BOOK REVIEW - MY FEUDAL LORD BY TEHMINA DURRANI

My feudal lord is one of the extraordinary autobiographic that can ever be written. Tehmina Durrani uses it as a means of exposing the hypocrisy of ruling elites of Pakistan generally and the cruel nature of her husband specifically. She started writing this book just after the few months of divorce. In this book, she talks about the social ethics of Pakistani marital life by citing her own marriage as an example.

The book revolves around Tehmina Durrani, who belongs to ultra-mod, westernized and well-off family of Pakistan and Mustafa Khar – the most prominent politician in Bhutto’s regime, who belongs to conservative, traditional and typical feudal background. These two people of opposite trait come close to each other but Tehmina’s dream soon turns into nightmare when Mustafa’s decency turns into brutality. She divided this devastating account into three parts – Lion of Punjab (Mustafa who roars and destroys the lives of simple and innocent women without any hesitation), Law of Jungle and the Lioness.

Before marrying Mustafa, Tehmina was also married but she leaves behind her husband ‘innocent and simple guy’ and marries Mustafa. But soon she starts realizing hollowness and barrenness of this relationship. She states in the novel that “I had no power, no rights, and no will of my own”.

Law of jungle starts with Tehmina and Mustafa’s immigration to London; there his affair with her youngest sister makes her mad and panic. She endures all her husband’s physical assaults and sexual brutality as part of her destiny. But then she decides to rebel the king – “I am not your sister or your mother, I am your wife”. This is how Tehmina challenges the patriarchal structure denying all the roles of women as futile and abstract. But Mustafa can never allow her to leave him because he thinks that she is the only skylark that can amuse him while he is tired.

As lioness, Tehmina campaigns for Mustafa and he wins the elections. But a Lion is a lion at every cost. His violence becomes more intense. Finally she decides to burst out all her pains in the form of book and an act of writing for woman is to break the silence that patriarchal society has culturally improved upon her.

Durrani has shown in an undaunted way that every woman has her identity and individuality. Her so-called roles are nothing but cultural constructs and a woman has the power to challenge the whole patriarchy even at the cost of her closest relatives. The book gives good food for thought to its readers and how will they behave in similar circumstances.

Throughout the novel, Tehmina has highlighted herself as an opposed woman. This is true and so she is, but another aspect cannot be ignored i.e. why did she leave her first husband who was loving and caring? And if she left him for khar then why after leaving Mustafa, she has married another eminent politician Shahbaz Sharif. Perhaps they all are the chips of the same block.