Zindagi Gulzar Hai by Umera Ahmed

It was the start of Umera’s magnificent journey as a writer. While it did not create a big stir straightaway, it was good enough to be noticed by a serious number of readers. The skillful psychological analysis of the main characters is the strength of this story. It tells us how lack of resources affects humans and shapes their attitude. Kashaf and Zaroon are class fellows with backgrounds poles apart. Kashaf, being an average-looking girl from a middle-class family, has a lot of responsibilities. She has an extremely unsatisfying life due to the financial constraints, which affect her self-esteem badly. Zaroon is a boy who is her total opposite, with every good thing in life and an unshakable self-confidence. The only thing lacking in Zaroon’s life is a close-knit family with enough time for each other. He is brought up in a typical elite class manner, where parents tend to provide each and every luxury of life but don’t have time to pay attention to their child. Zaroon and Kashaf meet in college, where despite her modest demeanor and ordinary appearance, Zaroon notices her presence. In the beginning, he tries to strike a conversation just for the sake of fun, but her witty retort transforms the situation. Zaroon gets offended by her popularity among the teachers. He plans to degrade her by fooling her into thinking that he has fallen for her. Kashaf overhears his plan by sheer coincidence. She confronts him, and the incident ends on an ugly note when Zaroon loses his cool and humiliates her in front of people. It serves as the last straw on the camel’s back, and their relationship stoops to its lowest. They lose contact after their graduation and carry on with their lives. The story takes another turn when they bump into each other by chance. This time the circumstances are different. Kashaf is no longer the unconfident underprivileged girl she was. She is on a prestigious position with a lot of power and authority now. Zaroon tries to befriend her only to discover that she hasn’t gotten over the insult inflicted on her by Zaroon. He makes every effort to mend fences but to no avail. By this time Zaroon is ready to get married. Coincidentally, the image that Zaroon has subconsciously carved in his mind for his future wife is similar to Kashaf. Kashaf is infuriated when he dares to propose to her at last. He tries to persuade her first personally and then through their teacher, Ibrar, whom she holds in high regard. Zaroon finally manages to convince her. They get married and start their new life with different emotions altogether. Zaroon is glad to have won her heart, while Kashf is insecure and unsure of what life has to offer. She leaves home after a fight, 4 months later. The clash dissolves when Zaroon apologizes and brings her back home the next day. The insecurity and apprehensions that engulfed Kashaf’s heart in the beginning started fading away gradually. She learns to cater successfully to Zaroon’s emotional requirements while enjoying his love and affection.