Master craftsman’s hook

I was an avid reader and literally a bookworm while growing up. I would read every printed thing that came my way, including foreign newspapers that were used to wrap famous Allah Rakha’s kababs in Gujranwala. I was constantly reminded of guest etiquette by my late mother, as I would find a book or a magazine in someone’s house and start reading it in their drawing rooms. Over the years, I was a regular visitor to old book stalls at Sunday Bazaar of Anarkali and Mall Road in Lahore. When my father decided to build a house in Lahore, I requested my room to be converted into a library – and a library it is. I read and collected thousands of books and magazines over the years, and now it’s difficult to sort things out.

I still read books, I still read actual paper newspapers and magazines, but the time I spend on reading has drastically dwindled as other competing interests came our way. The mobile revolution and addiction to reels and short videos have taken precedence over reading. This habit is addictive, and these mega tech companies knew about it. Just today, a US court slapped a fine worth nearly a billion US dollars on a major social media company as it knowingly let kids get addicted to its different apps. But just like an addict, how does one get out of this habit? It’s easier said than done.

I tried multiple times and failed. I bought really good books, but nothing matched the kick of watching short videos. In those same days, Mustansar Hussain Tarar sahib gave me one of his newly published books. Tarar sahib is a legend and has influenced many generations beyond any comparison. I was introduced to him through Nikley Teri Talash Mein – his first book, actually a travelogue. The book was so interesting that I did not want it to finish. People like him, Ibne Insha and some others were a breath of fresh air in travelogue writing, as they used simple and direct language. These people inspired me and countless others to go out and see the world and try to live their experiences. Pakistan’s younger generation was introduced and encouraged by him to explore our northern areas.

Tarar sahib has crossed eighty years of age and has also written more than eighty books. He is Pakistan’s best?selling author and rightly claims that as an author he lived a comfortable life solely on the income of his books. This is a rare feat in Pakistan. My friendship with Tarar sahib dates back to my medical college days when I interviewed him for my college magazine. Every time I am in Lahore, we meet for a morning walk and gupshup at his usual abode.

So now I have a problem. I needed to read the book, but my reading capacity had gone down drastically as I was using social media more and more. One day, reluctantly, I opened his book From Lahore to Florida and then I realised it’s not a travelogue but a collection of essays. Travelogues I still like, but essay reading is not my favourite these days. The first one is about Lahore, and I grudgingly started reading it. Just after a few pages, I felt that I had found an antidote, as I could not leave the book for the next many hours. This had not happened to me in recent years. Then I realised that Tarar Sahib was an excellent writer to start with, but over the years he has evolved into a master craftsman. He has come up with a hook that could bring back old readers to the world of reading again.

A good book still has the power to counter social media addiction, and everyone will respond differently to different authors. I will not recommend one book for everyone, but you can find different books for people with different levels of reading. Start with basic, simple and humorous books and slowly move up. Go for top authors; these master craftsmen can pull you out of social media dependency, and Tarar sahib is one of them.