Nimra and Umera - A Literary Comparison

www.pakpositive.com When first novel of Nimra Ahmed was published in Khwateen Digest, readers were much enthusiastic about her relation with Umera Ahmad. For in the next month's issue a reader asked are they sisters? but they were not. However, as the newer writer published more of her pieces she tend to resemble the older in her theories- focusing the story on Islam and plotting the story in unfamiliar territories and making them familiar through her story.

Umera and Nimra have some common features. First novel of both was well-celebrated. Both enjoy an honorable name in Urdu literature. Both show a love towards discovering new ideas and playing with them. And, see, both writers have names ending with Ahmed.

But these similarities does not make either of them a replacement of other. Why? Their fans know very well. One apparent reason is that there are only a few quality Urdu women writer.

But there are bigger reasons also to have both in one's to-read list. The reason is difference in emotion both focus on.

Umera lives in reality. She sketches a life close to reality. She is practical and does not support characters that are sentimental and emotional. For example in her latest novel she shows the innocent and childish character of Shehr Bano in losing position just because she had heart that ached but not a brain that thought.

Nimra lives in fairy tales. Her world is based on love and strength. She, too, does not support emotions and sentimentality, but this she does with by not eliminating weak people from her character list, not by showing them and their distressed life.

Umera compares. All her novels show a blend of strong and weak humans. Whenever she writes a character around some specific emotion or quality, she shows another in her novel that is just opposite.

Nimra's characters are not mirror images. They don't have exactly opposite features rather they have personality traits which are same. This is apparent in her story "Sans Sakin Thi" when both hero and heroine avengers by nature, or in "Jannat K Patte" where both are fast reactors.

Both show the necessity of courage in a woman's life. But Umera shows as a protection while Nimra shows it as a duty-a duty to society at large.

Besides, Umera tend to show her readers the difficulties, which are irrelevant to lives of most of them; and Nimra shows luxuries, which most of them do not possess. In this way Umera paints her story a little grayer while Nimra paints it Greener.

In my opinion one is optimistic and other pessimistic. So whose style you prefer? Nimra Ahmed and Umera Ahmed www.pakpositive.com