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June 26 to July 2 : Weekly News Magazine
messenger BOOK REVIEW 19

Lost in Terror: A Review- Nayeema Mahjoor

smoke, tears and death — everywhere.
A gun in the hands of a just and sensible person might be a blessing
but any weapon in the hands of a fanatic can wipe away truth, justice
and humanity away from the society.

Kashmir has a unique character, just like its people. We have
recorded a long history of not aligning with our oppressors, no matter
who they are. Kings or Maharajas, Sikhs or Afghans, fathers or
husbands, there was never any compromise with any of them on the
question of freedom, no matter how powerful the opposing force was
or still is.
Kashmir, in fact, had become like a mistress of the country that
wanted to keep her close but never tried to win her heart. The two
never accepted each other even after seven decades of bonhomie.
The source of the characters in ‘Lost in Terror’ is not any Utopia, but
world’s biggest and brutal prison Kashmir. The author’s attitude
towards her characters is based on the real-life situations and the
history of this war-torn part of the world.
While reading the novel feels one feels nostalgic; the characters in
the novel return like real characters. It gives a sense of déjà vu. The
novel addresses the universal themes of pain and survival and
realistic dialogues only adds richness to its narrative.
Its major theme is the survival of women in conflict and patriarchy.
The theme is wonderfully revealed and developed through the
struggle for survival and achieving the dreams. Though the theme is
familiar but is narrated in a new and original way. There is simplicity
and clarity in the style. This book particularly mirrors Kashmir of 80’s
and 90’s. Other aspects of the history of the conflict are revealed
through flashbacks and dialogues.
Lost in Terror is an important and valuable addition to the resistance
literature of Kashmir written through the perspective of a woman.
What makes it unique is that the author has written what she had
experienced as a journalist. A firsthand account of what she reported
or what comprised a news. Here is a valuable pinch of emotions the
reader can’t avoid while reading this novel. This is what I think is
The only way to deal with an unfree world is to become so absolutely
missing in the novels written by Kashmiri authors based or working in
free that your very existence is an act of rebellion.’ Albert Camus, The
the West. There, I think, is a divine difference between being the target
Rebel. Life is full of challenges. But the challenges one faces in an
of a suffering and writing about it, and watching the same suffering in
unfree society has no parallel in terms of drastic effects it leaves on the
lives of people. the news and writing about it.
The cover of this novel like the story also depicts death and
‘Lost in Terror’ is a story of the society, where no one knows who is the
destruction. A crimson Chinar leaf soaked in blood on the white snow.
master, and who is the subject. The people are at the mercy of their
The beads of blood are shining like bloody dew drops on a white rose.
enemies. Those enemies decide who has to live and who shall die.
They decide how many breaths one should take. The protagonist in I believe that everyone should read this novel to know how a woman
Lost in Terror has no name. Why should she? Giving her a name would deals with the sufferings bestowed upon her by the conflict and
have limited her. Lost in Terror is not just her story, it is the story of every
patriarchy in this part of the world. This is an inspiring tale of survival in
woman living in the Most Militarized Zone in the World — Kashmir. the times of crises. Its punch line goes “Never let others run your life.
A story can’t remain confined in just one person when fear rules the
Be your own master and decide what you want to do. Work hard to
minds and souls of citizens dominated by alien forces and home-grown achieve great heights in your life. Never give up your fight…”
patriarchy. A struggle can’t be just one person’s struggle when
everyone’s eyes hurt to see tyrant oppressors; who always are on the If introduced and advertised rightly in the international market, this
urge to turn dreams into a violent and horrific nightmare. How can a novel could do for Kashmir what The Kite Runner did for Afghanistan,
person be liberated in a place where very word ‘liberation’ is confused or Mornings in Jenin did for Syria.
with death and slavery? It is the story of a place where there is: chaos,