Ice Candy Man is a novel written by American-Pakistani novelist Bapsi Sidhwa. It is the first novel by a Pakistani woman novelist to explore the plight of the people of Lahore after the partition of India and Pakistan.
You may have read many novels about the plight of Indians after Partition, but none deal with the situation in Pakistan. Therefore, Bapsi Sidhwa tells us about the conditions faced by Pakistanis after Partition.
Ice Candy Man By Bapsi Sidhwa
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Summary of Ice Candy Man By Bapsi Sidhwa
The novel begins with Iqbal’s complaint to God. The main character is Leni, a physically disabled young Parsi girl living in Lahore. She is an introvert who prefers to stay at home. A new character enters the story: Ayah, a very beautiful eighteen-year-old Hindu girl who takes care of Leni.
Because Leni is introverted, she observes people closely and pays attention to their little things. She notices that everyone in her town is enamored of her Ayah. Leni has a doctor, Colonel Bharucha, who performed surgery on her leg and ordered her to rest for a month. After a month, the Colonel allowed Leni to get up and sit from her wheelchair.
A new character now enters the story: the Ice Candy Man, who sells ice candy in the summer. Since people don’t buy ice candy in the winter, he changes his profession and starts selling birds on the streets of Lahore. The Ice Candy Man is a very talkative person who can talk for hours on any topic.
Now a new character enters the story: Imam Din, a tall, strong, sixty-year-old man who works as a cook in Lenny’s house. He loves playing with children in his free time. One day, Imam Din takes Lenny to his village, Pir Pindo.
Pir Pindo is a village where people of all castes live peacefully. A village council is underway, discussing the Hindu-Muslim riots. The villagers are talking about the British, how they fooled us all, and how terrible riots are taking place in Bihar and Bengal.
This was a time when people were rioting for Partition, and Partition hadn’t happened yet. The Chaudhary of Pir Pindo assures everyone that there will be no riots in his village. “We will live as we did before, no matter what happens.” Lenny was watching everything. Later, Imam Din brings him to his home.
Meanwhile, the number of Aya’s suitors is growing by the day. Two crazy lovers, a Chinaman and a Pathan, are hovering around Lenny’s house, trying to talk to Aya. Summer has arrived in Lahore, and the ice-candy seller is back selling ice-candies in Lahore.
These days, the partition of India has been finalized, and Muslims want a separate country called Pakistan. Imam Din is worried about his village and wants to return to see the condition of his village.
Pir Pindo is surrounded by military trucks that arrive to take Muslims to safety. But the innocent farmers of Pir Pindo are unaware of what is happening. They don’t understand why the military trucks have come to their village. It was very difficult for the poor farmers to leave their land, village, and homes.
A new character arrives: Mr. Roger, the Inspector General of Police of Lahore. One day, people find his body in a drain, terrifying the people of Lahore. Lenny noticed that everything had changed, and a few days later, riots broke out in Lahore, and everyone was trying to hide.
Muslims and Sikhs who had lived together peacefully were now bent on killing each other. Hindus and Sikhs were leaving Lahore for Amritsar. They abandoned their homes, shops, and land in Lahore. No one knew where they were going or what would happen tomorrow.
One morning, All India Radio announced the partition of India. Lenny was a Parsi girl, and until now, no one had harmed the Parsis, but they were worried about their future. One day, an angry Muslim came to Lenny’s house and asked if they had any Hindu servants living in their house.
They were actually asking about the nanny. Iman Din refused and told them that the nanny had gone back home. Later, the Ice Candy Man emerged from the crowd and asked Lenny about the nanny.
Leni is a naive girl, believing that the Ice Candy Man likes Aya, so she tells him about her. The angry Muslim throws Aya out of the house, much to Leni’s shock. She never imagined that if she told the Ice Candy Man about Aya, they would treat her so badly.
That day, Lenny learns that Ice Candy Man’s own mother was a prostitute and he himself was a pimp.
On the other hand, Sikhs from Pir Pindo village attack Muslims. The Imam Deem family was also in danger, but now nothing can be done because the massacre of Muslims in Pir Pindo has begun. They have raped all the Muslim girls.
The story now focuses on Lenny, who is deeply saddened because Muslims have captured his nanny. He cannot believe that Ice Candy Man, who loved her, has betrayed her. Ever since Ice Candy Man saw the corpses of Muslims, he has changed. The nanny no longer loves him because she has become a Hindu to him.
The story also teaches us how conflicts and riots affect a child’s psyche. Lenny blames himself for what is happening to him. He hurts his tongue with toothpaste in the washroom because it is with this tongue that he tells them about his nanny.
One day, Lenny’s cousin told him that he saw the nanny in a car, dressed as an actress. A few days later, Lenny saw the nanny in the car himself and told everyone in his family about her. Lenny’s family then began searching for her. One day, Lenny went to his godmother, who teaches religious education to children.
There, Lenny saw a groom, and the groom was none other than the Ice Candy Man, dressed in white. The Ice Candy Man greeted everyone by reciting an Urdu poem. The Ice Candy Man married the nanny, and the godmother scolded him for not taking care of her.
The godmother asked him, “If you don’t deserve a nanny, why did you marry her?” The Ice Candy Man replied, “I’m a human, and only dogs are loyal.” He said, “If you want loyalty, marry her to a dog.”
The godmother yelled and cursed at the Ice Candy Man. Leni, who was also watching, decided to go to Hira Mandi to meet Aya. Leni insisted on going with her to meet Aya. Afterward, Godmother and Leni went to Hira Mandi. They were taken to a room filled with the fragrance of flowers. The ice-candy vendor led Aya out. Leni saw the pain and helplessness in her eyes. It was as if someone had pulled her soul from her body.
Aya became a living corpse. Aya begged Godmother to take her out of Hira Mandi because she couldn’t stay there. She told Godmother that her relatives lived in Amritsar and wanted to go there. Godmother consoled her, saying she would take her out of Hira Mandi soon. Leni and Godmother then returned. Upon returning, Leni’s cousin asked her about the brothel. Leni is now grown up and knows what a brothel is. Meanwhile, Godmother goes to the government authorities and informs them about prostitution in Hira Mandi and the entrapment of a girl named Aya.
A few days later, the police raid Hira Mandi and rescue Aya. They send her to a camp for rehabilitated women in Lahore. The Ice Candy Man continues to pursue Aya and follows her to the women’s camp. Sikh guards are present there, who brutally beat him.
The Ice Candy Man would come to the camp every day with flowers in his hand and start singing. He hoped that Aya would come to visit him. A few days later, Lenny learns that Aya has been sent to her relative’s home in Amritsar. Furthermore, the Ice Candy Man followed Aya to India and went to Amritsar.
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