Of books and fathers

I picked up 'Aag ka darya' to read. I had bought this book from 'THOMAS & THOMAS' way back in 2005, as per the date scribbled by me at the time. However, I never quite brought myself around the idea of actually reading it. Now, I am trying to voraciously read through all the books that are placed on my shelf, while I can. I started with Hanif's much-applauded debut novel 'A case of exploding mangoes '. I followed it with Obama's memoir 'Dreams from my father' and a few days back I took up Qurratulain hyder's magnum opus "Aag ka Darya'. I knew that I was reading a classic since I had heard and read so much about it. I'll have to admit that the first part of the book was a little difficult for someone like me who was reading Urdu fiction after a very long time. And since the first few chapters deal with a period (around 4th century B.C) which  was dominated by Hinduism as well as Budhism, idiom of the era used in the book is not yet completely familiar to me. However, that is not the reason why I have put the book down. Yes, I have stopped reading it. This is so because I wanted to first read a few other things so as to be able to appreciate the book in its entirety. Two important streams run through the entire course of the book.One, historical and the other, civilizational. The book employs a transmigratory  technique to trace the historical processes which shaped the identity of our region. It also deals with the important 'whys' and 'hows' of the partition of India and the creation of Pakistan. Thus, in order to be able to appreciate the book even further, I need to first familiarize myself with the history of the region since the ancient times. Although I have read many history books, I don't seem to have retained much of it except for a very fine sketch. This,coupled with my father's constant exhortations to read history and eschew fiction, has led me to put the novel down and pick up once again Nehru's 'Glimpses' . I remember a few days back while I was driving to library with my dad alongside ( he accompanies me, at times, to bring the car back), he asked me once again to read history to which I replied that I had read it already in Nehru's 'Glimpses'. As I pulled up the car outside library, my dad advised me to read the books that Nehru had read to write his 'Glimpses'. Thinking how easier it was to say what to read than actually, and at times painstakingly, reading them, I immediately responded , 'I too will have to go jails to achieve this.'  Leaving my father behind laughing at my remark, I entered library. Perhaps with that one little remark, I have saved myself from having to read those big history tomes, at least for now. Nonetheless, history is important. And hence, I am making a brave attempt to once again pick up 'Glimpses' and I intend to follow it with Nehru's "Discovery" and Aitzaz's "Indus saga" and a few more before I go back to Quratulain hyder, lovingly called 'aanie aapaa'. Long wish list, I hope it materializes. Distractions, all of you, stay away!!....