Short story: The Photograph by Saadat Hasan Manto
‘They’re dead!’
‘All of them?’
‘Yes, all of them. How come you bothered to ask?’
‘I am their father.’
‘Please, God, never again should a father like you be born!’
‘Why are you so angry today? I don’t understand why your moods are always oscillating. I’ve just returned from work. I’m dog tired, and you’ve started your nagging. Might as well have stayed in the office and relaxed under the fan.’
‘There’s a fan here as well. You always find time to relax elsewhere; you can grace us with your presence and relax here.’
‘There’s no end to your sarcasm. I think it came with you as part of your dowry.’
‘I tell you, don’t talk such nonsense with me all the time. You’ve transformed into a most shameless person.’
‘Everything transforms. Where’s the bloom of your youth? And I feel I’m a hundred-year-old man.’
‘It’s all because of your antics. I’ve never felt old.’
‘My antics are not so sinister. And as your husband, don’t I have the right to feel that your bloom is fading?’
‘Please speak to me in a language I can understand. What’s this talk of fading?’ ‘Forget it. Let’s talk about love and adoration.’
‘You just said that you feel like a hundred-year-old man.’
‘Yes, but my heart is young.’
‘What can I say about your heart! You call it a heart? Let someone ask me, and I will tell them, “This man who claims his heart is full of love has a heart of stone.” What do you know of love? Only a woman can love.’
‘Ah, examine world history and tell me how many women have loved men. It’s always men who’ve loved women and been true to their love. Women are always faithless.’
‘Lies! Lies from the beginning and lies to the end. Faithlessness is always the preserve of men.’
‘And that king of England who gave up his crown and throne for an ordinary woman…is that an ordinary fictitious story?’
‘Hah! Trying to impress me with one example!’
‘There are several such examples in history. When a man loves a woman, he never steps back. The wretch will sacrifice his life but not let the slightest harm near his beloved. You don’t understand how much power there is in a man’s love.’
‘I understand everything about power. You couldn’t open the cupboard door that was stuck. Eventually, I was the one who had to use my strength to force it open.’
‘Look here, my love, you are unfair. You know that my right arm suffers from rheumatism. I didn’t even go to work at the time and was lying in bed, moaning with pain night and day. You didn’t pay the slightest attention to me and went off to the cinema with your friends.’
‘You were malingering.’
‘La hol wa’llah! The Almighty protect us from the Devil! Malingering? I was dying of pain, and you say I was malingering. To hell with such a life.’
‘Now you are sending me to hell!’
‘You’ve lost your mind. I am moaning about my life.’
‘All you do is moan.’
‘Well, at least you always find some cause for laughter because you don’t give two hoots for anybody. As far as you’re concerned, the children can go to hell, I can die, this house can burn to ashes, and you will continue to laugh. I’ve never ever seen such a heartless woman in my life!’
‘How many women have you seen to date?’
‘Thousands, millions…these days all you see are women on the roads.’
‘Don’t lie. You’ve seen some woman or the other — especially!’
‘What do you mean by especially?’
‘I don’t wish to reveal your secrets. I’m off now.’
‘Where?’
‘To a friend’s…to share my pain. I shall weep buckets with her, and she will weep with me, to lighten the pain in my heart.’
‘Why don’t you tell me? I promise to share the pain you wish to share with your friend.’
‘Your promises…have you ever kept a promise?’
‘You are very unfair. To this day, I have fulfilled every promise that I ever made to you. Just the other day you asked me for a tea set; I borrowed money from a friend and bought you a wonderful service.’
‘You did me a great turn! You bought that for your friends. Tell me, who broke two cups?’
‘Your son broke one cup, and your little girl broke the other.’
‘You always blame the children. Well, now let’s stop arguing. I have to bathe and change and do up my chignon.’
‘Look here, I’ve never been firm with you and always speak gently to you, but today, I order you, if you leave the house….’
‘Aji vah! Just look at you, who are you to order me around?’
‘Hasn’t taken you long to forget! I am your husband.’
‘I don’t know what it means to be a husband…I shall live my life as I wish, and I’ll go out. Certainly, I will go out. I’ll see who can stop me.’
‘You will not…and this is my final decision.’
‘This will be decided in a court.’
‘How does a court come into this? I don’t understand the ridiculous things you’re spouting today. Talk sense. Have a bath so you cool down a bit.’
‘Living with you has turned me into ice from head to toe.’
