Daily Times

“Love may be a beautiful distraction, but in the end, it’s almost always painful. Letting go means sadness but holding on to love when its time is up only serves to aggravate the pain.”

J S Rajput’s debut novel “Dreams of another tomorrow” highlights the intricacies of love and life among the upper class living in our conservative and patriarchal society. It is a welcome addition to tales set in the romantic city of Lahore which the Mughals once adorned, and where lived famous poets, mystics, and philosophers who wrote of romance, spiritual quests and the meaning of life.

The book with a gorgeous cover paints an intimate picture of the lives of the ‘decadent’ elite in the cultural capital of Pakistan, which is seen through the eyes of Raza, a young Harvard professor as he navigates a return to Lahore for completing a book. Unexpectedly reconnected with a lost love who is now married, Raza is torn between temptation and fear of tribulation.

Scarred by the encounter as the story progresses, Raza must decide whether he should open his heart again to other alluring temptations or learn to let go. Finding love becomes a perilous road for the protagonist as he navigates complex family relationships, broken friendships, and lines that have been drawn in the sand.

J S Rajput’s inimitable take on complex social and political issues is effortlessly woven into an enchanting love story.

Enters his childhood friend Fareed and his wife Saira, two key players of the Lahori elite who seemingly make a perfect couple. But nothing is as it appears Raza discovers gradually as Fareed draws him deeper into the profligate ways of the rich and powerful. Traversing the darker alleys of the deeply conservative society where power and moral authority resides with men, and where many women are forced to stand up for their rights and lives, Raza meets fascinating women who have rebelled from the roles they have been assigned by society or political dispensation. Saira and her sister-in-law Erina, introduce readers to facets of the lives of these aristocratic women that are unknown to most.

The novel explores the challenges of opposing social pressures faced by the upper-class women in Pakistan at a time when a debate has been triggered on the subject because of some shocking instances witnessed by the country. Highly educated, intelligent and not lacking any material comforts, many of the upper-class ladies still feel the need for seeking spiritual guidance from Pirs and Sufis in trying to negotiate the contradiction of an exalted status but inferior roles in the power equation. The story introduces some fascinating female characters with the courage to demand more than the society has to offer, “who become embroiled ‘in the games played by ruthless men manipulating a milieu threatened by extremism.'”

In the midst of it all, Raza struggles to stay loyal to his friend who has changed much to fit the role he has chosen for himself in a dispensation that values power more than anything else. Becoming entangled in a much larger game than he bargained for when he decided to return to the mother country for a while, Raza must find a way out of the conundrum or perish.

Set in an era when Pakistan faced the deadliest onslaught of terrorism and security issues, the plot is woven around the byzantine politics practised in the country to bring out the contradictions between words and actions of the major players, as well as between appearances and actualities.

The budding author brings a rich new flavour to his work that is reminiscent of Mohsin Hamid, Mohammed Hanif and Khaled Hosseini. The book contains elements of both a satire and a thriller, and the plotline is a page-turner as Benazir Bhutto’s assassination, extremism, foreign interests, security issues and politics intermingle with the lives of the main characters. J S Rajput’s inimitable take on complex social and political issues is effortlessly woven into an enchanting love story.

The multi-layered characters bring richness to the work and the cleverly conjured tale provides a well-informed commentary on the society as the author seems to understand the micro and macro of it better than most. The way he skillfully constructs the story with conversations between different characters on the politics and societal issues makes a wonderful reading while conveying a breadth of knowledge about the socio-political dynamics of the country.

All in all, this beautifully crafted book offers an insider’s view of a society where the obvious is all smoke and mirrors while drawing the readers into a gripping romance set against patriarchal prejudice and power games. It is a highly recommendable read for those interested in good stories set in the Desi milieu, as well as those with an interest in understanding the interplay of social and political undercurrents that impact the lives of the so-called privileged, beyond what meets the eyes.

Dreams of Another Tomorrow has been published by Troubador UK and debuts on 28th October. It is available for sale, by order, at all international bookstores and Amazon. It is also available on all the major digital platforms.

The writer is a graduate of Mount Holyoke College and the University of Cambridge and works for the United Nations.