Little Maryam – Hamid Baig

Hamid Baig’s debut novel, Little Maryam, is a novel which embarks the ‘different kind’ of romance narrative on the horizon of Indian fiction. It is not a simply written romance novel with usual scenes of intimate moments and a guy and a girl spending some time together before moving on to another one in their life. Little Maryam is a novel which presents the story of Saadiq and Maryam, the lovers who were separated by fate and later reunited by fate as well. This novel has the elements of chance, social barriers, realism and also sentiment. To me, it is a complete romance which makes the readers feel they have read something which entered not only their mind but heart as well.

Leave the story – that is the better thing I have read compared to my recent romantic reading experiences and not to forget, the disastrous El James’ attempt by Chetan Bhagat, One Indian Girl. The story is very emotional and it arouses the sentiments in the readers very wonderfully. I want to talk about Little Maryam in a wider perspective and my reasons for which I liked this novel very much.

If you read too many like ‘this one’, the experience of reading ‘this one’ automatically dies. Little Maryam is not in that category. Saadiq comes from an economically backward Muslim family; his father is a gardener. Maryam comes from a rather rich class and his father is an army colonel. Up to this, you might say that the novel is same bollywood style set-up where the guy gets the girl somehow. No; Saadiq does not get Maryam. She is married to someone else and Saadiq is sent to jail in a murder case.

Do they meet again? Yes, they meet again. After more than twenty years and by that time, Saadiq and Maryam are too old to fall in love and sustain their relationship. Moreover, Saadiq has become world famous – winning the Nobel Prize for his medical research work on the gene. Will he love Maryam? Will Maryam love him back? Will they finally have their moments of intimacy?

The plot of the novel is so weirdly wonderful that it will not let you have any moment of that loathsome feeling which we often get when we read lengthy novels. It propels you to read more and more and reach the conclusion which is also wonderfully designed. You will feel for Saadiq; you will feel for Maryam; you will feel for their love!

Get this wonderful novel right now from Amazon India link below:

Buy Little Maryam on Amazon India now

review by BRO staff