Mumbai 1930s

Translated by Matt Reeck and Aftab Ahmad, the 14 short stories originally written in Urdu were set in 1930s Mumbai, a time before the first world war where many cities are in a flux of prosperity and social changes. 'Bombay Stories' by Saadat Hasan Manto, we're brought into that era and the ways of the world back then.

I hesitated reading the stories because I really didn't want to read sort-of misogynistic plots. Some were set in the Hindi film industry, some set in brothels, and they aren't just fiction. The 14 short stories reflect reality, mainly of poverty and women; of how the men stereotyped the gender, and how they treated them. It's quite chilling how the stories then parallel the stories now, in any other city and not just Mumbai. The subject matter of the stories can be unsettling, but Saadat Hasan Manto is an astute writer unafraid to broach topics that he might be ridiculed or persecuted for. I really didn't enjoy the book. But it was an insightful read.  (Reviews here, here and here.)

One of the stories in the collection that left a mark in my mind is 'Ten Rupees', of Sarita, a young girl of about 15. I'm glad that her story one afternoon didn't turn out as expected. Sarita had the car ride that she loved, cleverly leaving two drunk men in the car, and at the end of the evening, even returned the ten-rupee note that was due to her because she didn't have to 'work'.

Sarita's mother was always telling this story, but no one knew whether it was true. No one in the building felt any sympathy for her, perhaps their lives were so difficult that they had no time to think about others. No one had any friends. Most of the men slept during the day and worked nights in the nearby factory. Everyone lived right on top of one another, and yet no one took any interest in anyone else. 

Almost everyone in the building knew that Sarita's mother was forcing her young daughter to be a prostitute, but because they weren't in the habit of concerning themselves with others, no one ever contradicted Sarita's mother when she would lie about how innocent her daughter was.