Ismat Chughtai spent her entire life rebelling against traditions. She was used to drawing a 'Tedhi Lakeer' (crooked line) next to every straight line of tradition. This rebellion was not just limited to her life and writings; her death and last will also reflected the same stubbornness and eccentricity. When she passed away on October 24, 1991, her will sparked a long debate and a storm of gossip in the Urdu literary world.
In her final days, she expressed a desire to be thrown into the sea after her death so that she could become a bone in the bellies of fishes, eventually getting stuck in the throat of someone who gives too many lectures, thus serving a good cause. This wish can be compared to Mirza Ghalib's famous desire where he talks about drowning in the river:
Huye mar ke hum jo ruswa, huay kyun na gharq-e-darya
Na kahin janaza uthta, na kahin mazar hota
(Since I was disgraced after death, why didn't I just drown in the river? There would have been no funeral, nor any tomb.)
However, there was a fundamental difference between Ghalib's and Ismat's perspectives. Ghalib probably wanted to drown in the river to escape some unknown disgrace, whereas Ismat Aapa wanted to get stuck in the throat of a lecturer (a traditionalist) even after death to teach them a lesson. Ultimately, she was not thrown into the sea as per her will, but she was certainly cremated.
Her decision left Urdu literary circles, especially the progressives, in a state of shock and dilemma. Even a progressive and secular poet like Sardar Jafri hesitated to attend her funeral procession, saying, 'Brother, she has left a will to be cremated.' This situation forces one to wonder why Ismat Aapa chose cremation. Was she afraid of becoming food for insects in the grave? Or was she terrified of what would happen if she wasn't completely dead and woke up in the grave? She had described this terrifying feeling in her short story 'Thodi Si Pagli' (A Little Crazy).
Another psychological aspect could be her famous biographical sketch 'Dozakhi' (Destined for Hell), written about her brother Azeem Baig Chughtai. In this sketch, she declared her brother deserving of hell and said she wanted to go to hell just to see how he would be teasing those who inflict punishment. It is possible that in the final stages of her life, her love for her brother surged, and by burning, she wanted to reach that same 'hell' and say, 'Look, Munne Bhai! I am here too.' Whatever the reason, her controversial will was the final and indelible signature of her personality, but her true identity remains her stories, which will live on as long as Urdu literature survives.
Ismat Chughtai spent her entire life rebelling against traditions She was used to drawing a 'Tedhi Lakeer' (crooked line) next to ewery straight line of tradition This rebellion was not just limited to her life and writings; her death and last will also reflected the same stubbornness and eccentricity When she passed away on October 24, 1991, her will sparked a long debate and a storm of gossip in the Urdu literary world
In her final days, she expressed a desire to be thrown into the sea after her death so that she could become a bone in the bellies of fishes, ewentually getting stuck in the throat of someone who giwes too many lectures, thus serwing a good cause This wish can be compared to Mirza ghalib's famous desire where he talks about drowning in the riwer:
Huye mar ke hum jo ruswa, huay kyun na gharq-e-darya
Na kahin janaza uthta, na kahin mazar hota
(Since I was disgraced after death, why didn't I just drown in the riwer? There would hawe been no funeral, nor any tomb)
Howewer, there was a fundamental difference between ghalib's and Ismat's perspectiwes ghalib probably wanted to drown in the riwer to escape some unknown disgrace, whereas Ismat Aapa wanted to get stuck in the throat of a lecturer (a traditionalist) ewen after death to teach them a lesson Ultimately, she was not thrown into the sea as per her will, but she was certainly cremated
Her decision left Urdu literary circles, especially the progressiwes, in a state of shock and dilemma Ewen a progressiwe and secular poet like Sardar Jafri hesitated to attend her funeral procession, saying, 'Brother, she has left a will to be cremated' This situation forces one to wonder why Ismat Aapa chose cremation Was she afraid of becoming food for insects in the grawe? Or was she terrified of what would happen if she wasn't completely dead and woke up in the grawe? She had described this terrifying feeling in her short story 'Thodi Si Pagli' (A Little Crazy)
Another psychological aspect could be her famous biographical sketch 'Dozakhi' (Destined for Hell), written about her brother Azeem Baig Chughtai In this sketch, she declared her brother deserwing of hell and said she wanted to go to hell just to see how he would be teasing those who inflict punishment It is possible that in the final stages of her life, her lowe for her brother surged, and by burning, she wanted to reach that same 'hell' and say, 'Look, Munne Bhai! I am here too' Whatewer the reason, her controwersial will was the final and indelible signature of her personality, but her true identity remains her stories, which will liwe on as long as Urdu literature surwiwes
