Chapter - 5 
Amrita Pritam, Pinjar: The Skeleton and Other Stories,
Tr. Khushwant Singh

Brief Introduction

Pinjar is a novel written by Amrita Pritam whose literal meaning in Punjabi language is Skeleton. The writer through this story, brings light upon the problem faced by women during the time of partition of India. There were rites, rape cases, abduction of young women of opposite community. The women were used just as a symbol of sex for the pleasure of men.

Amrita Pritam understood the sensitivity of the subject matter on which she wrote the novel and she has handled it with utmost respect. The novel has not blamed any community or any country for the pathetic condition at that time. The story dramatically captured the trouble and despair of Puro as victim of situations while the story moves on an emotional ride with twists and turns which leaves the reader wonder struck as what will happen the next.

The writer in this novel has used her versatility to depict the sorrow and sympathy for the characters in the novel. She has written with courage, passion and full devotion.She was herself one of the eye- witness of the partition of India in August 1947 and its consequences. She portrays the pathetic and falling standard of our human spirit in her novel.

The novel has delicately brought up the complex role of Puro who is facing all the troubles in the world in the early ages of her life. She has been kidnapped by a Muslim lad, her family has left her to die,her name has been changed,her religion has been converted,she has been married to Rashid who abducted her. In short she has been reduced to only a skeleton with no soul inside her. Still she strive for the happiness of others. No other women facing similar pain and sorrow could have fought against it with so much confidence.

The story starts with the scene of Puro who is happy and cheerful and i busy doing her daily chores.She has been betrothed to a wealthy,handsom man, Ramchand by her father. Her ecstatic life turns upside down when she is kidnapped by a Muslim mysterious man named as Rashid's. Rashid family was once disdained by Puro's when a few generations before,Great grand aunt o Rashid was abducted and kept for three days by Great-grand uncle of Puro's Now Rashid family took the revenge and finally won in their motto by successfully capturing Puro and keep inside his house.

The writer throughout the book shows signs which imply that Rashid liked Puro very much. It is easy to comprehend that Rashid had no intention to abduct Puro but due to his family pressure was coerced to act in that fashion. Puro tried to escape from Rashid house and once was successful in doing so and rushed towards her parents home. However, quite unexpectedly, her parents turn away Puro so that their family escaped the cruelty of the Sheikhs. Puro returned back to Rashid as a skeleton with no aim left in her life.

After some time,Puro's family decided to marry Puro's younger sister to Ramchand and Ramchand's sister was married to her brother. Eventually Rashid marries with Puro and changed her name to Hameeda which was engraved it on her arm so that no one doubted whether she was a Hindu. Later, Puro became pregnant and gave birth to a boy. Initially she did not want to give birth to her child but once the boy was born, her motherly feelings wakened and she looked after her.

The writer has emerged the character of Puro as the story progresses. While her stay with Rashid in his house, she came across many women whose condition were worse than her. She helped Kammo, Taro and the insane girl when she heard about the tragic conditions of their life.She was deeply hurt when she saw a new born child in the womb of dead insane girl.She thought how could anyone do such a pathetic situation a mad girl who neither had beauty nor mind just a piece of flesh on her body which was also eaten away by the crow like people and left the skeleton to die.She took the child in her arms and fed him with her breasts for six months before she was asked by the Hindus to give away the child as he was a son of a Hindu mother and since she was a Muslim and was polluting their religion by taking care of the child. Thus the child was a taken away from her. This clearly showed the narrow-mindlessness of the Hindus.

The novel also brings in light the dark and horrifying side of the partition of India,Hindus and Muslim fought among each other as they flee to the opposite sides. The writer portrays the horrible picture of young ladies of opposite religion who were used as sexual object. Puro on the hope of seeing Ramchand for one last time went to visit the place where the Hindus from Ramchand's village were staying. She met Ramchand there who told her about Lajjo her sister in law who was abducted by someone.

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