“Saheg Watar Kant” (Shadow Returns Back) is one of an interesting and painful novelettes of a prominent Baloch author A.R Daad. The tiny, forty- eight page novelette, is based on two major and serious issues of our society: men’s domination and gender discrimination.
The author in his book “Saheg Watar Kant” describes the hidden feelings of women who are deprived from the fundamental rights – men love them to rule on them every time. For the women, life is a prison and nothing else since they are being treated like prisoners.
The book’s plot completely narrates the story of Qadir – the main character of this book. He loves to spend his nights with females by getting their love as he is thirsty for the love of a female. He meets several women to calm down his inner fire for a moment. After spending times with them, he feels and thinks that how the women are helpless; the husbands do not care about the desires their wives have.
Zarina, a helpless wife, wishes to be loved by her husband, but the wish only remains a wish. When Qadir spends some nights with her, she feels glad to be with him, as she says to Qadir, “Perhaps, you were my husband, how awesome it would have been!” Because her cruel husband always beats her before sleeping.
Zubida is yet another submissive woman whose eyes are red, body is warm and the roots of her feelings are dry due to not getting the love of her husband. The husband only fulfils his own desires, even though not thinking about the feelings of his partner and what she wants.
The plot of this book is an invisible story of our society; the women die every night, but do not complain from their mouths due to the fear of the ruthless world.
The master-piece of A.R Daad openly describes the suppressed feelings and needs of women – not considering them human beings. Women are not born to make the men satisfy and act what they order rather they are full of desires and needs to be provided by any male partner to them. “Saheg Watar Kant” is perfectly written in Balochi language. I will not be wrong to say that this book is crafted as the way as Sadat Hassan Manto writes.
