Fourteen years is a long time. Especially for someone to be under wraps. At the end of 14 years, the world may appear unrecognisable; the people in it may seem from another era; and the forces that drive and dictate their life could come across as frivolous or inane. Thankfully, in Rafina ’s case, 14 years haven’t done much damage. Written in 2004, this novella by Pakistani author Shandana Minhas took its own time to see the light of day. And it is to Minhas’s credit that her protagonist — 17-year-old Rafina from the rundown Gomery police quarters in Karachi — still seems as real and relatable.

Rafina’s story could be called a modern version of Cinderella, though there is no scheming stepmother or a cruel half sister. The mother in the story is the poor widow of a police constable and her sole grudge with her only daughter is the latter’s reluctance to join the garments factory she works in. Rafina decides that her life can’t be limited to inhaling fumes from machines in ill-ventilated rooms. And that her skin cannot be a dull grey, something that a whitening face wash cannot liven up. Unlike her lackadaisical younger brother — a shadowy presence at best — Rafina wants to go beyond stitching zip fasteners and doing dishes. She is, however, not banking on a fairy godmother or a pair of glass sandals. There is a face that she looks up to — one that is selling mobile top-up cards. The model’s silken tresses and flawless skin dominate a billboard on the intersection between Gomery Street and MA Jinnah Road, adding sparkle to the dreams of the girl watching her from the window of a two-room flat.

Within the first few pages of the novella, Rafina convinces her mother to let her assist the buxom Rosie khala on her waxing-mani-pedi assignments in the city’s upscale neighbourhoods. She knows that her dream of being a face that matters can grow only where the rich and the famous live. A string of appointments later — from attending to a paralysed woman to a cynical journalist saddled with the burden of childcare — Rosie khala agrees to introduce Rafina to Radiance, the most coveted address in the field of makeover and grooming. She keeps the teenager on a tight leash, checking her curiosity and enthusiasm with frequent admonitions.

Rafina knows that her 30-day trial period is unlikely to result in a job, but that doesn’t stop her from networking with the Radiance rank and file. She just needs to be discovered, Rafina tells herself, being fully aware of her prettiness and pluck. Her poor physical strength, something that Rosie khala and her massage clients keep complaining about, doesn’t mar her enthusiasm. On the last day of the trial month, she gets a lifeline, from none other than Nausheen, the glamorous and successful owner of Radiance. Rafina’s looks get her a place in Nausheen’s personal staff. She starts with making tea — not the “ doodh patti ” variety, but “proper tea, with milk and sugar on the side”. And on the side, her kajal surrenders to liquid eye liner and the “trusty brown lip pencil” bows out to the hot pink. Her confidence grows with every cosmetic change, making Rafina an object of discussion tinged with jealousy at the salon.

The bodies that seek the Radiance touch are often vehicles for troubled minds. An actress who “sobs gratefully” as she surrenders to Nausheen’s “bhayanak” grooming session. A socialite who chopped her hair after leaving her husband. Or an overworked Nawal who seeks Rosie khala ’s help in removing stress-induced knots in her shoulders. The desire to stay and succeed in a race for beauty connects their lives to Rafina’s. She gets ahead in the race, pushing obstacles out of her way. She plants herself firmly at the door to the big league even as others try to pull her down for being of low birth and lacking finesse.

BLinkRafinaBookCover

RafinaShandana MinhasPicador IndiaFictionRs 450

 

 

In this story of an underdog — something that easily moves hearts and brings tears — the character of Rafina is anything but weepy and helpless. Her constant focus on her need to be on the billboard that she so desires makes her less loveable. This, however, is not a drawback in our opinion.

Rafina wants a better life — for herself and and her family — and she will do it without blaming her stars. From signing a modelling contract, much to the ire of the Radiance clan, to performing a blow job, she exhibits no deep feelings.

You might argue that the novella stirs few emotions, having dwelt mostly on sequences in Rafina’s growth chart. But is that a bad thing?

Emotional involvement can also be overrated.

Published on August 24, 2018