Manzoor Ahtesham (1948-2021): Remembering the writer with his novel ‘The Tale of the Missing Man’
The Bhopal-based Hindi writer Manzoor Ahtesham died on 26 April 2021 at the age of 73. Manzoor Ahtesham
In the rainy season the rains took on a distinctive mood. His personal deadline for the onset of the monsoon was the fifteenth of June, and the clouds, too, were faithful and probably stuck to their end of the bargain. Even if some days were deceptive, there was no reason for him to complain to the clouds, and it didn’t affect his predetermined deadline.
The rains did come, giving respite to the plants and trees and the sun-scorched earth. Before you knew it, fields, mountains, roofs, and walls had all turned green, and puddles were everywhere. The sun wouldn’t grace the world for weeks on end as the town transformed into one big washbasin where everyone and everything was cleansed.