The Invisibles by Zia Jaffrey

The Invisibles : A Tale of the Eunuchs of India by Zia Jaffrey is what I am reading right now and it is a brilliant read so far. The book as the title suggets is all about the eunuchs of India – the way they live, their mannerisms, their lifestyle, the myths that surround them and finally reality that shrouds them – if there is any that is.

As a child and right through being an adult, I was petrified of eunuchs and still am. I do not know why. May be its just the overall persona that only evokes fear in our hearts and minds than anything else. We are afraid that they might just lift their skirts/saris and show us what we are afraid to see because it is imbedded in our minds that they are different. May be we are afraid because we have always known that “Hijre ki bad dua lagti hai”. The “hijra” has the ability to curse and also make your wishes come true with their blessings.

At the same time the fact that they remain a minority or let’s put it this way: the society treats them as outcasts. A group of people who do not belong. That’s exactly may be what we need : some more tolerance towards human beings – no matter who they are. The point is that we see them and yet pretend that they are invisibles.

A more detailed review after I am done with the book.