What a debut and what a story! Beautifully crafted, the author pens a riveting tale of pathos with sheer finesse. The seamless writing exudes lucidity in its purest form. From the word go, this heart wrenching tale makes the reader explore various expressions of life with a stoic representation of exquisite harangue of unadulterated emotions that spew a cornucopia of issues plaguing our society today. It is a heroic endeavor to canvass and loudly proclaim a desire for hope and light.
The book Skyfall is a poignant song of a bird (metaphor) that cries for peace, justice and freedom. It beautifully encapsulates the story of three lives; Rania, Ujala and Jahaan-e-Rumi embroiled in a series of incomprehensible situations that unnervingly obscures their ability to intercede for their beliefs and throws them in a labyrinth of void, darkness and pain.
Welcome to Heera Mandi, a notorious red light district in Lahore. Rania, our protagonist is born to Jahaan-e-Rumi, a prostitute by profession, though not by choice. Jahaan-e-Rumi is forced into this trade by her uncompromising and vicious husband Sherji who leads a dual life. He runs a madrasa during the day and pompously deals as a pimp at night. Sherji mercilessly beats and tortures her sister Ujala. On the other hand, Rania’s life is nothing short of a dichotomy laced with a scheming cacophony of unbridled hypocrisy. Bound by fanatic religious societal beliefs & values harbored by her father, Sherji makes the lives of these three women replete with duress and torture.
Rania’s pain seeks solace in singing. Music becomes a panacea and gives her wings to fly. A window of opportunity and escape to New York becomes a possibility when Rania participates and gets shortlisted in a musical contest in her area. To bear expenses of her family, Rania works as a tourist guide during the day. A chance meeting with Asher, a Hindu boy from India, changes her perspective towards life.
What happens next is unfathomable! The story unfolds in unpredictable ways and will take you by surprise. What will be the fate of these three women? Will Rania be a harbinger of change in their lives? What would be the outcome of Rania and Asher’s relationship? Will their relationship survive the test of time? If these questions intrigue you, you might want to read this book to find out! I thoroughly enjoyed reading Skyfall and would definitely recommend this amazing piece of fiction to everyone!