Roquiya Jamal hails from Bhudruk district of Odisha and is one of the outstanding novelists of India. Her stories are recognized and published by leading and widely read daily and monthly magazines across the subcontinent. Her first short story, Lashon Ke Sodagar, was highly appreciated by the readers, which sparked her passion for writing. Currently, her short story collection, which I have reviewed here, is titled ‘Ghoal’, published by Arshia Publications and is over 128 pages long. The front cover is enchantingly designed, has high quality paper and contains a series of 80 tactfully written microfictions. This microfiction collection is probably the first in the literary history of Odisha.

Roquiya Jamal is not only an academician and a poet but has also proved herself to be an avid novelist through her micro fictions and other short stories. The author has dedicated this valuable collection to her parents, her mother Mehrunisa and father Sheikh Abu Sufyan. Syed Rehmani in his commentary on Roquiya Jamal’s literary contributions makes it clear that she nourishes the rich literary landscape of Odisha. She once organized an international seminar through the UGC titled ‘Urdu Zaban Qoumi Yakjahati Ki Alamat in Odisha’. She is also a gifted poet and has written hundreds of poems and ghazals which will soon be converted into a collection. Rownaq Jamal in his three-page note on Roquiya Jamal’s technique and writing skills is all praises of the author. He outlines how he came to connect with the author during the Corona lockdown, when everyone was locked at home and novelists started sharing their stories on social media platforms. Ahmad Kamal Hashmi has written an excellent account of the historical background of the microfiction genre of Urdu literature.
This genre emerged from Minto, named by Joginder Paul, and was propelled by their creative stories of Ratan Singh, Bashir Malerkotli, MA Haq, Manazir Ashiq Harganvi and Rownaq Jamal. Terming Roquiya Jamal a product of Corona lockdown, he praises many of her stories in her book. Prof. Aslam Jamshedpuri says Roquiya Jamal is a talented writer and most of her stories reflect the pain and suffering of the society in a comprehensive manner. Noted Kashmiri micro fiction writer Khalid Bashir Tiligami also praised Roquiya Jamal’s vigorous efforts to popularize this unique genre of Urdu literature. While describing a detailed background of her literary career and the reason behind her inclination towards fiction, Roquiya Jamal says she was born into an educated family as both her parents were well educated and they would have been happy to see their daughter write a book.
She completed her Masters in Urdu with a gold medal and started writing critical essays then. She was awarded the prestigious Saarc International Award from the illustrious hands of the Vice President of India for a critical essay on Moulana Abdul Kalam. She says her passion for writing novels grew during the Corona lockdown. Chote Loug (35) – the opening story of the book exposes the inhumane attitude of wealthy and affluent people towards their maids. Chhei Nimazein (36) reveals the heartbreaking and agonizing situation of people in Iraq, Palestine, Serbia and Afghanistan who attend the funerals of their loved ones every day. Ghoal (38): The title story of the book reflects the loss of human values ​​among the people of this planet who hardly feel the pain and distress of their fellow human beings while birds like crows impatiently mourn the death of their kind. Khandani Loug (43) describes the dual character of the man as portrayed by Danyal, a character in the short story.
Lawaris (52) is a slap in the face of humanity as nowadays beloved parents, especially mothers, are being rejected in old age by their own sons who nurture and raise them at a young age. Jhatka (53) reflects on cheating and deceiving the partners selected on marriage websites as is evident in this story through the character Rema. Boaj (57) Most wives consider their sick and disabled husbands as a burden if the illness lasts for a longer period as is evident in this story.
Nasil (58), this one was carefully crafted and intricately woven to teach a daughter a lesson about choosing the right partner in life when she was desperate to bring home a dog of a superior breed.
Gift (59), Sometimes mothers, who are always keen to raise their married daughters to behave like gentlemen in their new homes, get a humanistic lesson from their own daughters-in-law. The same is reflected in this story where a mother-in-law is gifted a smartphone by her new daughter-in-law. Panagah (62), There is no safer place for women in the dark hours of the night and also in difficult times. That is why Noushin, an 18-year-old daughter, prefers to stay in the cemetery rather than in a community of people where drug addicts, thieves and drunkards roam at night.
Rishte ki Doad (66), domestic violence against women by female persons i.e. mothers and sisters in law, now forces the prospective brides to look for a partner where there is no mother or sister of the spouse. Jazba (72), offering a helping hand to someone in great distress and need is the most virtuous act a man can perform. In this story, a lawyer learnt the same lesson from his own client. Talaq (73), this is a clear example of how divorce is seen as a bolt from the blue by some while it is accepted by others in the midst of happiness.
Status (75), in the age of social media, many unmarried young people enter into temporary relationships on social sites and when it comes to marriage, they prefer to choose spouses who match their status. This is beautifully portrayed in this story. Ramzan (78), Ramzan, the month of great blessings, teaches us not only to help the poor and needy but also to maintain cordial relations with our siblings, neighbours and other relatives. This one is brilliantly written.
Pakad (81), In universities, most of the supervisors of researchers not only waste their precious time and cloud their future but also force them to take extreme steps. This is exactly what Roquiya Jamal has beautifully outlined in this story. Khamoshi ka Karab (86), Although we have a humanistic and noble attitude towards our daughters-in-law, they find their in-laws a big burden on their home. As this story shows, they eagerly await their demise. Majboori (89), In this materialistic world, everyone strives to accumulate a lot of wealth and hardly cares about the urgency of some people.
The same is portrayed in this story where Fakhar Alam cannot manage to rent a room to Ikhlaq Ahmad because he would lose his other non-Muslim tenants. Beta (105), This story shows the limits our sons can cross to forget the death anniversary of their beloved parents and attend an unimportant celebration of their father-in-law. A daughter, on the other hand, cannot afford to forget her parents ever in her life no matter what the circumstances. Ehsas (126), This is the penultimate story of the book which reflects the neutral policy of Muslim nations towards their fellow Muslims despite seeing them in turmoil and states of war. While reading the stories of Roquiya Jamal, the reader clearly holds the opinion that she is a powerful writer and her stories have the ability to inspire aspiring writers. Apart from being a gifted writer, Roquiya Jamal is also a noble lady as I had requested her through social media to send me this collection and she sent it to me through Indian post without wasting a second. I will be thankful to her.

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