Ashok Ogra
ashokogra@gmail.com
Some stories speak quietly but stay with you for a long time. They tell of homes that were left behind, people who continue to wait, and memories that never fade.
The twelve stories in U-TURN AND OTHER STORIES by Gauri Shankar Raina, originally written in Kashmiri, go beyond the idea of exile. They explore how people preserve dignity, humour, and affection even when their sense of belonging weakens or disappears.
Raina’s stories depict the everyday life of Kashmir-its natural beauty, social bonds, conflicts, and quiet strength. Using simple plots and realistic characters, he portrays a society marked as much by kindness and endurance as by pain and separation.
The book has been translated into English by Prof. Pankaj Bhan, a well-known scholar and critic. His translation is faithful and sensitive. For him, translation is not simply about finding the right word-it is about transferring emotions, rhythm, and culture from one language to another. His work ensures that the flavour of Kashmiri life and its emotional texture are not lost.
The opening story, U-TURN, follows Professor Abdul Rasheed Bhat, who returns from Hamburg to his beloved Dal Lake, only to find it dying from pollution. His sadness reflects the larger decay of the valley. Yet, his decision to start a movement to restore the lake brings hope. The story links environmental damage with a decline in moral values, showing that renewal-whether of nature or spirit-demands both courage and initiative.
A JOURNEY BY BUS takes the reader on a trip from Jammu to Srinagar. The driver, Sardar Hukam Singh, navigates a bus full of characters-a talkative conductor, Mohd. Ameen, the young footballer, Shiban, and Sunita whose friendship begins on the road, and Swaroop Nath, a retired government officer observing all this.Their brief exchanges-gentle arguments, laughter, and small moments of understanding-capture the pulse of ordinary life. The bus becomes a symbol of society itself-crowded, diverse, yet capable of humour and compassion.
In BABU JI MIRACLE, Sudhir’s small act of kindness toward a stray dog uncovers an unexpected truth about his late father. Years earlier, his father had spread ghost stories to save the neighbourhood from a corrupt builder. What could have been a story about deception turns into one of cleverness and concern. The tale blends realism with gentle irony, though some parts move a little slowly.
That moral satisfaction often outweighs material success is the theme of THE SHROUD-MAKER – that tells the story of Qadir, who inherits his father’s tailoring shop and expands it with the help of his wife, Mahzabeen. When Pandit Jankinath, a respected elder, asks him to stitch shrouds for the poor, Qadir agrees, though his wife worries about the loss of business. His income drops, but his reputation for kindness grows.
HOMECOMING is about Kashinath, a Kashmiri Pandit who left the valley decades ago, and returns with his son to Srinagar. As he lights a candle by the Vitasta River, the gesture becomes a quiet act of remembrance and reconciliation. It is a poignant evocation of exile, memory, and fragile hope, enriched with symbolism.
The pain of inner turmoil, the distance within oneself is effectively narrated inMANNEQUINS that presents Vinod Pandita, who works in a Delhi showroom dressing lifeless models while his wife lies terminally ill. The mannequins-beautiful but soulless-mirror his own emptiness and sense of helplessness. Their silence reflects both his wife’s suffering and his emotional numbness.
Both HOMECOMING and MANNEQUINS remind readers that exile is not only about geography. It can also be emotional-a loss of connection with one’s own self and past.
In THE UMBRELLA MAN, Dina Nath, a widower and migrant, raises his daughter Santosh by teaching her to repair umbrellas. Through this simple trade, he teaches her the values of hard work and self-respect. The story shows how dignity can come from simple skills and steady effort.
HE & SHE narrates the meeting of two former lovers after many years. Their youthful passion has faded, but mutual respect remains. Raina avoids melodrama and sentimentality, showing that acceptance can take the place of longing, and that some bonds survive even after love ends.
Loss and mortality are central to REVERIE and INTERLUDE. In REVERIE, Prakash imagines conversations with his deceased wife Usha, and through these imagined dialogues, he moves from sorrow toward calm acceptance. Its gradual revelation of grief is deeply moving. In INTERLUDE, Shibanji, aware of his nearing death, finds peace in his wife’s presence and his friend’s company. Both stories suggest that while death ends life, it cannot erase love or memory.
The thrill of discovery and our deep connection with history is the focus of the CAVE story. An archaeologist exploring ancient caverns in Kashmir is forced by a storm to stop and reflect. What begins as a physical search turns into a meditation on time, history, and the human spirit. The story is a vivid blend of archaeology, reflection, and nature.
In BOARDING CARD, Rajesh, an airline supervisor, meets Lora, a model suffering from a terminal illness, at an airport café. Their brief conversation becomes a reflection on the shortness of life and the power of simple human contact. Stronger editing could sharpen its emotional core and better balance romance with the poignancy of looming loss.
The sense of place is central to all these stories. The Dal Lake,the Vitasta, the snow-covered peaks, and the narrow lanes of Srinagar are not just backgrounds-they are living presences that shape the people and echo their emotions. The landscape stands as a silent witness to their joys and losses. Raina’s writing is free from bitterness. His stories are gentle, humane, and full of quiet strength. Even in hardship, his characters continue to work, care, and hope. Humour, compassion, and moral courage shine through their struggles.
Taken together, the twelve stories suggest that exile is not only about losing a home, but about learning to live with longing. Small acts-a letter that arrives late, a neighbour’s kindness, or a shared smile-become symbols of survival and continuity.
The translation successfully carries these moods into English, making them accessible to a wider audience. In his introduction, Prof. Bhan notes that the stories are set against the socio-cultural backdrop of the land and its people and their syncretic life. However, a few stories lean toward sentimentality and include more detail than needed. But the sincerity and clarity of expression make the book deeply moving.
Most of the stories move gently, without drama, suspense, or gripping plots. They simply follow life as it flows through the characters – in quiet moments, brief conversations, and small emotions. Nothing major happens, yet everything feels real. The calm flow and truth of everyday life gently hold the reader’s attention.
However, some readers may find them situations not gripping enough and uneventful. With little action or conflict, they rely completely on emotion and small details to hold interest.
Published by Niyogi Books, this collection revives memories of a shared past and strengthens our sense of connection. Through these stories, Kashmir speaks again-not through anger or slogans, but through the calm and steady voice of its people who continue to remember, rebuild, and hope.
In the end, U-TURN AND OTHER STORIES is not about closure but about remembrance. It invites readers to listen to voices that history often overlooks. It reminds us that while politics and ideologies shift, what lasts are the human emotions of love, loss, and endurance. I strongly recommend this book – not for thrills, but for the calm truth it brings to the heart.
(The author works for reputed Apeejay Education, New Delhi)
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