مستنصر حسین تارڑ کا ناول’شہر خالی، کوچہ خالی‘:وجودی کرب اور تنہائی کا بیانیہ

MUSTANSAR HUSSAIN TARAR’S NOVEL SHEHER KHALI, KOOCHA KHALI: A NARRATIVE OF EXISTENTIAL ANGUISH AND LONELINESS

Abstract

Mustansar Hussain Tarar is regarded as one of the most versatile and stylistically distinguished writers in Urdu literature.His celebrated novels such as ‘‘Bahao, Raakh, Khus-o-Khashaak Zamane, and  Sheher Khali, Koocha Khali’’ stand as remarkable examples of existential as well as ecological criticism. In these works, Tarar powerfully explores the themes of human loneliness, the disorientation of time, and the agonizing realities of the modern world, presenting a profound critique of contemporary existence.His novel ‘‘Sheher Khali, Koocha Khali’’ in particular offers an intense and moving narrative of existential anguish and solitude during the days of the global pandemic. The hauntingly deserted streets and eerily empty cities portrayed in the novel serve not only as symbols of social isolation but also as mirrors reflecting an inner and spiritual void. The pandemic, by cutting individuals off from crowds, forced them into an encounter with their own selves, where they grappled with fundamental questions about the meaning or potential meaninglessness of life.Tarar conveys this condition not only through external landscapes but also through the psychological struggles and inner conflicts of his characters. Ultimately, the narrative makes us realize that although loneliness and existential anguish render a person helpless and powerless, the hope for survival and the possibility of renewal always remain alive.