Afzal

The introductory part-Out of the Ashes deals with the history of the town of Azampur situated in North Uttar Pradesh and the participation of its people in the freedom struggle. The whole story comes through the narrative of Kazi Sahab-the last courtier of Azam Khan after whom the town was named. After independence the young generation is swept away by the rapid changes and the old order almost crumbles. The youth are irresistibly attracted towards unwonted activities. The town is now dubbed as the very hub of terror. The next part-The Escapades is an account of Afzal’s odyssey in post independent India where he encounters many shoddy and embarrassing things related to the high-ups and the revered- judges professors saints et al. Disillusioned and tired he returns home to be picked up by the police that are out to hunt for some (muslim) suspect and project as the mastermind behind the infamous Jaipur Tripple Blast case. The concluding part- Hamam… narrates how Afzal is dragged into politics as a ploy and then becomes a law-maker. He learns many things from his mentor which help him emerge as a heavy weight in political circles. His world changes overnight and his dramatic rise to power leaves senior party men fuming helplessly. He is now at the helm of affairs. Many myths like Mr. Clean are woven around his person. Even the academia heap honors upon him. The town of Azampur glows with pride. In the end his murmurs in a trance-hang me…hang me are revealing amusing and even horrific! Moreover the novel reveals the mentality of the Hindus as a society towards the muslims in general and exploded several myths prevailing in the present secular society. Afzal-the protagonist proves himself to be the guru of all that had taken him so lightly.