Rung Zindagi Ke By Hayat Khan

About this novel

Rang Zindagi Ke (Urdu: رنگ زندگی کے) by Hayat Khan is a complete Urdu romance about Zehra, the tomboyish daughter of an army colonel. She lives in Azad Kashmir, and her path crosses with a young soldier who has just completed his training.

The novel opens with a mother’s lecture. “Zehra, get up now! A holiday doesn’t mean you sleep all day. Girls do the housework on their day off – they take care of their parents and run the house.” Her mother, Mahida Begum, adds sharply that girls like her aren’t found on this earth – you’d have to go to Mars, or even further! She goes on until Zehra grabs her hand and escapes to the washroom. Mahida Begum and Colonel Khizar have two daughters: the elder, Zehra, and the younger, Munawwara.

Zehra is the life of the house – playful, cheerful and lively in the truest sense, with a dusky complexion, sharp features, shoulder-length hair and big, beautiful eyes. Munawwara, her opposite, is pretty and loves books, while Zehra runs miles from them. After matric she had to join college because of her mother’s strictness, and chose arts subjects of her own will. Her father is a colonel posted here; her mother teaches physics at a local school. Zehra hates being cooped up at home, saying it makes her feel suffocated, and her hobbies are unusual for a girl: horse riding, fishing, climbing trees and racing.

کشمیر کی وادی، شرارتی زہرہ، اور ٹریننگ مکمل کرنے والا ایک سپاہی۔

Then the story shifts to a young officer who has just finished six months of hard training abroad, including martial arts, and is now one of the finest soldiers of his army. Before heading home, he wants to celebrate with his friend Jaz, a fellow trainee from a different country who became close to him during training.

Back home, Mahida Begum is furious: Zehra went out with her friends to steal walnuts, and the neighbourhood is talking. Hayat Khan mixes humour, family warmth and a military backdrop, and the title promises all the colours of life.

You can read Rang Zindagi Ke online here or download the complete PDF for free. More by Hayat Khan: Talab E Wafa, Zah Tasara Mina Kawam and Dastak Dil Pe, or see all Hayat Khan novels.