'Typically Tanya': A book on modern lives, unending traditional expectations

Women in most developing countries are walking a fine line, trying to balance the modern with the traditional.
Author Taha Kehar
Author Taha Kehar

Women in most developing countries are walking a fine line, trying to balance the modern with the traditional. Author Taha Kehar’s character Tanya Shaukat is living a similar ordeal in his latest book Typically Tanya.

Kehar has worked with several news dailies in Pakistan and the newsrooms inspired his character, Tanya. “Tanya’s character is the product of observations I may have intuitively absorbed in the newsroom. The people around me were never really a reference point or muse for Tanya or any other character in the book.”

Tanya lives a modern life unable to shake off the traditional expectations from her. “Marriage and love still remain dominant themes in our lives as they are ingrained in us and are often seen as antidotes that cure everything. In an increasingly competitive and fast-paced world, some people view ‘marriage’ and ‘love’ as a sedative that keeps external worries at bay. A great deal of pressure is placed on these facets of our life. As a result, ‘love’ and ‘marriage’ both produce mixed result.”

He believes that often unreasonable expectations are imposed on women to conform to stereotypical ideas and stifle their own individuality to serve a narrow, often male-centric purpose. “Despite this, the women have left an indelible mark in their respective spheres and continue to inspire and enthrall,” he says.

Kehar began writing in September 2016. “It was during breaks at work, I’d immersed myself in Tanya’s story.”

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The New Indian Express
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