Bunglay Ki Baoli
By Ali Akbar Natiq
Book Corner, Jhelum
ISBN: 978-969-662-667-1
224pp.

Lush fields, canals full of water and girls washing clothes on their banks, bullock carts ploughing the land, the chirping of birds, elders sitting on charpoys under the thick shady trees, smoking hookahs and chatting. Men and women, barefoot in the fields, bending down and harvesting crops, their sweat mixing with water.

Children playing in the streets, the suffocating humidity of the monsoon season, the sudden rainfall, the taste of cool lassi, salty butter and saag, the aroma of millet and corn bread and, above all, the open sky over a spacious courtyard.

Under this same open sky lies Bunglay Ki Baoli [The Bungalow’s Stepwell], a collection of stories by Ali Akbar Natiq. It feels as if all these scenes have come out of the pages of the book and come to life, as if the whole village itself has become a story. A ‘baoli’ is a traditional stepwell found in South Asia. In literature, it often symbolises depth, memory, mystery and stillness, making it a rich and meaningful metaphor.

After Qaim Deen and Shah Muhammad Ka Tanga [Shah Muhammad’s Horse-cart], Bunglay Ki Baoli is Natiq’s third collection of short stories, published recently by Book Corner in Jhelum. His first novel, Naulakhi Kothi [The Nine-Lakh Mansion], has been republished many times and has reached around 40 editions. Penguin has also published its English translation.

With memorable characters, vibrant landscapes and sharply tuned prose, the latest collection of Urdu short stories from Ali Akbar Natiq is a deeply rewarding one for lovers of literature

Ali Akbar Natiq has made a strong place for himself among modern writers. He is not only a short story writer and novelist but also a poet. As a person, he seems like a carefree, dervish-like figure, sometimes a bit sharp in temperament. It is surprising how someone who writes so beautifully in such soft tones can also be harsh at times. But it is this contrast which adds strength and intensity to his writing.

His prose is simple but deep. He does not rely on heavy language. Instead, he tells powerful stories through short sentences and subtle hints. That is why his writing leaves a strong impact and conveys so much while saying so little. One of the best qualities of his stories is their strong connection to the land and its people. They fully capture the environment they come from, the smell of the soil, the feel of the air, people’s behaviour and the ups and downs of life. Readers do not just read them; they actually feel them.

Natiq is very skilled in creating brief but powerful characters and scenes. In Bunglay Ki Baoli, each character feels real, whether it is Akhtar Lahoriya in ‘Shikari Ki Jheel’ [The Hunter’s Lake], Usman Amritsari in ‘Mughalpura Ki Haveli’ [‘The Mansion in Mughalpura’] or Waryam Khan in ‘Laathi Ki Awaaz’ [‘The Sound of the Staff’]. All these characters seem to live in their own worlds.

The stories include proverbs, folktales, and oral traditions that take readers back to their childhood, a time when grandmothers told magical stories and reality and imagination blended. For example, “The vines of the lake pull a man to the bottom and do not let him go until the flesh is separated from his bones” is not just a sentence; it creates atmosphere.

In ‘Dhaan Ki Fasl’ [‘The Rice Crop’], Natiq talks about the hidden damage to the environment caused by agricultural chemicals. It becomes more than just a story about farming. It depicts a larger tragedy, in which the land, crops, birds, animals and humans are all connected.

In ‘Basti Dularaas’[‘The Settlement of Dularaas’], ‘Naslain’ [‘Generations’] and ‘Nazim Baig Ke Dukh’ [‘The Sorrows of Nazim Baig’], he shows family conflicts, mistrust and betrayal in a very detailed manner. These relationships slowly turn into burdens that are passed down from one generation to another. In ‘Darvesh Ka Maqbara’ [‘The Mausoleum of the Dervish’] , ‘Chunay Ka Garrha’ [The Pit of Slaked Lime] and ‘Bunglay Ki Baoli’, you find stories of revenge told in different styles. Each story has its own tone and situation. ‘Izzat Ka Sawaal’ [‘A Question of Honour’] is a lighter but sharp story about social pride and showing superiority.

In ‘Neela Gumbad’ [‘Blue Dome’], Natiq describes inner Lahore so well that it feels alive. The details are so strong that the reader feels like they are eating halwa at Shabu Halwai’s shop or sitting in the Pak Tea House among writers and poets, enjoying the tea and conversation. ‘Maulvi Ke Parinday’ [‘The Preacher’s Birds] is about how religion is used as a tool of power and fear. It shows a problem that affects not just one society but the whole world.

Finally, ‘Turab Bhai Taalay Walay’, [‘Turab Bhai, the Locksmith’], a remarkable story set in Karachi, depicts the lively city life of the 1980s. At that time, going to the cinema was the main entertainment, and small roadside stalls sold paan [betel leaf concoctions], cigarettes and sweets. The story describes paan in great detail — from its different types to how it is made with kattha [cutch], chuna [slaked lime], gulqand [rose petal mixture] and warq [silver foil], turning it into a cultural memory rather than just food. The icing on the cake here is the Kanpuri dialect, which makes the story even more enjoyable.

Bunglay Ki Baoli is a collection where Ali Akbar Natiq’s craft appears more refined and his voice sharper than ever. Each story carries its own distinct tone, holding the reader in its grip throughout. It is a deeply rewarding read for lovers of literature.

The reviewer is a writer, social activist and performing artist

Published in Dawn, Books & Authors, 31st, 2026