Love Across the Salt Desert

Keki N.Daruwalla’s “Love Across the Salt Desert” is a love story based on the theme that true love
transcends all barriers like Religion, Region, cast, colour and creed. It depicts union between two
lovers despite their hailing from two opposite sides of the International border between India and
Pakistan--- two hostile countries.

The story bears its title not only because of the fact that sole and main avenue of the entire dramatic
action is the Thar or Kuchh desert, known for its salt lagoon, but also for other reasons like its being
the hottest desert in the subcontinent and as such not so easy to cross unaided, its being devoid of
water bodies; its being chequered by mirages and also because of its being guarded by Pak rangers on
one side and BSF personnel from their watch towers from the other side. Needless to mention that
“Salt” is a symbol standing for harsh and inhospitable nature.

Najab, a reticent and diffident budding youth from Khavda, Runn of Kutchh is captivated by the
peerless and bewitching beauty of Fatima ( a clove seller’s daughter from Sindh, the Pakistani side of
desert referred to as “Hoor” and elopes with Najab. None of the lovers spare even a moment’s thought
to petty considerations like Nationality, linguistic barrier, Parental permission etc. They are not even
deterred by the danger of crossing the inhospitable and dangerous desert unaided illegally.

To start with, Najab is introduced as a diffident, strangely introverted youth with dreamy eyes
notorious for blushing even at the mere mention of a girl. Despite his being only 20 years of age, he
had trudged across the desert with his father Aftab—a smuggler— four times and knew everything
about the desert and was confident enough of crossing the desert alone if so needed.

Fatima — a paragon of beauty, the daughter of Pakistani clove seller, a witty old smuggler — being
under pressure of marrying Mehfooz Ali — a far off relative with extreme slurred speech, was taken
by innocent and all smiling face of the young Najab who had come to stay at her house during his
fourth illegal trip across the desert. Having failed to illicit even a word from Najab in the morning, she
did receive positive response from him in the evening thus brings about a sea change in his
personality.

Najab, after falling in love with Fatima, turned out to be a “ Dare Devil” as for his return to Khavda,
he shipped away alone with his camel Allahrakha determining to bring back Fatima as his mother’s
daughter –in-law. He braved all the perils and dangers during his desert odyssey. His daring was
crowned with success when he finally stepped on to the Khavdan soil with Fatima bringing in
torrential rains which ended three years of death dealing drought and thus bringing relief and new
lease of life to Khavdans’ who in return welcomed Fatima with open arms as a bringer of joy to them.
Character sketch of Fatima

Fatima is the heroine of Keki N.Daruwalla’s “Love Across the Salt Desert”. She is referred to as “
Hoor” a paragon of heavenly beauty promised to the faithful by Allah to be their life partners in
Paradise after their succeeding in presenting their true accounts to their Maker on the Day of
Judgement. She is bestowed with such a captivating beauty as to be able to drag Najab- a lifelong
reticent, shy and diffident youth off his stand and hold her in a tight embrace for quite a while.

She is the only daughter of the wily old clove seller and smuggler of Sindh. Having lost her mother
quite early, she manages the domesticity quite appreciably. She is under a lot of pressure from Kaley
Shah to marry Mehfoz Ali – a far off relative from her mother’s side—a proposal she abhors as
Mehfoz Ali is notorious for his slurred speech and grotesque stammer so much so that urchin’s mimic
him and get ready to hound him like a madcap.

Fatima falls in love with Najab at the first sight and it is so profound and strong that she gets ready to
abandon her father, her country and everything else and run away with Najab—another far off relative
from her mother’s side hailing from Indian part of the desert.

Fatima’s stepping on to the soil of Khavda is taken as ominous by Khavdan’s as torrential rains pour
down the moment she steps in, thus ending three long years of death dealing drought.