Lahore - The name Humayun Naseer Sheikh may not ring any bells for an ordinary reader. But the name is well known in business circles. Humayun N Sheikh, as how he writes his name, is a 72 years old man. Being a semi-retired businessman, he did not go for the option of writing an autobiography but has produced a book of short stories from his life and about his family and friends.
The book celebrates 42 years of his marriage with his wife Nasreen, whose name he has mentioned just a couple of times in the book preferring to call her Mrs. In some stories, he gives details of their visit to different countries on business and pleasure trips.
Two of the short stories are about his family’s business with Japanese companies and how they won the business deals.
The story ‘Bringing the bride home and more’ is about the marriage functions and how it all came about since he was not interested in getting married at the time. His narrative about how he was unable to see or talk to his bride-to-be is funny.
None of the short stories is written in the first person. He uses the name Tamaku and HN to mention himself. For his friends too, he has not used their real names calling one of them kofta and the other Mushkal Pasand, which at times makes the narrative hilarious. Then use of the words ‘forbidden drink’ for liquor and small incidents of his life like when he was studying at Aitchison College (where he once nearly got drowned) and GCU Lahore where he came close to contesting the election must be close to the writer’s heart.
The description about how his family business started and then expanded may be boring for some but that is his pride. But the third generation’s self exile after 1972/73 nationalisation of industry and how he set up business aborad could be of general interest.
Overall the book is interesting to read. One can imagine Mrs making a fiery speech to Japanese businessmen in English telling them why they didn’t bring their wives at meetings while they tried to corrupt her husband by inviting him to visit geisha joints.