Zubair Qureshi
The readers of the novel “Sarus Crane ApneKhawabon Mein Se Ur KarJaChukeHain” by eminent fiction writer of Pakistan Mazharul Islam embark on an astonishing storytelling journey where they feel as though they were in a time machine, soaring like a bird through the layers of centuries gone by.
This was said by AshfaqAzar, the well-known writer and journalist, while discussing Mazharul Islam’s latest novel to a gathering of book lovers here on Monday.
Mazharul Islam, he said has penned down an innovative novel, rejecting the conventional frameworks of fiction writing and one feels convinced to agree with him because never before such an experiment in fiction was performed, he said.
When Mazharul Islam wrote “MuhabbatMurdaPhoolon Ki Symphony,” he upheld principles of aesthetics thought and art.
That was written to breathe fresh life into the sentiments of love and to make us perceive love in a new light. ‘Sarus Crane’ is also a work of nostalgia, exploring what the modern age has inherited from bygone eras.
AshfaqAzar said in his latest novel, Mazhar blends reality, fantasy, time travel, and surrealism, creating an enchanting tapestry of mysticism. As a result, this novel weaves a spellbinding magical realism into its very fabric.
The story emphasizes that every person has a bird within him.
This tale of love centers around a Sarus Crane. The Sarus Crane embarks on a backward journey i.e. from the 21st century to the 18th, where countless Sarus Cranes from his tribe eagerly await his return in a place called “Ashiana-e-Wafa.”
Why did Mazharul Islam choose the Sarus Crane as the focal point of his novel? AshfaqAzar himself answers this question: For this it’s crucial to learn more about Sarus Crane.
Sarus cranes are perceived as a symbol of fidelity and good fortune in ancient tales.
They are believed to bring happiness, long life, and a promise of paradise. Sailors from Sindh used to install sculptures of Sarus cranes in their boats, hoping that they would be able to soar like birds on open waters.
In the same fashion, there is a bird Sarus Crane in Mazhar’s heart.
This is not for the first time that Sarus Crane has been mentioned in his novels. In “MuhabbatMurdaPhoolon Ki Symphony” we also find them.
Mazharul Islam takes a captivating journey through ages—from the 21st century to the 18th—in the guise of a Sarus crane. Azar said in his fascinating voyage, the protagonist (Sarus or Mazhar himself) encounters the 18th century, which he describes as a market of charlatans, fraudsters, power-hungry individuals, promise-breakers, injustices, and deceit.
