be the enduring bruise in a country battered by military coups and instability.
“There is always a missing father figure when it comes to Pakistani women. It reflects the absence of a benevolent protector,” explains Minhas.
Ask her why the male actors make a late entry in the novel, Minhas is quick to add, “Because, they are not central to the story. Tunnel Vision is the about the mother and daughter and their difficult bond. Women should be responsible for themselves,”
According to the author, Ayesha’s love interests, Saad and Omar give her the “quick-fix” solutions, as she is driven to find a man and “settle down.” “Women often get married for the wrong reasons,” says Minhas. Apart from issues, the novel is also about Minhas’ love for Karachi. “It is an ode to Karachi. There are a lot of misconceptions about the city. People tend to associate it with terrorism, whereas there is a lot of humour, joy and aspiration here,” says Minhas. Quiz her on the Emergency and she is profane and profound alternately. “There will be no impact. I hope there are toilet papers at the international airport,” she quips. But she adds in the same breath, “Creativity thrives in the times of conflict.”
P. ANIMA
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Metro Plus
Bangalore
Chennai
Coimbatore
Delhi
Hyderabad
Kochi
Madurai
Mangalore
Puducherry
Tiruchirapalli
Thiruvananthapuram
Vijayawada
Visakhapatnam
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