Jannat ke Pattey by Nimrah Ahmed: A Review

Reading is therapeutic, everyone knows, but reading an Urdu novel of around 798 pages is truly something! Especially if it's done after ages. The imaginary world becomes a perfect escapade. And you get so near to those characters who seem like next door neighbors, sharing their life’s ups and downs with you. You laugh at their jokes and shed tears at their misfortunes. 

One fine day, I randomly ordered the novel ‘Jannat ke Pattey by Nimrah Ahmed’. But being a new mom, I hardly got any time to go through it. Once or twice, a few pages were read and that was it. Finally I went past the few pages and was so glued to it. Be it late night or early morning, it was lovely how the story was unfolding itself.

It was a realistic world of Haya, her challenges, worries and feelings. Jihaan Sikandar was a mysterious, intellectual character whom we see through Haya’s eyes and are later swept off our feet after knowing his side of story, a man who wasn’t indifferent to his wife but someone who tries his best to fulfill Haya’s rights and safeguard her against all possible dangers, even though he’s uncertain about the fate of their relationship. A nikah done in childhood, proves too strong and survives the tests of time. Haya, who keeps thinking about her husband, has no idea that he has been there for her through every thick and thin.

As Major Ahmed, he asks Haya, ‘Kabhi koi aapke liye jannat ke pattey tod kar laya hai?’
‘Ham duniya walon ne jannatein kahaan dekhi hain major ahmed’
‘Tab hi to ham duniya waley jaantey hi nahi ki jannat ke pattey kese dikhte hain. Kabhi koi aapko la de to unhein thham lijeaga. Voh aapko kabhi ruswa naheen hone denge.’
The reader who found the title ‘Jannat ke Pattey’ fascinating, falls in love with the idea of seeing it as a covering, a Hijab, a means of protection.

Later in the novel, after she embraces hijab and faces discrimination, she texts him ‘mujhe jannat ke un patton ne dunia walon ke liye ajnabi bana diya hai’. And he replies, Allah ke rasool, PBUH ne farmaya tha Islam shuru me ajnabi tha. Anqarib yeh phir ajnabi ho jaega. Aur salam ho un ajnabiyon pe.’ She realizes ‘aisi hi to hoti hain achi ladkiyan. Aam ladkiyon se alag. Munfarid, mukhtalif. Voh duniya me gum, befikri se kehkahe lagati, kapdon, juton aur dramon me magan ladkiyon jaisi to nahin hotin. Ajnabiyat hi unki shanakht hoti hai. Voh sahil ki keechad pe chamakne wala alag sa moti hoti hain. Ajnabi moti.’

D.J. aka Khadeeja’s character is so realistic, and maybe every girl meets a companion like her, who adds colors to everything through her wit and understanding. ‘Insaan ko koi cheez nahin hara sakti, jab tak voh khud haar na maan le’. She keeps repeating this phrase and Haya does the same after losing her. ‘Cheezen waqti hoti hain, toot jati hain, bikhar jati hain, rawaiye daaimi hote hain, sadiyon k liye apna asar chorh jate hain..’ she shares a priceless piece of wisdom with her.

The novel is replete with powerful statements laden with truth and reality. It’s inferred that a woman can be another woman's enemy for her personal motives. Haya was trafficked for money. A woman was behind it who forced her husband to get involved in trafficking, to earn money for their sick child. The author shows the grim reality of the so-called picturesque places, be it through human trafficking, or drug abuse. The reader is stunned and torn to read such scenes of horror and affliction. But then it was a turning point, taking the reader towards the story’s climax.

Jihaan was a multi-faceted personality, whose identity was hidden even from the readers. He was an ideal hero, with a unique blend of toughness and softness. His chemistry with Haya is beyond words. Their names were spoken together from the very beginning and as the novel progresses we see a beautiful bond of trust and understanding that’s slowly created.

Aishe Gul and the idea of 'achi ladkiyan' resonates throughout the novel. She keeps parenting her younger sister with Islamic ideals. And it’s kind of adorable on her part. This novel carries valuable ideas around parenting. So minute but significant.

Haya’s cousin Iram falls into the honey-trap of Waleed, who pretends to love her, with the intention of marriage. The author warns young ladies to beware of so-called men who try to boost their ego through multiple affairs with women, deceiving them in the name of love. And that there’s a reason why it’s considered a sin in Islam, i.e. for the protection of young women who must wait for marriage to fall in love.
'Baaz gunah us lambi sadak ki maanind hote hain jispe koi speed breaker nahin hota. Unpe chalna shuru karo to bas insaan phir chalta hi jata hai aur jab tak koi bada accident na ho jae voh ruk nahin pata.’

‘Treasure Hunt’ was the most appealing thing about this novel. Mystery solving can indeed be so much fun. For instance, the wooden puzzle box that could be opened only after pressing the right code.

‘Marked on Homer’s doubts
A stick with twin sprouts
Round the emerald crucified
And the freedom petrified
Snapped there a blooded pine
Split there some tears divine
A love lost in symbolic smell
Under which the lines dwell'

For young readers, insights from the blessed Quran enriched the entire reading experience. Several references throughout the novel add to its value and educate the reader too, promoting a sense of mindfulness and contemplation. The idea of noor taken from Surah noor is so beautiful ‘Allah Noor hai aasmanon aur zameen ka… Allah apne nur ki taraf raasta dikhata hai jise voh chahta hai.’ And the entire idea of Hijab, banu Qurayza reference, description of hell-fire and its allusion to what Haya experiences.

And yes the novel can be termed as a Travelogue too. Anyone who finishes reading this novel can’t help falling in love with Turkey, a picturesque country. The vivid description and minute details capture the essence of the place and make one take a mental ride with the author. Be it Bosphorus bridge, Istiklal Street, Cappadocia, Antalya, Taksim square, Galata tower, etc. everything became so familiar. The sight of flying herons ready to grab chapati, marmara sea waves banging their head on the shore, picking seashells and cutting the pearl oyster to extract the pearls, tulips covering the entire city, bungalows of Buyukada, snow covering the entire landscape, everything feeds the reader’s imagination. This novel was indeed a beautiful escapade, an unpredictable blend of different genres like thriller, romance and faith. And one can read it endless times and discover something new every single time.