The novel ‘Slanted Lines’ explores the fragile lives of the urban middle class
Karachi-Based Urdu Short Story Writer Shujaat Ali Publishes Debut English Novel Slanted Lines
Karachi, Sindh
Renowned Urdu fiction writer and government officer Shujaat Ali has made a bold entry into English literature with the publication of his first novel, Slanted Lines.
Set against the backdrop of a bustling metropolis, the novel explores the fragile lives of the urban middle class, the cracks in marital relationships, and the complexities of human emotions with remarkable honesty and sensitivity.
The story revolves around Tauheed, a married man caught between a strained relationship and mounting financial pressures. Once full of youthful dreams and passion, his life now feels like a delicate balancing act between duty and quiet dissatisfaction.
Amid growing emotional distance from his wife, Tauheed finds himself yearning for the freedom and intensity of his bachelor days — a time marked by spontaneity, boundless energy, and hope.
The novel delves deep into Tauheed’s inner conflict as he grapples with desire, guilt, and the search for genuine connection. When a glimpse of new companionship appears in his life, he is forced to confront the thin line between loyalty, attraction, and the fundamental human need for understanding.
Slanted Lines is written in a realistic and evocative style, unpacking themes such as the tension between social expectations and personal needs, fidelity and longing, love and loneliness, and the restlessness hidden behind a façade of stability.
Shujaat Ali’s debut in English fiction not only tells the story of one man but also resonates with countless men and women caught in life’s slanted lines of love, identity, and belonging.
A well-known name in Urdu short stories, Shujaat Ali works with a government institution in Karachi and is now introducing his nuanced storytelling to a new audience through English literature.
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