“More Sinned against than Sinning” (Short Story by Umm-e-Ummara) Summary

“More Sinned against than Sinning”

                                                             by Umm-e-Ummara

“More Sinned against than Sinning” is an Urdu short story translated into English by Vishwamitter Adhil and Alok Bhalla. The story is written in first person and narrated by Munni Bitiya (Bibi). The title is taken from William Shakespeare famous tragic play King Lear where the titular character makes this utterance. The phrase means that though someone may be guilty of wrongdoing, they think themselves as the victim of a more serious wrong.

“More Sinned against than Sinning” talks about the violence and the destruction of Munni Bitiya’s family, because of her father’s decision of taking the family to Dhaka much against the wishes of the other family members. Though the action of the story takes place a few years after the Partition, the enmity between the two communities still existed, and both tried to destroy the other.

Munni Bitiya and and her family live in Patna, where their mother takes care of every household necessities efficiently. Their father visits them occasionally. Munni’s elder sister is married; she has an elder brother (Bade Bhaiya), younger brother and two younger sisters: Rani and Baby.

Munni’s life is very peaceful, under the efficient hands of her mother. She loves her father and feels happy to see him. The children are well-educated and live a comfortable life. During one visit, Baba tells them that they have to move to Bangladesh because of the political condition. Meanwhile, Bade Bhaiya marries a woman named Pakhi. She is a lovely woman and adopts the language, ritual and traditions of her husband’s family.

Bade Bhaiya is a man who is ready to forget his past and hopes for a bright future in the new land. Then the family leaves for Dhaka and Munni goes to the university. Bade Bhaiya leaves for Phoolbari with his family. Munni’s younger brother takes active part in the politics of the country and frequently gets arrested, much to the dismay of Amma and Baba. When Amma was on her deathbed, she had neither of her sons near her. After Amma’s death, Munni gets an opportunity to visit her brother and his family in Phoolbari.

Phoolbari was a very beautiful village, rich in greenery. Munni was able to rekindle her childhood love for flowers. Pakhi was cheerful always and her brother too looked like a Bengali. They adopted the lifestyle of the land, but still the scar of the partition was so deep. One day, Phoolbari was set to fire and the entire family, except Munni were burnt to death; even Amma’s grave was destroyed and her body floated on water.

The story gives a subtle description of the impact of Partition in the separated regions. The title is justified by the burning of Phoolbari, where Munni silently feels that she is responsible for the death of her brother’s family and also she considers herself a victim. This is because she has to live with the burden of witnessing the entire family’s death. Life itself is a punishment for Munni henceforth.