Daily Times

I believe that a book has the power to direct our thought process either in the right or wrong way and leave us with some great lessons.

I found Darbar-e-Dil by Umera Ahmed a good book which left me with some good lessons too. For instance, to believe more strongly in prayers, be patient and know that Allah is the best planner. The title of the story Darbar-e-Dil makes one assume that it is a love story. In the beginning, it seems to be a social romantic novel but the end changed my perspective and I found it a completely different novel to what I was expecting. The book comes across as average towards the beginning but takes you in as you keep reading it. It’s now my favourite book.

This was the second novel of my life which I found overall as a worth reading novel. The thing which made it best for me was the message or meaning the novel has at the end for me, for all of us which change our perceptions about Dua and Sabar. I recommend this book to younger girls mainly who want everything in life right away and hate being patient.

Here below is the story line of darbar-e-dil so that one gets idea about the story of this novel.

Darbar e dil is the story of a girl Mehr who was very religious and believed that Allah always listened upon her prayers. The only thing which irritates her was today youngsters love stories while her one friend was fond of love stories and the story shows their argument on this topic many times. Mehr always argued that love was just a stupid thing and she never fall in love with anyone.

Other strong character of the story is Murad who belonged from upper class family, liberal in his thought and for him love was a fun. One day due to miss connection of the telephone lines Murad unintentionally listen the conversation of Mehr with her friend, the thing which attracted Murad was the argument of Mehr against love. He bet with his friend to trap the girl Mehr in his love. He by using his connection found the number of Mehr house and start calling her on daily basis. First Mehr ignored her but with the passage of time she fall in love with that guy and asked him to marry her. For Murad, it was all for the fun so he decided with his friend to call that girl somewhere and insult her. He called Mehr and created the scene that he was dying and wanted to meet Mehr for the last time but she could not go there because of some reasons.

Time passed by and one day when Murad and his friend were recalling the past fun times, Murad’s wife realises that he’s the only one he ever loved and that she ruined three years of her life for a guy for whom the entire relationship was mere fun. She regrets losing the path of Allah for that guy

Mehr prayed a lot for her life and start waiting for her call but as the time passed and he could not call her. She thought that she lost him and her prayers were not listened by Allah which changed her life. She left all her religious practices and starts following western life style.

Murad went abroad for higher studies and after 2 years when he returned back, he saw a girl on a book shop, western in her style and fall in love with her. Murad’s mother wanted that he must marry her friend’s daughter who was very religious but when Murad went there with her mother to her friend’s house he found the same girl and forced her mother that he will only marry that girl as after seeing that girl who was completely changed her mother was against this marriage. On his wish her mother agreed and they both get married. For the girl it was just her parent’s decision as she loved someone else.

Time passed by and one day when Murad and his friend were recalling the past fun times, Murad’s wife realises that he’s the only one he ever loved and that she ruined three years of her life for that guy for whom the entire relationship was mere fun. She regrets losing the path of Allah for that guy. On realising this, she immediately leaves the house. All of a sudden, she receives a call from Murad who tells her that it was him who used to prank call her at the time when the accident took place. He tells her that the accident made him closer to Allah.

The writer is a student and can be reached at heeminariaz95@gmail.com

Published in Daily Times, March 17^th 2019.