Naseebullah Khan
Saadat Hassan Manto was one of the pioneers of amorous urdu literature. It was a time when Asmat Chugtai was also entering in this field. Both look impressed from Sigmand Freud. Manto was a realist and had deep knowledge of society and had criticized societal decay in a satirical manner. He faced cases in courts by writing short stories such as Kali Shalwar (Black Trouser) Bu (Smell) and Dhuwa (Smoke) before partition. After the partition of united India he also faced a case by writing Thanda Gosht (Cool Meat) and was sentenced to jail for 3 months with a fine of 300 rupees
Smoke is one of his books of 137 pages that is comprised of 13 short stories which was published in 1941. The first story bearing the name of Dhuwa (Smoke) talks about Sexual feelings and desires of the youth age. In this story Masood has a sister Kalsoom who tells Masood to massage her back as there is pain in it. Masood does it. During massage Massod feels erotic feeling in her body. Meanwhile, Masood,s mother was also massaging husband,s head. This short story also sheds light on lasbian sex. Nimbla who was Kalsoom,s friend was sitting with Kalsoom in her room. One day when Masood opened the door of the room abruptly he saw that both Nimbla and Kalsoom had been touching eachother and when they saw Masood they both hid themselves in the quilt.
The second short story has the name progressive which is a satirical comedy. Jogandar Singh was a clerk and play writer who and his wife Amrat Kor, who despite their poverty were very hospitable and used to invite literary figures.
Harinder Nath Tripati who was a short story writer had admired story writing of Jogandar Sing. When Jogandar Sing heard his admiration he decided to invite him. After some days Harindar Nath Tripati came to Jogander house on his invitaion alongside his wife and daughter and spent one month. Jogandar Nath and his wife who were poor were facing economic crunch and wanted Harinder to leave their home. They felt that Harindar had no care of other,s sentiments and poverty and that hospitality should not be so long long. At the same time, Jogandar Sing felt desire of intercourse with his wife which he had not taken place during the whole stay of Harindar Nath for almost a period of 21 days. One night he meets with her wife in a bathroom and tells her to be ready in the same bathroom at 12 AM. When Jogander Sing comes at exact time and knocks the door he sees that Harindar Nath Tripati comes out and opens the door.
This story also talks about the discussion of 2 literary figures when they sit together. They always talk of their literary works and criticizes other,s works.
New Year is another short story in which Manto talks about a person who is in severe crises for a period of four years owing to which he has become accustomed to facing misiries. During the past 4 years he struggled a lot. Worked hard. But could not succeeded having a prosperous life.
This person is an editor of a newspaper whose circulation is only 200. In the story Manto portrays him hopeless and when new year approaches he welcomes the new year another year of problems which he is going to face. Manto criticizes such people and observes that that editor was reluctant to think carefully on different issues and considers him of no use.
The forth story is a comedy. Shukat was an expert in catching Rats. One day a neighbor of Arshad (Arshad was Shukat,s neighbor) whose name was Salma comes to Arshad,s home. She was a beautiful, charming, educated and decent girl. When she sits she sees a Rat. At the same time, Arshad bets with Salma that he will catch the Rat in 15 to 20 minutes and if he wins whatever he wanted from Salma, she will not deny. Salma gets ready for bet. Arshad catches the Rat with the help of a Mousetrap which was given to him by Shukat. Within the specific period he catches the Rat and wins the bet and kisses Salma. He thanks Shukat in his heart that had Shukat not given Mousetrap, catching Rat would have been impossible. Meanwhile, Shukat was also in love with Salma. Here Manto skatches a polyamory.
The name of fifth story is theft. In the said story and Old man narrates a story to some boys about his theft in childhood and says that after his first theft he continued stealing. This story has ambiguity at the end when the old man justifies theft and is pride of it. Story number six has a title of Qasim that talks about a relationship of a servant and its boss. The servant Qasim had a burdon of work in his master,s house. Owing to which, he cuts himself with Knife twice and thrice with Blade so that he may find some rest. One day he cuts his finger with Blade badly that becomes septic and owing to poverty Qasim,s hand is cut off. He becomes a begger but he is happy as a begger and thinks that he has no burdon of work of his master to do. There is no one who gets angery on him. He is not tired and he has ample time to sleep.
Story number seven whose name is a mad poet talks of hamanism and brutality. In the story Manto meets a poet in a Garden who sings a melancholy and says to Manto that he is a revolutionary poet. He talks that the brutality of the British that killed innocent will end one day. He skatches the incident of Jalianwala Bagh in which he claims 2 thousand people were killed. He also asserts that barbarism is a curse.
Story number eight name is Lantern in which he talks of nostalgia, compares village life with city life where there is calmness in village life. In the story Wazir was a women who had a Lantern and loved Shabir (author,s friend). Shabir used to sing a song at night. When Wazir heard his voice she used to light the Lantern. And used to hide herself behind the bushes or used to wait beneth the Walnuts Tree. But Shabir was not interested in her.
Story number ten is about flowers that according to Manto also love with oneanother. When two flowers hug eachother the gardner comes and Pluks them.
Story number 11 having the name of hot suit is a comedy and talks about a person who is idle and silly person and spends a dependent life. In the story Gandasing used to wear a hot suit in summer too because he was poor and had no more suits. He was con to cleanliness, took breakfast without washing mouth and hands and did not take bath in 6 months and used to wet hands with curtains after having meal.
During Summer he spent many days in Abdul Hameed house because of which Mr. Hameed and his wife were fed up. One day Mr. Hameed told Gandasing that his house was small and that in Summer it was difficult for his family to afford a person. Gandasing replies and asks him to suggest him that on one side he should be in a cool place to live summer happily and on the other side he should wear his hot suit as after 3 months winter was coming. Hameed and his wife decided to send him to Simla which was a cool place. Gandasing was happy to go there.
Story number 12 talks about a depressed person who was the victim of the lust of money of his father. Mohan who was traveling in a train says to a student who was also traveling with him that his father told him you are mad. After that his wife left him after marriage of 10 or 15 days. The student asks Mohan why your father did so. He answered that his father was avaricious. Mohan was going to Delhi to his father in law house to bring back his wife to assure her that he was not mad. And that he loved his wife Socila alot.
Cause of Depression is the last short story of the book. Naeem is a story writer who writes for Films. Ashiq Hussian is a dancer who went to Zahra,s house who was a prostitute. One day Ashiq Hussain along with his 2 friends went in a house of Zahra while left Naeem sitting in car. His two friends stole a Fan from Zahra,s house. Zahra complained in Police and Police recovered Fans from them. The police investigated the robbers that who else was accompanied by them. They told that Naeem too who was in the car and even did not know the two tobbers, was accompanied by them. Naeem was also arrested who was innocent. In the court Zahra also told a lie and blamed Naeem for robbery too.
This short story gives lesson that how a pure and innocent person is conscious of his pride and honour as Naeem was depressed and the cause was the black sting and allegations of robbery against him from the house of the prostitute. At the same time, this short story is also a critic on the judicial and administrative systems of that time that how an innocent is trapped.