Memoirs

The book is a remarkable story of compelling life events in India’s oldest Muslim industrial family. Humayun Naseer Shaikh’s fascination with writing began when his friend Rao Mehmood Illahi prompted him to read Somadeva’s Katha Sarit Sagara. The tales presented in the volumes fascinated him so much that he next took upon to read Dostovsky’s works and a collection of French writings. However it was while reading a short story in Khushwant Singh’s compilation of Best Indian Short Stories that led the author to narrate the fascinating chapters of his life. In this volume Humayun narrates about his parents and their way of bringing up the three children— Humayun along with his elder and younger sisters. He briefly touches upon the period when there was a strong movement happening to secure an independent Pakistan and the effect such movements had on his father’s psyche. During his younger days although the author was heir apparent to an industrial empire in Pakistan he was inclined more towards joining politics—a proposition he soon gave up when he realized he wasn’t cut out for the ‘noble’ role. The book captures interesting often amusing anecdotes from Humayun’s life as an industrialist and a family man— starting from his attempts to get a glimpse of the girl his marriage was being fixed with; to his posting to Multan as Director —Marketing & Finance for CWM CTM and MESCO; to his hilarious adventures of smuggling currency with his wife on a business-cum-pleasure trip to London New York various cities in Japan Hong Kong and Singapore; to giving a brief description of the famed industrialists Shaikh Mian Mohammad Ismail (Humayun’s grandfather) and his son Mian Naseer Ahmed; and to his friend Sikandar Suri contriving to visit Mecca Medina impersonating as a Muslim. The book has been weaved beautifully with several such short incidents that are bound to leave the reader enthralled: a brilliant effort by first-time author—Humayun Naseer Shaikh.