t is nothing short of a miracle that, despite the Punjabi ruling elite’s despicable treatment of their mother tongue, brave men and women continue to produce literature in the language of Baba Farid, Guru Nanak, Waris Shah, Damodar and Bulleh Shah. In no other state in the modern world is the language spoken by a majority of the population is neither a medium of education nor taught in schools. Punjabi holds the unfortunate distinction of being such a language. Sadly, many Punjabis have turned this matter of shame into a badge of honour.

For that reason alone, it is heartening to come across a book of short stories such as Kih Paatar Da Jivna by Naseer Ahmed, not only for its literary merit but also for its cultural significance. This marks the author’s debut as a fiction writer. His effort deserves readers’ encouragement and applause. Although the author avoids complex language, keeping his register more or less Lahori, the content and context of most stories lean towards complexity. The plots of many stories take the risk of spiralling out of control, but to Naseer’s credit, he manages to keep the reader’s credulity intact.

The first story in the collection sets the tone for what follows. Zaat Di Chuhi not only flirts with a taboo subject – allowing a female mouse to enter an idol’s hollow inside a temple and corrode its innards made of flour, inviting a Marxist interpretation – but also invokes our indigenous Bhagti or Sufi tradition by privileging the feminine pronoun in identification with the most oppressed. The word zaat readily reveals the author’s acute awareness of class and caste consciousness.

Naseer expands his exploration of the downtrodden in stories such as Dozakh, Tani, Burka Aap Nakammay, Hamak and Hond. While avoiding grandiosity, he does a commendable job of centring his narratives around marginalised figures – a child maid, a mirasi, a chuhRa, and a madari, respectively – shedding light on the entrenched structural inequalities in the society.

The author also displays a definite attraction to post-modernism in stories such as Proofreader, the title story Kih Paatar Da Jivna, and Haal O Mere Ma’aniya, all of which carry a philosophical undertone. Proofreader explores the dilemma of making a mistake while proofreading a manuscript. The protagonist is reprimanded for the countless errors in his work, having become so engrossed in the story that he loses focus on his task. A lesser writer might have ended the story there, but Naseer pushes the envelope further. The proofreader, now retired, fails to develop a nuanced understanding of life and nature. One day, blaming his wife for storing cooking items in mismatched jars, he attempts to make chai while she is away, resulting in disaster. Later that night, as he lies in the courtyard staring at the stars, he is struck by a deeper revelation – if he were to draw a red circle around a star for being out of place, there are no margins in nature where he could connect a line from the circle to his comments, registering his criticism. Although Naseer is no José Saramago, this story momentarily evokes The History of the Siege of Lisbon – no small feat.

Haal O Mere Ma’aniya unfolds in a carnival-esque manner, reminiscent of Italian director Fellini’s tradition, where words begin to jump out from the clothing of their meaning. They refuse to correspond to the roles assigned to them for centuries, only to be betrayed or rejected by a handful of words. Kih Paatar Da Jivna delves into the tension between the author and the character’s agency – or the illusion of it. The story pays homage to Kafka, as the protagonist begins to metamorphose into a cockroach, ultimately leading to a dialogue between the character and the author’s alter ego.

Naseer’s narratives exhibit an impressive awareness of world literature, yet they remain delightfully grounded in his native soil. His command over style and substance suggests great potential. It will be intriguing to see him attempt longer prose, where the depth of his craft could be further tested.

The writer is a librarian and lecturer in San Francisco.His last book was A Footbridge to Hell Called Love.His novella Unsolaced Faces We Meet In Our Dreams is due soon