Manto stories for modern Hindustani speakers 1

Sadaat Hasan Manto was born in British India. He thrived in Bombay. When the English left India in 1947, Manto moved to Lahore, where he drowned himself in alcohol and died from cirrhosis. He has written moving short stories on partition, depicting how new borders turned turned humans into beasts, that turned on their neighbours - devouring one another.

Manto's writing is grisly and shocking. He does not bother to insert euphemisms. He paints the cruelty that befell displaced people in all its horror. His stories make readers face the worse side of human nature.

I have read the most popular Manto story - Toba Tek Singh. It was an English translation. I now plan to read his works in the original language of composition - Hindustani.

Manto's Hindustani of 60 years ago is different from modern Hindustani. He uses plenty of Persian words in his writing, which was common at that time. It was a hallmark of erudition. 

As much I want to read his stories, I want my friends and other people to appreciate him. So I have decided to post here his stories along with the meanings of archaic Hindustani (Persian) words. I hope it will make reading Manto easier for anyone who speaks Hindustani.

Here is the first story in the series:

اشتراکیت (socialism)

وہ اپنے گھر کا تمام ضروری سامان ایک ٹرک میں لدوا کر دوسرے شہر جا رہا تھا ، کہ راستے میں لوگوں نے اسے روک لیا۔ ایک نے ٹرک کے مال و اسباب (stuff) پر حریصانہ (greedily) نظر ڈالتے ہوئے کہا۔ "دیکھو یار کس مزے سے اتنا مال اکیلا اڑائے چلا جا رہا تھا۔"

اسباب کے مالک نے مسکرا کر کہا۔ 「جناب یہ مال میرا اپنا ہے۔"

دو تین آدمی ہنسے۔ "ہم سب جانتے ہیں۔"

ایک آدمی چلایا۔ "لوٹ لو، یہ امیر آدمی ہے۔۔۔۔۔۔ٹرک لے کر چوریاں کرتا ہے۔"

इश्तिराकीयत (socialism)

वो अपने घर का तमाम ज़रूरी सामान एक ट्रक में लदवा कर दूसरे शहर जा रहा था , कि रास्ते में लोगों ने उसे रोक लिया। एक ने ट्रक के माल-ओ-अस्बाब (stuff) पर हरीसाना (greedily) नज़र डालते हुए कहा। देखो यार किस मज़े से इतना माल अकेला उड़ाए चला जा रहा था।

अस्बाब के मालिक ने मुस्कुरा कर कहा। जनाब ये माल मेरा अपना है।

दो तीन आदमी हंसे। हम सब जानते हैं।

एक आदमी चलाया। लूट लो, ये अमीर आदमी है।।।।।।ट्रक लेकर चोरियां करता है।

The text of this story has been taken from Pakistanica Literature.