Sneha reviews City Under Curfew by Fazayal Shabbir, exclusively for Different Truths.

Author: Fazayal Shabbir

Genre: Short Stories

My Rating: ☆☆☆☆

Our life is nothing but a collection of short stories. Some make us smile while some make us cry. This book contains twelve short stories of normal people stuck up in abnormal situations. An honest police officer caught up in curfew duty. A bus cleaner, who dreams of becoming a bus driver. A man with six failed suicide attempts. A guy on wrong side of one sided love. An upper-middle class family and their astrologer. An average engineering student who hates Viva. A woman comes face to face with her stalker. An elder brother writes a letter to his younger brother. A boyfriend fed up of his nagging girlfriend. A hardworking and just married woman gets the promotion she always wanted. A man on first day of his dream job. First train journey of someone new in a travelling job.

I always think that short stories are much stronger than novel, as it leaves a strong impact in very few words.

I always think that short stories are much stronger than novel, as it leaves a strong impact in very few words.

This book, City Under Curfew, is one such collection of short stories. The author has narrated stories from a different perspective and so realistically. Now a days, we are surrounded by social media and 24-hour news channel and we completely have no idea how and when their breaking news and status update started impacting our life this much. We have become either super sensitive about some issues or insensitive about others . There is no middle way left. Although I loved each story but few of them really touched me and left me thinking for a long time. The first among them is, City Under Curfew, it is one of the most sensitive and heart-wrenching story I have read ever. The tension created by riots ,the pressure created by media and the life of a policeman is so realistically portrayed in this.

The first among them is, City Under Curfew, it is one of the most sensitive and heart–wrenching story

Allah ke Bande, is one such story , it has a deep message in it. You have to read it to feel it.

 Viva  and Are you Single are fun and light read and came as a comic relief between the realistic and eye opening stories.

We all are living in a state of denial and I am really glad that I read this collection of short stories.

Each story is unique and portrays the real life events that make you see other side of the story. The language is easily understandable and perfectly written.

The narration is crisp and to the point.

The narration is crisp and to the point. I really liked the way each story ends with a twist. It will keep you hooked till the end .

A perfect read!

Photo sourced by the author