uhammad Jawad is no stranger to the world of fiction, with several collections of Urdu and Punjabi stories to his credit. In addition to writing fiction in two languages, he is renowned for his singing. A trained vocalist, Jawad is well-versed in classical music and its intricacies.

Holding a doctorate in philosophy, he has been teaching at Punjab University for quite some time and is currently the chairman of the Philosophy Department at the university.

His latest published work, Bhulekha, is his third Punjabi short story collection and reaffirms his commitment to his mother tongue. The collection comprises sixteen short stories that have received high praise from writer Mansha Yad.

Yad commends Jawad’s craft, stating that he possesses all the qualities that place a writer on a high pedestal. Yad adds that Jawad’s stories aptly portray mundane urban lives.

Jawad doesn’t resort to highfalutin rhetoric or sloganeering in his stories. Nor does he go to extra lengths to conclude them. His stories stand out with their brevity; they are compact and pithy.

The characters are culled from the daily humdrum of life, which we often ignore. Yet, he weaves his stories from these common people and the issues they face. Many common people around him inspire his stories.

For instance, there is a peon whose voice begins to fail him. Amid protests by suniversity staff, the peon finds his voice dying down slowly until one day, he loses it entirely. This story aptly captures the muffled aspirations of the lowest strata of society.

Another example is the nostalgic story of a grandmother who, over the years, has become an epitome of compassion and tolerance. Such characters are rare in today’s world, where few speak ill of no one.

Then there is the wayward head of a family. He is a habitual drunkard and an embarrassment to his family. His sudden shift towards religiosity surprises everyone.

These stories are very compact snippets of our everyday lives.

The story is a reflection on middle-class mentality, where people seek refuge in religion as they age. As mentioned earlier, these stories are very compact snippets of our everyday lives. Muhammad Jawad excels in what he does: plain storytelling.

Shahzad Aslam is a civil servant in the judicial service. His job has taken him to various parts of the Punjab, allowing him to interact with many people and broaden his outlook.

He has previously published two collections of Punjabi short stories; Jungle Rakhay Jag De is his third. Growing up in a village in Gujranwala, he has experienced the unique culture of rural Punjab.

The book contains six stories. As he mentions in the introduction, they are longer than his previous stories. It is heartening to note that he has successfully managed the longer format. Longer stories can sometimes distract readers as many writers struggle to conclude them effectively.

However, Aslam has accomplished this feat. He knows the locale inside out, and his characterisation is impressive.

Living off the alms of landowners and tolerating deep-rooted injustice is horrific. One needs to live like a pebble at the mercy of everyone. The first story, Pathar Da Jeeven, is a heart-wrenching tale of the daily lives of minorities among us.

The way the author navigates this tricky terrain speaks volumes about his craft. Without becoming sentimental, he reveals the true face of our society, contrasting it with the rosy picture often painted in the name of Mashriqi Aqdar.

The titular story, Jungle Rakhay Jag De, is a long one in which the author does full justice to the topic. This story showcases Aslam’s prowess and extraordinary expertise. His deep understanding of the Punjab and its rural locales adds concreteness to his craft. However, his command is equally manifest when portraying the travails of people languishing in urban areas. Lahoo Da Mull is one such story, deftly tackling how life treats the children of lesser gods in the cities.

Aslam has a promising future. One hopes that he will continue to surprise us with his craft in the coming days.

The reviewer is a freelance journalist based in Islamabad