Ice Candy Man is a novel written by American – Pakistani Novelist, Bapsi Sidhwa. This is a first novel in which Pakistani Woman Novelist telling about a condition of Lahore people after the partition of India and Pakistan.
You may have read many novel which tells about the condition of Indian people after partition but no one tells about the condition of Pakistan. So Bapsi Sidhwa is going to tell us what Pakistani people faces after partition.
Ice Candy Man By Bapsi Sidhwa
Summary of Ice Candy Man By Bapsi Sidhwa
The story of novel opens up with Iqbal who is complaining to God. The main character of story is Lenny, a physically challenged young Parsi girl who lives in Lahore. She is an introvert girl who loves to live in house.
The story now introduces new character, Ayah, an eighteen year old very beautiful Hindu girl who takes care of Lenny. As Lenny is an introvert person, she is good at observing people and notices small things about people.
As Lenny is an introvert person, she is good at observing people and notices small things about people. She observe how everyone from her town are crazy for her Ayah. Lenny’s have one doctor, Colonel Bharucha, who did her leg surgery and asked her to take bed rest for one month. After one month, Colonel allowed Lenny to walk through her wheel chair. Ayah brings Lenny to Zoo and when people saw Ayah, many people started following her.
There comes new character, Ice Candy man, who sells Ice candy in summers. As people doesn’t buy Ice candy in winters, he changed his business and sells birds in roads of Lahore. Ice Candy man is very talkative person who can talk in any topic for hours.
The story features new character now, Imam Din, a sixty years old tall and muscular old man who work as a cook in Lenny’s house. He love playing with children in free time. One day, Imam Din takes Lenny to his village, Pir Pindo.
Pir Pindo is a village where people from all caste lives peacefully. The panchayat is going on in the village and they were talking about a Hindu – Muslim riots. In the panchayat, villagers were talking about Britishers how they fooled all of us and how badly riots are going on in Bihar and Bangal.
This was a time when people were doing riots for partition. And partition does not happen yet. Pir Pindo’s Chaudhary ensure everyone that there would be no riots in their village. We will live like we used to live no matter what. Lenny was observing everything, afterwards Imam brings her to his home.
On the other side, Ayah’s lovers are increasing day after day. There are two crazy lovers, Chinaman and Pathan started roaming around Lenny’s house just to talk with Ayah. The summer has come in Lahore and Ice candy man has started selling Ice candy again in Lahore.
During these days, the partition of India was confirmed, Muslim people wants different country by name, Pakistan. Imam Din is worrying about his village and he wants to back in his village to see its condition.
Pir Pindo is covered by Military trucks which come to take Muslims on safer place. But the innocent farmers of Pir Pindo doesn’t know what is happening. They don’t know why military truck has come to their village.It was very difficult for poor farmers to leave their land, village and house.
There comes new character, Mr. Roger, a Inspector general of police from Lahore. One day, people finds his body in gutter which made Lahore people panic. Lenny noticed everything has changed and after few days riots started in Lahore and everyone was trying to hide themselves.
Muslim and Sikh who used to live together peacefully are now eager to kill each other. Hindu and Sikh were leaving Lahore and going in Amritsar. They left behind their home, shops and land in Lahore. No one knows where they are going and what will happen tomorrow.
One morning an announcement is made on All India Radio that the division of India has been done. Lenny was a Parsi girl and no one has harmed Parsis till now but they were worrying about their future. One day, an angry Muslims come at Lenny’s house, they asked whether any Hindu servant living in their home.
They were actually asking about Ayah. Iman din said no and tells them that Ayah has gone back to her home. Afterwards, Ice Candy man comes in front from that crowd asked Lenny about Ayah.
Lenny is an innocent girl, she though Ice candy man like Ayah so she tells him about Ayah. An Angry Muslims takes out Ayah from home and Lenny was shocked to see that. She never thought if she would tells Ice candy man about Ayah then they would such horrible things with her.
That day Lenny learns sometimes truth can destroy someone’s life. Ice Candy man takes Ayah to Hira Mandi which is a prostitute market. Ice Candy man’s own mother was a prostitute and he was himself a Dalal.
On the other hand, the Sikhs of Pir Pindo village attacks on Muslims. Imam Dim family was also in danger but nothing can happen now because the murders of Muslims has started in Pir Pindo.They raped all the Muslim girls.
The story now shift focus to Lenny who is very sad because Muslims have captured her Ayah. She can’t believe Ice Candy man who liked Ayah has betrayed Ayah. Since Ice Candy man has changed since he saw a dead bodies of Muslims. Ayah is not love for her now as she became a Hindu for him.
The story also teach us how a fights and riots impact on a psychology of child. Lenny is blaming herself for whatever is happening with her. She hurts her tongue with toothpaste in washroom because through this tongue she tells them about her Ayah.
One day, Lenny’s cousin tells her that he saw Ayah in car and she was wearing Actress dress. After few days, Lenny herself saw Ayah in car and she tells everyone about Ayah in her family. Afterwards, Lenny’s family started looking for Ayah. One day, Lenny goes to her Godmother, a woman who gives religious education to children.
There Lenny saw a groom and that groom is none other than Ice Candy man who is wearing white color clothes. Ice candy man greets everyone by reading Urdu Nazam. Ice Candy man has married Ayah, Godmother scolds him a lot as he is not taking care of Ayah.
Godmother says to him that you does not deserve Ayah then why you married her. Ice Candy man replies that I’m a human being and only dogs are loyal. He says if you need Loyalty then married her to a dog.
Godmother yells at Ice Candy man says very bad things to him. Lenny was also there observing everything, Godmother decides that she will go in Hira Mandi to meet Ayah. Lenny insist to go with Godmother to meet Ayah.
Thereafter, Godmother and Lenny goes in Hira Mandi. They were taken in one room which was smelling of flowers. Ice Candy man takes Ayah out, Lenny saw pain and helplessness in Ayah’s eyes. She was looking like someone has taken out her soul from her body. Ayah became a living dead body.
Ayah begged to Godmother to take her out from Hira Mandi as she can’t live there. Ayah tells Godmother that her relatives live in Amritsar and she want to go there. Godmother console Ayah that she will soon take her out from Hira Mandi.
Afterwards, Lenny and Godmother returns back from there. After returning, Lenny’s cousin asks her about Kotha. Lenny is a grown girl now she knows what Kotha is. On the other side, Godmother goes to government administration and tells them about a prostitution in Hira Mandi and a girl name Ayah is stuck there.
After few days, the police raids at Hira Mandi and takes Ayah out from there. They sent Ayah in recovered Women’s camp which is in Lahore. Ice Candy man does not give up chasing Ayah and followed her at Women’s camp. There were Sikh guards who beat Ice Candy man ruthlessly.
Ice Candy man comes daily at Camp with flowers in his hands and started singing. He had a hope that Ayah will come out to meet her. After few days, Lenny learns that Ayah has been shifted to her relative home in Amritsar. One more thing, Ice Candy man followed Ayah till India an goes in Amritsar.