"Cutting Free" is an autobiographical balance sheet showing personal losses and gains that Salma Ahmed now has chosen to live with. The book spread over 325 pages contains all about her life, life-partners who turned out to be her attackers, batterers and defilers, friends who were supportive and political partners who ditched her when she needed them most. There is graphic discussion of her emotional callings and longings that were frustrated at the hands of those she trusted and looked up to as the object of her ultimate love and owner of her entire self.
The lamentation of her tormented soul, as she has lived a distressed life most part of her youth, has brought to light and given voice to feelings that many women would like to keep buried in their beings as subliminal instructions from their janamkundli never to be discussed in public. She has attacked this inhibition and has come out, as impromptu as events have permitted her to speak. The whole truth, women would generally avoid talking about, has been carefully narrated in 'Cutting Free'.
This phenomenon is distinctly discernable, as among the many a sleepy but bold and tabooed narration of events she has interspersed to support the veracity of her claims that shaped her as Salma Ahmed, out of Eny or Indira Salma Husain to family and friends, are enough to provide insight into the writer's life. At times to tell about greed, corruption, betrayal and breach of promises and business contracts that people employ to gain worldly favours, or at times to cheat others for fun, Salma has used her guts to expose these human traits. She has exposed her business partners and political comrades-in-arms swooping low for pittance.
Many decent and honourable politicians have found place in this kind of discussion in the book. One may or may not like it but her side of story would have to be taken by those who are mentioned in the book with a pinch of salt. There are occasions when she gives blows to the vainglory some men carry and underestimate womanpower.
These happenings and other events of different kinds seemingly of little consequence and weight to a reader of an autobiography written outside the prescribed format of biographical writings.
This book may not cater to the needs of a reader habitual of reading chronological recording of events. But it is not to be forgotten that she has picked up events to indicate transitional phases in her life that have progressed from the age of innocence to maturity and then to womanhood. However, those men and women who are mentioned in the book and discussed in detail are mostly responsible for creating a Salma Ahmed, which seemingly she never wanted to be.
She had a desire to excel in whatever she did to get a niche over her colleagues in educational institutions, in business undertakings and in politics. She wanted to be a successful entrepreneur, a politician, a woman willing to rear a family and preserve her past after stitching it with her present and pave way for its continuation.
Her dreams began to shatter after her first marriage with a naval officer who had come from a poor and illiterate family background. This marriage was arranged by one of her intriguing aunt she never liked, rather hated her for her wicked nature.
Salma was hardly sixteen at the time of her first marriage. The second marriage with a feudal lord lasted for a few years. Her first husband ill-treated her. He wanted her to be a ladder for him to climb up and get promotions. She resisted his demands and the marriage came to an end. The second marriage with a feudal lord of Multan took place as an outcome of a love affair and ended in misalliance as she was forced to look at the other side of the man she had loved so far.
He was twice of her age as well. The third marriage with cricket player Saeed Ahmed was a total disaster for her. It began with a lot of romance and ended very unpleasantly. However, she has retained his name as part of her name. She has not explained the reason for this preference. She has come out with details about her relationship with Saeed Ahmed.
She has talked about her close friends from Balochistan and Peshawar with whom she could confide her thoughts and feelings. There are a few women she has adorned. She has discussed her family background, her children from the three marriages and the way she has brought them up.
There is touching account of her personal losses. She lost her father at a time when she needed him most. But the discussion about her father is not without the mention of a housekeeper with whom he lived during his old age despite displeasure of his children. After his death she took away his properties abroad, cash in banks and other precious belongings.
The book has reference to post-1985 years when politics and democracy were being reintroduced in Pakistan. She provides insight into the thinking of the people in uniform and politicians aspiring to be near the power that were. Though the recording of political happenings is not in detail but some events that shaped the future of political set-up in Pakistan are mentioned.
She is a successful businesswoman. She has added enough detail about her rise and fall in her business undertakings. Her travel, meetings with world leaders, family photographs and photographs with foreign dignitaries have added value to the book.
It is not surprising to read that born as Indira Salma Husain at Granchester Hospital, Granchester Meadows, Cambridge, now chooses her resting-place in Delhi within the precincts of Dargah Hazrat Nizamuddin Aulia.
Paper and printing is good but a careful proof reading is needed.
Book Name: Cutting Free, an autobiography
Writer: Salma Ahmed
Publishers: Sama Editorial and Publishing Services 4th Floor,
Imperial Court Dr Ziauddin Ahmed Road, Karachi
Pages: 326
Price: Rs 525
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