Introduction
Zulfikar Ghose (1935), is one of the excellent novelists in the literary circle of Pakistani Literature in English. He is famous for his style; the use of stream of consciousness like Virginia Woolf. To the Lighthouse, a very symbolic novel is a bright example of this technique. He is also well-known for his poetical work like The Loss of India, Jets from Orange and The Violent West.
Overview
The novel 'Murder of Aziz' is a
conventional novel that depicts the empirical conventions in our society. Its
plot emanated from pragmatic rituals, illustrating the hatred showered by greed
and turmoil in the land accession game. The writer has been triumphant in
elucidating the orthodox traditions practiced in the rural areas of Pakistan.
It has enacted the social depravities of greed, avarice, deceptions, and lust
of wealthy people. The authenticity of the novel has become radical over the
decades.
Characters
The following are the central characters of the novel.
Aziz Khan (Owner of 70 acres of land).
Javaid and Rafeeq (Sons of Aziz khan).
Zuleika (married daughter of Aziz khan who's residing in Karachi).
Akram Shah (oldest brother in the Shah family).
Ayub Shah (middle brother in the Shah family).
Afaq Shah (youngest brother in the Shah family and most educated).
Zarina (a member of the Shah family, whose parents are unknown).
Summary
At the beginning of the novel, Zulfiqar
Ghosle narrates how the character of Aziz Khan came to his mind when he toured
Pakistan to cover Pakistan versus England series as a journalist.
Chapter 1: Argument
Chapter 1 commences with the arrival of
Akram Shah from Mumbai to kalapur (a rural area in Punjab), tired of the
commotion of Hindus on Indian Muslims. It was a time of martial law in
Pakistan, and industrialists sold goods at an elevated inflation rate.
In kalapur, he saws the vast greenery
and cotton fields and thought of starting a business by purchasing these. He
immediately arranges 5 lacs and manages to buy all cotton fields. He barters
the production to the industrialist on a 10% profit. After this tremendous
revenue, he establishes two cloth industries with investment from his friends.
However, he couldn't buy 70 acres of Aziz khan, though he pleaded several
times. But since his enterprise is flourishing, he doesn't compel Aziz Khan for
3 years.
Chapter 2: Afaq
Afaq, the youngest son of the Shah
family, is a depraved and debauched bachelor. He is a victim of his brother's
criticism, who thinks him idiotic and absurd. Ayub, the middle of three
brothers, is aggressive and precarious.
One day, the accountant told Ayub about
losses their business faced because of Aziz khan's obstinacy. Afaq, when he
asks his brother about this matter, is reprimanded by Ayub. Afaq, in outrage,
goes outside in his jeep.
On his way, he encounters Rafeeq and
Javaid (sons of Aziz khan), who tells them about the broker to whom their
cotton is sold each year.
The following day, the Shah brothers
reach out to that vendor (Muhammad Hussain) and bid him not to pay Aziz, khan
for his crop. When Rafeeq reaches Muhammad Hussain, he starts coughing, and
before Rafeeq asks for money, Hussain lies about his lung infection resulting
in leniency from Rafeeq.
Consequently, he presents more money to
him instead of grabbing his money back. On his way back, he hits upon Afaq, who
takes him to a hut outside the village. There they rejoice their entire night
with liquor and prostitution. In the morning, Afaq gives Rafeeq 2000 PRs, which
he gives to his father as the money returned by Hussain.
When Afaq returns to his house drunk,
Ayub sees and abuses him for his lunacy. He furiously goes into the fields of
Aziz khan and notices a girl of 13 years; Jameela Bano takes her to the fields,
rapes her (who died later), and then gallops from there.
Since this all transpired in Aziz khan's
crops, his son Javaid is arrested and hanged to death.
Afaq, on the other side, Richie's rich,
was sent to England by his family.
Chapter 3: Javaid
Zakiya, the wife of Aziz khan, is
diagnosed with kidney problems and is sent to a skilled doctor. After a
successful kidney transplant, she returns to her house, but his husband is sunk
into debt. He sends his son Javaid to Muhammad Hussain for a loan to pay his
debts. When he goes to Hussain, he again starts coughing because he thinks
Javaid will demand their money. In contrast, Javaid asks for a loan (Hussain is
enthralled and thinks Aziz might have forgotten the money he had to pay because
of his son's death).
However, he gives Javaid money on an
agreement to conquer his 70 acres if he fails to refund the money. When Javaid
returned to his house, he was stabbed by bandits, who took his money and flew
away, killing Javaid.
On the other side, Razia (spouse of
Ayub, having extramarital infidelity with Afaq), expecting to see Afaq, goes to
England. However, after some days of living with Afaq, she realizes the
relationship between Afaq in England.
In resentment, she returns to Pakistan.
Akram Shah returns from Bangladesh after
the inauguration of a soap factory. He forces Ayub to mobilize to Bangladesh
and operate the soap factory against his will. Ayub feeling the betrayal scent
from his brother, revealed his deepest secret that Zarina was Akram's daughter.
Chapter 4
After Javaid's demise, Zakiya couldn't
hold more, and she died.
The Shah brothers invaded Aziz Khan's
fields as he couldn't return the debt of Muhammad Hussain.
Aziz khan, tired of solitude, goes to
his cousin Shahid in Lahore, where he hopes that police might assist him in
getting his fields back. When he consults a police officer, he disrespects and
humiliates him.
In despise, he returns to kalapur, where he sees machinery of Shah industries in his crops. In depression, he goes to a nearby cascade for suicide.
