Review of the book Blasphemy by Tehmina Durani

Blasted Femme
Tehmina Durani had stirred controversies and questions in her autobiographical account My Feudal Lord. Now, she is back with her new book with new fable to reveal deep hidden truth. Blasphemy, inspired on a true story is set in Southern Pakistan. Tehmina approaches our hearts and held them with journey of teenage girl through rough times to attain happiness in her later life. She exposes brutality in name of religion and ignorance making faith a weapon to destroy mankind. A serious scavenger eating up world trade centers, trains and hotels these days.
Set in some bizarre small town of Pakistan is 15 year old Heer, daughter of a low class widow dreams about a vivid future with a friend’s brother who loves her flawless beauty. Her dreams crash when her widow mother arranges a match for her with a renowned spiritual person who was awed by her one glance somewhere in past. On denial to offer, a mother pleads of her poverty, class and upbringing of her 3 siblings 2 sisters and a possessive loving brother. Sacrifice is made and goat is cut to a high class family with name attached to a Shrine. A dowry is paid enough to maintain the class and daughter is wed off with ample of money, jewel and gift and fame, which bring lost relatives back in return. The pretty teenager with all new hopes and dreams enters a Haveli (Traditional one or two storey house with big courtyard and no backyard) fill with maids, spies and horrendous secrets. The nuptial night with butterflies in her stomach turns into most painful abuse of her life. The physical torture that followed every night didn’t need words to explain. The sexual abuse wasn’t enough torment for the girl that the slapping, trashing and beating started. The most bewildering and flabbergasting fact for Heer was the man Pir Sain who ill behaved with her in darkness of their room was a walking God outside that four walls who people worshipped and were scared of. The devil was caretaker and owner of Shrine and Allah’s child for all people. They sought his blessings for their sorrows, thanked him for all good deeds and asked remedies for their ill fates. The double standards of Haveli and its residents shocked Heer. She knew her fate was decided and written to be subservient to holy monster, whose monstrous acts were even lashed on maids that reside in his home. His mother Amma Sain mistress of house was like 3 blind monkeys that couldn’t see, talk or hear anything. Her duties were to bless who came in Haveli act as hostess and bend to her son’s wishes. The physical torture led to a miscarriage of his child in Heer’s womb. But, that didn’t stop Pir Sain from his pleasures for he repented nothing on what happened. Heer’s life was same she received company from a maid, an old caretaker of Pir Sain during his childhood days. The maid was raped and married off and later murdered in suspicious way. The heights of all agony were reached when Pir Sain tried to molest his elder daughter. To save her daughter, Heer fed other young maids to him. Torn between religion and duty she was forced to drink whisky, erotic drinks, engage in orgies, enjoy lubricious porn videos and feature in them. As if all this wasn’t enough, He forced her to have sex with other men and enjoy watching it. Behind the purdah was carried out unspeakable sexual abuse and unbearable physical abuse. A son was murdered by father on learning that son has loved his father’s mistress. Unable to bear more secrets, tortures, abuse Heer sought Allah’s help each day till a day a robed figure appears and offers her to kill the Devil. But even his deathleaves some ghosts behind in form of his trained son. Aimed to reveal true facts of Shrine and acknowledging those ignorant to brutal truth, Heer tries and falls in trap of fate till death being her only escape. But, a framed death turns her life to living mode.
As you see, a book that crunches you, clenches your fist and forces you to shut eyes of horror is what Blasphemy brings to us. The well narrated book keeps us praying for protagonist Heer’s torment to end. The words have effect on our souls and stories within story cringes our heart. An eye opener and brutal reality is well interwoven by Tehmina. An unstoppable book by a great writer is what Blasphemy has to offer. Thus, read it at your own risk of bearing the abuse of protagonist.

Rating ***

Rating Chart
*- Don’t even look at Cover
** Read it only if you desire, otherwise don spend on it
*** Good Buy and better read
**** Splendid for your collection
*****- Must read and buy Dare you miss it