Tum Bhi Nah by Rahim Rahi

About this novelette

Tum Bhi Na (Urdu: تم بھی نا) by Rahim Rahi is a short Urdu comedy about a completely chaotic family, told with slapstick humour. There is a rolling-pin-wielding mother, a terrified father and two mischievous children, Hamza and Nayab.

The story opens on an ordinary morning. “Hamza beta, get ready quickly, breakfast is ready!” his mother calls loudly. “Okay, Mom,” Hamza replies, staring out of the window. “Nayab, are you still asleep?” “No, Ammi, only my eyes are closed,” Nayab answers. “If I come in, your eyes will open and your brain too!” Ammi warns. From the next room, Papa’s voice shouts that he isn’t scared of threats like that – and the next moment, Papa comes running out of the room with Ammi right behind him, a belan in her hand, while poor Papa, without even his slippers, yells for the children to save him before their mother ends up in jail.

Hamza opens his door and calmly assures him that she’ll only break his head, nothing else. “It’s a head, you useless boy, not a slipper you can buy again!” Papa cries, collapsing into a chair as the rolling pin keeps landing. Nayab, still under her blanket, starts singing, and Papa protests that he isn’t singing – he’s under attack and crying for help!

بیلن، بھاگتے پاپا، اور گھر کا روز کا ہنگامہ۔

Then Hamza has a clever idea. “Ammi, you don’t know – yesterday Papa was saying he would take you shopping!” One moment Ammi is running; the next she stops dead. Papa, horrified, swears that being beaten is better than shopping – so Ammi throws the belan, Papa ducks, and it lands right on Hamza’s head instead. Later, at school, Hamza walks into class with “In-come, sir,” gets corrected with “It’s may I come in, you fool!”, replies that words are only a means and feelings should reach the heart, then starts singing a filmi song until his teacher’s slap makes the whole class burst out laughing.

Rahim Rahi’s style is pure masti – over-the-top, silly and fast-paced. If you’re in the mood for a light Urdu comedy rather than a serious romance, this one is a quick laugh.

You can read Tum Bhi Na online here or download the complete PDF for free. You may also like Confusion Hi Confusion by Zahra Jaffri and Ghulam Hai Dil Ye Tera, or browse more short Urdu stories.