‘No woman is content with her husband, no matter how decent the poor chap might be. It’s part of the female temperament to find fault with a husband. I have overlooked so many of your flaws and misdemeanours.’
‘God forbid…what misdemeanours have I committed?’
‘Last year, rather grandly, when you decided to cook a turnip shabdegh and put a massive pot on the stove in the evening. And you fell into such a deep sleep that when I woke up the following morning and went to the kitchen, I found all the turnips had burnt to cinders. I removed the pot and lit the stove to make tea, and you continued to sleep.’
‘I don’t wish to hear this nonsense.’
‘Because there is not an iota of a lie in it. Why are women so allergic to facing reality and the truth? If I tell you that your left cheek is slightly fatter than your right cheek, perhaps you won’t forgive me for the rest of my life, but it’s true, and perhaps, you too are aware of this. Look, please put the paperweight back from where you picked it up. Aim it at my head, and this matter will get out of hand.’
‘I picked up the paperweight because it is exactly like your face. The bubbles of air inside are your eyes, and this red thing is your nose that’s always red. When I saw you for the first time, I thought the dark bags under your eyes looked like cockroaches sitting face downwards.’
‘Does your heart feel lighter now?’
‘My heart will never feel lighter. Let me go. I’ll have a bath, change, and perhaps, go away forever.’
‘Before you leave at least tell me why you’re going away forever.’
‘I don’t want to tell you. You are one of the most shameless people in the world!’
‘Bhai, I haven’t understood a word of what you’ve said. I don’t know why, quite out of the blue, you’ve started haranguing me.’
‘Just check the inside pocket of your jacket.’
‘Where’s my jacket?’
‘I’ll bring it…I’ll bring it!’
‘What on earth can there be in my jacket? A bottle of whisky? But I finished that before I came home and threw it away. Maybe it’s still there.’
‘Here’s your jacket.’
‘Now, what should I do?’
‘Put your hand in the inside pocket and take out the photograph of the girl with whom you are having a love affair these days!’
‘La hol wa’llah! I thought I was losing my mind! My darling, the girl in this photograph is my sister. You haven’t met her. She lives in Africa. You haven’t seen the letter with it — here.’
‘Hai, what a beautiful girl! Perfect for my bhaijan.’
‘They’re dead!’
‘All of them?’
‘Yes, all of them. How come you bothered to ask?’
‘I am their father.’
‘Please, God, never again should a father like you be born!’
‘Why are you so angry today? I don’t understand why your moods are always oscillating. I’ve just returned from work. I’m dog tired, and you’ve started your nagging. Might as well have stayed in the office and relaxed under the fan.’
‘There’s a fan here as well. You always find time to relax elsewhere; you can grace us with your presence and relax here.’
‘There’s no end to your sarcasm. I think it came with you as part of your dowry.’
‘I tell you, don’t talk such nonsense with me all the time. You’ve transformed into a most shameless person.’
‘Everything transforms. Where’s the bloom of your youth? And I feel I’m a hundred-year-old man.’
‘It’s all because of your antics. I’ve never felt old.’
‘My antics are not so sinister. And as your husband, don’t I have the right to feel that your bloom is fading?’
‘Please speak to me in a language I can understand. What’s this talk of fading?’ ‘Forget it. Let’s talk about love and adoration.’
‘You just said that you feel like a hundred-year-old man.’
‘Yes, but my heart is young.’
‘What can I say about your heart! You call it a heart? Let someone ask me, and I will tell them, “This man who claims his heart is full of love has a heart of stone.” What do you know of love? Only a woman can love.’
‘Ah, examine world history and tell me how many women have loved men. It’s always men who’ve loved women and been true to their love. Women are always faithless.’
‘Lies! Lies from the beginning and lies to the end. Faithlessness is always the preserve of men.’
‘And that king of England who gave up his crown and throne for an ordinary woman…is that an ordinary fictitious story?’
‘Hah! Trying to impress me with one example!’
‘There are several such examples in history. When a man loves a woman, he never steps back. The wretch will sacrifice his life but not let the slightest harm near his beloved. You don’t understand how much power there is in a man’s love.’
‘I understand everything about power. You couldn’t open the cupboard door that was stuck. Eventually, I was the one who had to use my strength to force it open.’
‘Look here, my love, you are unfair. You know that my right arm suffers from rheumatism. I didn’t even go to work at the time and was lying in bed, moaning with pain night and day. You didn’t pay the slightest attention to me and went off to the cinema with your friends.’
