Mandi writer’s Hawaon Ka Rukh relates Covid stories from the hills

Tribune News Service

Dipender Manta

Mandi, March 22

Mandi storyteller and writer Murari Sharma’s latest work — Hawaon Ka Rukh — was recently presented at an international book fair in Delhi.

The newly published collection of stories relates tales of human relationships.

A compilation of 10 stories, the book delves into the concerns from which these stories’ ideas were developed. The first story — Master Dinanath’s Diary — tells the tale of an old man, who becomes severely depressed after being isolated at home during the Covid lockdown period.

Celebrated works

• Murari Sharma has authored Pathar-Pighalte Nahi, Banmooth, Pahad par Dhoop, and Dhol Ki Thap. Banmooth received a state-level literature award from the Himachal Pradesh Sahitya Akademi.
• One of his works, Fegde Ka Phool, is part of the the syllabus of Himachal Pradesh University.
• Three students at Central University, Dharamshala, are basing their PhD research on Sharma’s works.

“Master Dinanath had become badly depressed and an unknown fear has settled inside his mind. He closed his eyes and tried to forget the entire scene. But such scenes started to hover in his subconscious mind. He fell into the dark lane of memories. He started wandering into the memory lane. He reached the period of madness of the partition, in which people were moving towards the unknown direction carrying bundles of fear, terror and a little hope on their heads,” Sharma writes.

Ultimately, Dinanath becomes a victim of amnesia and is not aware of the dangerous situation that the country had gone through during the Covid period.

The story Jalpash is about a boy named Chirag, who is fascinated by the historic Victoria bridge of Mandi. He drowns in the Beas River while trying to click a selfie at the bridge. His friend waits to identify his body while divers attempts to retrieve it.

Another story of the collection — Sannate Ki Cheekh — is based on the famous folk song of the district and retells the love story of Dhari and Jugni. Biradari Se Bahar is a story that talks about the importance of village conservatism and deity culture.

In the titular story — Hawaon Ka Rukh — retired Subedar Jaswant Singh is troubled by the desolation of his village. He shares tales of his village with his pet dog Sheru.

Referring to the problems of the village, he writes, “Like an old uncle, this mountain also kept watching his sons leaving one by one... silent and sad.”

Another story based on the Covid lockdown period —Band Darwaza — tells the tale of a drug addict who is thrown out of his house by his father.

This book is Sharma’s fifth story collection. He has authored Pathar-Pighalte Nahi, Banmooth, Pahad par Dhoop, and Dhol Ki Thap. Banmooth received a state-level literature award from the Himachal Pradesh Sahitya Akademi. One of his works, Fegde Ka Phool, is part of the syllabus of Himachal Pradesh University. Three students at Central University, Dharamshala, are basing their PhD research on Sharma’s works.

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