I read the title of the book expectantly and turned to the paragraphs on the back cover. Yes, it certainly promised a progressive passage through 4,000 years of humanity and its inward and outward struggles. Thus began my evocative journey through Snuffing Out the Moon.

In his debut novel, author Osama Siddique has spun six fascinating tales through six different eras, almost akin to stitching together a beautiful quilt with distinct patterns on the same fabric of life, and has masterfully crafted a story that is not only synchronised, but also richly rooted in the silt of the subcontinent. The different plot lines are almost akin to six different short stories, linked by time, humanity and the omniscient moon. The moon remains in the night sky, a spectator, a constant, waxing and waning on its own journey and that of the Earth, but inextinguishable through challenges, perils and conflicts, much like the human race.

Rafiya Begum, living in contemporary times, is plagued with nefarious tenants occupying her property. She makes endless rounds of the courts, but all she gets is prolonging of her cases. Conflicted Billa chooses to stand up for her, but at a price — a price that righteous actions almost always demand.

A sprawling novel that shows human suffering remains the same irrespective of time

Siddique’s background — he is a legal scholar and policy consultant on justice-sector reform projects in Pakistan — and understanding of the subcontinent’s legal system must have surely come in handy in this story. But the other five eras are depicted with characters and situations that are far removed from law, steeped in imagination, creativity and wonderful storytelling.

Prkaa, living some 4,000 years earlier than Billa in 2084 BCE, is plagued by socio-economic power struggles, egos, politics and religion of a very modern Mohenjodaro, much like Combat Specialist Prashanto who lives in 2084 CE. What their stories have in common is more than the moon looking down on them; theirs are the stories of resistance. They are recognisable and real, much like age-old wisdom — conventional, philosophical and a burden to bear.

The six stories are told concurrently and the reader is able to build a bridge between the characters and their individual struggles, enabling the mind to understand the underlying philosophy and wisdom in the fabric of humanity, society, religion and community. We find ourselves asking hard questions that for the most part have simple, yet elusive answers.

I found myself falling in love with the characters Prkaa, Sikander-i-Sani, Billa and Prashanto. These men live in four different times: 2084 BCE, 1620 CE, 2009 CE and 2084 CE respectively. They speak dissimilar languages, their philosophy and evolution are entirely different, but they are all men who live in us, or amongst us. As for the women, they are stoic, strong, hopeful and arrogant; you must know someone like Rafiya Begum, Naya may have been an acquaintance, and Sthui is the girl in the mirror. The characters are crafted in lifelike clay and their exchanges are richly colloquial, wise, silly, emotional, anguished and earthy.

Through his characters, Siddique connects life events that — although inevitably tied together through the clasp of relentless time — are visible only to those who wish to make that connection. He gives the readers uncomfortable light-bulb moments that we mostly, and often deliberately, choose to remain unaware of. Yes, idealism always comes at a price, tells the tale of Prkaa. Arrogance makes for idols, the path of resistance is a road less taken, but it’s always the right path.

Siddique plays on nuances and parallels between subcontinental history, going back to the ancient Indus civilisation and concluding in the time of future generations. Through it all he focuses on the rich, elegant and evolved philosophies of the region. He has researched the region, talked about its valuable past and artistically linked it to the human element that inevitably prevails, regardless of failure, success, regression, transgression and progression.

... In his experience, those adopting grandiose, menacing, fatal or artistic names such as Prince, Bullet, Death and Disco were invariably quite a disappointment in person; often devoid of any semblance of royalty, speed, doom or dancing capability. Billa personally knew a Tariq Terror whose wasted, drug-abused body and formidable body odour perhaps did evoke terror in friend and foe alike, but not of the nature that the said Tariq desired.— Excerpt from the book

The book kept me in suspense. I was curious to make connections and midway found myself involved in the story. There were moments when tears flowed freely, and then a melancholic smile was brought on by the truth of the text. I’m unsure if I found myself emotional because of subcontinental pride in the elegant history of the region, the relatability of the characters and their stories, or the fact that a contemporary writer from the region wrote with such authenticity and pride about the region.

Snuffing Out the Moon left me hopeful. As a reader it left me with a natural ambiguity associated with life. It left the flame burning, the spark ignited and pride intact. Siddique has done a great service to South Asia and its people. The tale he tells is drenched in the beauty of the region; it is true to its soil. It is fragrant in its history and wisdom, factual in the rape and exploitation the region has encountered at the hands of invaders, time, religion, politics and corporations. Yes, it is truly heartening to read a story that speaks of a time, and of a people, who are infinitely bigger than the events that led to the tragedy of September 2001 and beyond.

There is more to South Asia than the events of the last 40 years, and how those events have impacted the West. South Asia is the seat of one of the oldest civilisations known to mankind and Siddique has reintroduced that truth in contemporary times.

This book is a must-read. It is earthy, it is salty, it is elemental. It hydrates, it heals, and by the end it leaves us with pause, a moment to ponder, a minute to reflect, on hope, resilience and the unpretentious truth of South Asia.

The reviewer is a former member of staff and a freelance journalist. Her debut novel is up for release later this year

Snuffing Out the Moon
By Osama Siddique
Penguin Random House,
India
ISBN: 978-0670090044
431pp.

Published in Dawn, Books & Authors, August 20th, 2017