Dreams of Another Tomorrow

Author: JS Rajput

Publisher: Troubador UK

Price: £3.99 (Amazon)

Elegantly encapsulating the intricacies of love and life among the upper class living in a conservative and patriarchal society, JS Rajput’s debut novel Dreams of Another Tomorrow is a welcome addition to tales set in the storied city of Lahore, which the Mughals once adorned. There lived famous poets, mystics and philosophers who wrote of romance, spiritual quests and the meaning of life.

The book, with a gorgeous cover, paints an intimate picture of the lives of the ‘decadent’ elite in the cultural heartland of Pakistan, seen through the eyes of Raza, a young Harvard professor as he navigates a return to Lahore for completing a book. Unexpectedly reconnected with a lost love, now married, Raza is torn between temptation and fear of tribulation. Scarred by the encounter as the story progresses, Raza must decide whether he should open his heart to the alluring temptations or learn to let go. Finding love becomes a perilous road for the protagonist as he navigates complex family relationships, broken friendships and lines drawn in the sands.

Enter his childhood friend Fareed and his wife Saira. The two are key players amongst the city’s elite. They apparetly make a perfect couple. However, nothing is what it appears to be. Raza discovers this gradually as Fareed draws him deeper into the profligate ways of the rich and powerful. Traversing the darker alleys of the deeply conservative society where power and moral authority reside with men and where many women are forced to stand up for their rights and lives, Raza meets fascinating ladies who have rebelled from the roles they have been assigned by the society or political dispensation. Saira and her sister-in-law Erina, introduce readers to facets of the lives of these aristocratic women that are unknown to most.

The novel explores the challenges of opposing social pressures faced by the upper-class women in Pakistan at a time when a debate has been triggered on the subject following some shocking instances. Highly educated, intelligent and not lacking any material comforts, many of the upper-class women sometimes feel the need for seeking spiritual guidance from pirs and sufis in trying to negotiate the contradiction of an exalted status but inferior roles in the power equation. The story introduces some fascinating characters with the courage to demand more than the society has to offer, who become embroiled in the games played by ruthless men manipulating a milieu threatened by extremism.

In the midst of it all, Raza struggles to stay loyal to his friend who has changed much to fit the role he sees for himself in a dispensation that values power more than anything else. Becoming entangled in a much larger game than he bargained for when he decided to return to the mother country for a while, Raza must find a way out of the conundrum, or perish.

Set in an era when Pakistan faced the deadliest onslaught of terrorism and security issues, the plot is woven around the byzantine politics practiced in the country to bring out the contradictions between words and actions of the major players, as well as between appearances and reality.

The budding author brings a rich new flavour to his work that is reminiscent of Mohsin Hamid, Mohammed Hanif and Khaled Hosseini. The book contains elements of both a satire and a thriller and the plotline is a page turner as accounts of Benazir Bhutto’s assassination, extremism, foreign interests, security issues and politics mingle with the lives of the main characters. Rajput’s inimitable take on complex social and political issues is effortlessly woven into an enchanting love story.

The multi-layered characters bring richness to the work and the cleverly conjured tale provides a well-informed commentary on the society as the author seems to understand it better than most. The way he skilfully constructs the story using conversations between different characters on the politics and societal issues makes a delightful reading while conveying a breadth of knowledge about the socio-political dynamics of the country.

All in all, this beautifully crafted book offers an insider’s view of a society where the obvious is all smoke and mirrors. It draws the readers into a gripping romance set against patriarchal prejudice and power games. It is a highly recommendable read for those interested in good stories set in a desi milieu, as well as those with an interest in understanding the interplay of social and political undercurrents that impact the lives of the so-called privileged, beyond what meets the eyes.

Dreams of Another Tomorrow made its debut on October 28. It is available for sale, by order, at international bookstores and from Amazon. It is also available on all the major digital platforms.

The writer is a graduate of Mount Holyoke College and University of Cambridge and works for the United Nations. She has a keen interest in literature, economics and public policy.