‘You were malingering.’
‘La hol wa’llah! The Almighty protect us from the Devil! Malingering? I was dying of pain, and you say I was malingering. To hell with such a life.’
‘Now you are sending me to hell!’
‘You’ve lost your mind. I am moaning about my life.’
‘All you do is moan.’
‘Well, at least you always find some cause for laughter because you don’t give two hoots for anybody. As far as you’re concerned, the children can go to hell, I can die, this house can burn to ashes, and you will continue to laugh. I’ve never ever seen such a heartless woman in my life!’
‘How many women have you seen to date?’
‘Thousands, millions…these days all you see are women on the roads.’
‘Don’t lie. You’ve seen some woman or the other — especially!’
‘What do you mean by especially?’
‘I don’t wish to reveal your secrets. I’m off now.’
‘Where?’
‘To a friend’s…to share my pain. I shall weep buckets with her, and she will weep with me, to lighten the pain in my heart.’
‘Why don’t you tell me? I promise to share the pain you wish to share with your friend.’
‘Your promises…have you ever kept a promise?’
‘You are very unfair. To this day, I have fulfilled every promise that I ever made to you. Just the other day you asked me for a tea set; I borrowed money from a friend and bought you a wonderful service.’
‘You did me a great turn! You bought that for your friends. Tell me, who broke two cups?’
‘Your son broke one cup, and your little girl broke the other.’
‘You always blame the children. Well, now let’s stop arguing. I have to bathe and change and do up my chignon.’
‘Look here, I’ve never been firm with you and always speak gently to you, but today, I order you, if you leave the house….’
‘Aji vah! Just look at you, who are you to order me around?’
‘Hasn’t taken you long to forget! I am your husband.’
‘I don’t know what it means to be a husband…I shall live my life as I wish, and I’ll go out. Certainly, I will go out. I’ll see who can stop me.’
‘You will not…and this is my final decision.’
‘This will be decided in a court.’
‘How does a court come into this? I don’t understand the ridiculous things you’re spouting today. Talk sense. Have a bath so you cool down a bit.’
‘Living with you has turned me into ice from head to toe.’
‘No woman is content with her husband, no matter how decent the poor chap might be. It’s part of the female temperament to find fault with a husband. I have overlooked so many of your flaws and misdemeanours.’
‘God forbid…what misdemeanours have I committed?’
‘Last year, rather grandly, when you decided to cook a turnip shabdegh and put a massive pot on the stove in the evening. And you fell into such a deep sleep that when I woke up the following morning and went to the kitchen, I found all the turnips had burnt to cinders. I removed the pot and lit the stove to make tea, and you continued to sleep.’
‘I don’t wish to hear this nonsense.’
‘Because there is not an iota of a lie in it. Why are women so allergic to facing reality and the truth? If I tell you that your left cheek is slightly fatter than your right cheek, perhaps you won’t forgive me for the rest of my life, but it’s true, and perhaps, you too are aware of this. Look, please put the paperweight back from where you picked it up. Aim it at my head, and this matter will get out of hand.’
‘I picked up the paperweight because it is exactly like your face. The bubbles of air inside are your eyes, and this red thing is your nose that’s always red. When I saw you for the first time, I thought the dark bags under your eyes looked like cockroaches sitting face downwards.’
‘Does your heart feel lighter now?’
‘My heart will never feel lighter. Let me go. I’ll have a bath, change, and perhaps, go away forever.’
‘Before you leave at least tell me why you’re going away forever.’
‘I don’t want to tell you. You are one of the most shameless people in the world!’
‘Bhai, I haven’t understood a word of what you’ve said. I don’t know why, quite out of the blue, you’ve started haranguing me.’
‘Just check the inside pocket of your jacket.’
‘Where’s my jacket?’
‘I’ll bring it…I’ll bring it!’
‘What on earth can there be in my jacket? A bottle of whisky? But I finished that before I came home and threw it away. Maybe it’s still there.’
‘Here’s your jacket.’
‘Now, what should I do?’
‘Put your hand in the inside pocket and take out the photograph of the girl with whom you are having a love affair these days!’
‘La hol wa’llah! I thought I was losing my mind! My darling, the girl in this photograph is my sister. You haven’t met her. She lives in Africa. You haven’t seen the letter with it — here.’
‘Hai, what a beautiful girl! Perfect for my bhaijan.’
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