Jammu And Kashmir, 1987. In the hilly village of Pathri Aali, where legends appear true, Aslam and Ashwar, two young lovers, dream of marriage and of good things of life. But that is not to be. Unable to cope, Aslam leaves Pathri Aali forever. Years later, as men migrate to Saudi Arabia for employment, Pathri Aali is populated mostly by women and children. Soon they realize the Mujahideen, who guise themselves as their liberators, are the worst perpetrators, and misery seems inescapable. Ashwar refuses to be cowed down by this reign of terror and is determined not to let it devastate the once-peaceful village. The only one she can bank on is Aslam—and she calls out to him across the distance of time and space, to return and live up to the legends of their village. Snakes in the Meadows is a saga of the onset of militancy, and the suffering and the resilience of Pir Panjal—the ‘And’ of Jammu And Kashmir.
Paperback: 288 pages
Publisher: Rupa Publications India (20 May 2019)
Language: English
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Source: Publicit’ Review Copy
Rating: 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟
Links:
Delving into the heart of the Pathri Aali Village in Jammu and Kashmir, Ayaz Kohli tells a story about the two young people who fall in love and dream of marriage. Only to know that they have different paths ahead.
Snake in the Meadows is the multi-layered novel, where it speaks in volumes and takes its time to fully take root, but the end result is a sturdy novel that questions about the humankind and why we have good reasons to be hopeful about the future.
There are many moments of quiet power in the story. Among them are short asides in which the fates of minor characters are explained—the small fortunes and misfortunes of their lives—even as these characters pass inconspicuously through the narrative.
It moves instead at a slow, deliberate pace, much more concerned with what it means to make a life in a place where so many systems and institutions are designed to make you feel precarious and, in some way, permanently unrooted.
What I liked most is the author’ treatment to all the characters in the novel. Especially Ashwar, where we have a strong and striking female character. Also, how the story takes the leap in the chapter Sarp Vinaash: Destruction of the snakes. He does the total justice to the title.
Ayaz Kohli shines when writing complex social and political dynamics, where the militants (Mujahideen) Indoctrinate the innocent people of Pathri Ali. It’s a tale of resilience and resistance.
Overall, The Snake In the Meadows is a poignant and well-structured debut novel that’s sure enchants with a compelling plot, but satisfies with the fully felt pathos of its characters. I give 4 out of 5 stars, Ayaz Kohli has penned an emotionally moving and atrocious story.
Ayaz Kohli is presently serving as Joint Commissioner-GST, Mumbai. Having seen the rise and repercussions of militancy from very close quarters, and moved by the plight of the people of the border districts of Jammu and Kashmir, he has come up with his debut novel, Snakes in the Meadows.
Retrospect, On My Take! 