Lihaaf ( The Quilt ) is a story written by Indian Urdu Novelist and Short story writer, Ismat Chughtai. The story was originally published in 1942.
“Summary of The Quilt By Ismat Chughtai”
Summary of Lihaaf ( The Quilt ) By Ismat Chughtai
The story of Lihaaf (The Quilt ) begins with the childhood of narrator when she was very young. In childhood, narrator used to fight with her brother and sister all the time. Sometime I thought why I fight that much, why I have so much anger in me.
The girls of my age are busy in love while I am fighting with every boys I came across. For that reason, when my mother was going Agra, she send me to her sister home. My mother knew If I stays in home with my brother and sister, I would fight with them all the time.
My mother send me to her sworn sister, Begum Jan’s home. Begum Jan’s lihaaf is still in my heart which I never forget. Begum Jan belongs to poor family and her parents married her to Nawab Sahab. Nawab Sahab is a respectful and kind person who stays away from girls and like to help people.
He has done Haj journey several times and he has help many poor people in taking a journey of Haj. So that’s why Begum’s parents married her to Nawab Sahab as he was a reputed person.
The educated youngsters used to live in Nawab Sahab’s home. They were fair in color and had slim waist and Nawab used to bear their expenses by himself. Although, Nawab is married to Begum but he doesn’t care about her and neither give her his attention.
Begum Jan was an innocent girl who was living in isolation. Begum Jan has seen how on Nawab’s orders these young boys fed with tasty desserts and food. Begum Jan prayed to god for Nawab’s attention on her but nothing worked on him.
Nawab never gave Begum that love which she needed and craved for. Begum’s heart is broken and now she has started reading books. She is reading romantic novels which developed more sexual desire in her. She is not able to sleep at night.
Nawab does not care about Begum and she is not allowed to go outside of house. Begum was imprison in her home. She sees how guest are coming in her home and enjoying tasty dishes and food.
While Begum was living in isolation in her own home, she used to see how Lihaaf shadows are changing on walls, but those Lihaaf shadows were not enough to stop their cold. Begum Jan is in a state of death as her condition is very bad now.
There comes, Rabbu, a servant who is like an angel for Begum. She served Begum Jan with all her heart. Begum started recovering with the presence of Rabbu.
Rabbu massages Begum with some kind of oil which gives her new life. When I saw Begum for the first time, she was around 40 years old and her face was looking very beautiful to me. I could spend hours by just looking at her cute face. She was fair in color and had beautiful oily hair.
Her eyes were pure black which was very beautiful. And her lips were most beautiful. Begum was tall in height. I used to see her beautiful body. Rabbu was with Begum all the time and she used to massage Begum’s beautiful body all the time.
When Begum Jan take shower, the whole house smells with her fragrance. Two hour before shower, I used to massage her. I was in love with Begum Jan and she loved me. I started sleeping on a floor of Begum’s room. We talked with each other till 10 or 11 pm.
The narrator says when I wake up at middle of night, I felt a strange fear, it was dark in room and it seems like Begum’s lihaaf is shaking, I called Begum Jan in fear. As I called her, Lihaaf stopped shaking and Begum scolds me to sleep. I told her that I’m scared , Begum tells me there is nothing to fear so sleep quietly and read Quran’s ayat. I started reading Quran’s ayat, I knew Ayat completely though, but was not able to read it that day. I was scared. I ask Begum Jan to sleep on bed with her but she said no.
After some time, I heard a gossip of two people. I ask Begum, is there something happening with you ? Begum just told me to sleep. Afterwards, I covered myself with Lihaaf and slept. In morning, I was not able to forget the horrific incident of Lihaaf, the lihaaf which was shaking like an elephant at night is now lying on bed with no movements. Second night, when I woke up, Begum Jan and Rabbu were fighting with each other, Rabbu was crying and I heard a sound of licking like a cat. I put lihaaf on me and slept.
The next day, Rabbu goes to her home to meet her son. Begum is troubled as Rabbu was not with her. Begum loves massage of Rabbu only. She does not eat anything whole day. I came to Begum Jan and ask, Can I give you massage today ? She agreed and I does her massage.
The next day, Rabbu was supposed to come but she did not come. Begum is feeling very bad now. As usual I does her massage, I like doing her work. Begum ask me to massage tightly. Begum hold my hand in her hand and started doing massage all over her body.
She started talking with me. Begum ask me, what do you like ? Do you need toys and new clothes ? I was lost in thoughts of toys and clothes, and Begum was using my hands on all over her body. Begum grabbed me and made me lie down next to her. She started counting my ribs. I was very scared and wanted to run away from Begum.
Begum hold my body tightly, I cried but she started laughing. My heart was crying but suddenly Begum’s body lose. She was looking tired and taking deep breath. I immediately run from her. That night, Rabbu came back. I’m scared of Begum now and my mother has not come yet to take me back to home.
At night, Begum’s lihaaf again started shaking like an elephant. I was watching quietly. I was very scared and that night I decided to turn on the light. Begum’s lihaaf was continuously shaking like an elephant. I’m hearing a sound of licking from lihaaf. Lihaaf was making different types of faces. I step out from my bed and I opened the lights. As I opened the lights, lihaaf fall down and saw Begum and Rabbu together in lihaaf.