Social Aspects of Qurat-ul-Ain Haider’s Akhire Shab Kay Humsafar

آخر شب کے ہمسفراز قرۃ العین حیدر کے سماجی  پہلو

Abstract

Qurratulain Hyder’s novel Aakhir-e-Shab ke Hamsafar unfolds against the backdrop of Bengal’s revolutionary movement of 1942, the Partition of India, and the emergence of Bangladesh. Set primarily in Dhaka, the narrative explores the disintegration of four ancestral mansions as a metaphor for the subcontinent’s layered fragmentation. Through the central character Deepali Sarkar—an impassioned revolutionary—the novel delves into themes of nostalgia, displacement, and ideological conflict. Deepali’s emotional journey, marked by memories of her martyred uncle and her complex relationship with Rehanuddin, reflects the personal cost of political upheaval. Other characters, such as Rosie, Uma Rai, and Charles Barlow, embody varied dimensions of historical and personal nostalgia, each haunted by memories of lost homes, fractured relationships, and unfulfilled desires. Hyder’s portrayal of feminine psychology is particularly nuanced, revealing the inner turmoil of women navigating socio-political transitions. The novel’s interweaving of personal memory with collective history evokes a melancholic resonance, where longing for the past becomes a form of resistance. Ultimately, Aakhir-e-Shab ke Hamsafar stands as a poignant literary meditation on identity, exile, and the enduring ache of remembrance—echoing the trauma of Partition and the fragile hope of reconciliation.