Shadows of Time
By Asim Aftab
Ilqa Publications
ISBN: 978-969-640-316-6
256pp.

Shadows of Time is the debut novel of Asim Aftab. The blurb on the back cover tells us that the author is from Lahore. After university education in the US, he worked in finance, first in Karachi and now lives and works in London in the same field.

The book is set in the 1980s and spans only a few weeks in a fictitious place called Rahgarh, which has more than a passing resemblance to Lahore. There is very little action in the novel. It is a tale of how the machinations surrounding the passing of one sister cause a total rupture within a family. Three decades later, the death of another sister and the terms of her will brings the family together once again, perhaps for a rapprochement.

The novel is divided into three parts. In part one, the scene is set and we meet the dramatis personae. The two warring factions of the family are called the eagles and crows by the elder of the clan who has been asked to adjudicate. A long and fractious legal battle seems to be on the cards and it is the mission of the elder to avert it diplomatically. Part two fleshes out the characters and the momentous episode that had caused the rift is discussed. Finally, in part three there is a semblance of closure.

The story moves sluggishly. Nothing that is said by one side of the family is taken on face value by the other. Every utterance is examined minutely and individually by each person. Motivations are scrutinised and hidden meanings are explored and gleefully pinpointed. The reader is subjected to the musings and reflections of every character. Dialogue becomes as slow as treacle.

A debut novel about a family dispute showcases the author’s facility with words but suffers from a less-than-riveting plot

Instead of a hook to catch the attention of the reader, part one is especially deliberate in pace. Moreover, the problem at hand is neither compelling nor dire. Disputes over property are commonplace, unless some danger is swirled in the mix. In this instance, no one’s life or reputation is hanging in the balance and no one is in danger of becoming impoverished. The outcome of the dispute does not auger calamity for anyone.

It is interesting, however, that all the combatants who are vying for the property are women. They delight in scheming. They are either unmarried, divorced or have husbands who have little interest in their affairs. The person chosen to arbitrate between them is a man. But the two other males in the picture are unimportant and silent. One, an eagle, is purposely keeping aloof from the dispute, while the other, a crow, is considered too young and raw to be given a voice.

Aftab must be given the credit for creating believable, albeit unloveable, characters. In fact, character development in Shadows of Time is exceptionally well done. The reader learns about each person gradually. New elements of their psyche are made available as the story progresses. The novel is not written in a linear timeline. As the characters consider and mull over what is being discussed, their minds rove. They think of the past and plan the future. And as their minds wander, we learn more about them.

The entire family is volatile. The author states, “They [are] all quick to take offence but slow to make amends.” Ehtesham, son of one of the crows, never divulges that he knows the son of an eagle. He knows that his innocent friendship with a schoolfellow will be misconstrued by his mother and aunt simply because he belongs to the other faction.

Incidents are given undue importance. For example, when Ehtesham dares to drive out of the house in a huff because someone has tampered with his diary, his behavior is examined and re-examined at length by his mother. He, himself, wallows in his guilt, chapter after chapter. The family’s reaction seems out of proportion to the offence, which is not more than a peccadillo.

Similarly, the suicide of a character, who does not even grace the pages of the novel, except anecdotally, takes up a chunk of the book. The dead person is the arbitrator’s friend. Even though the suicide has no bearing on the plot, it is the dominant topic over many chapters. As a comic relief for the pseudo-intensity of the storyline perhaps, the characters in the book, all well-to-do and even rich, are presented as gluttons, ready to attack the food voraciously at parties.

The most interesting character in the novel is that of Kamal, one of the eagles. He has renounced the world and sequestered himself in his library. Very gradually, like the peeling of an onion, his life is laid bare for the perusal of the reader. It becomes apparent that he has withdrawn from life to defy his father. In his powerless state, all he can do is to go against everything that his father holds dear.

As the story unfolds, Kamal evolves. When his son makes a momentous decision, his own mistakes become evident to him. He reproaches himself for not better protecting his wife and for neglecting his paternal duties. Will Kamal change and rejoin the world, or will he retreat once again to his sanctuary?

One thing that the novel makes clear is that Asim Aftab writes well. He gets his thoughts across without difficulty and with great fluency. Even if in some instances he seems to belabour the point, the text is easy to digest and there is a flow to his writing. It, therefore, strikes a false note that he has included literal translations of Urdu idioms in his book. Observations such as, “Mice are playing havoc with our stomachs” to denote hunger, seem out of place in a novel in English.

There may be minor flaws in the book and the story may be less than riveting, but there is no doubt that the author is talented. Hopefully, Aftab will use his facility with words to write again. If he conjures up a more engaging story, he will have a winner on his hands.

The reviewer is a freelance writer, author of the novel

The Tea Trolley and the translator of Toofan Se Pehlay: Safar-i-Europe Ki Diary

Published in Dawn, Books & Authors, April 20th, 2025