KOZHIKODE: Punathil Kunjabdulla was an enigma for the Malayali, more as a person than a writer. He ridiculed and shattered many local notions about sex, family life, being a Muslim, and about political leanings.
Three years after his death, Punathil's biography is getting ready for publishing in Vadakara, near his native place Karakkad where he practised medicine for long.
The late writer's close friend and Punathil Memorial Trust secretary, T Rajan, is penning the biography.
And the highlight of the book is two hitherto unknown photographs of Punathil's lady love in Aligarh.
"The world knew that Punathil had another relation in Aligarh and there was a kid out of it. Mariyam was her name and both lived together in the nurses’ quarters of Aligarh Medical College Hospital for more than two years during 1969-1971," says Rajan.
Mariyam becomes Mariyam Abdulla
Punathil Kunjabdulla's official marriage to Haleema took place when he was 22, in 1962, and the first child, a girl, was born two years later.
Rajan doesn't know whether Punathil and Mariyam had officially registered their marriage but says that Mariyam had changed her name in her midwifery and nursing certificate to Mariyam Abdulla.
"She died due to illness on July 8, 1971. Novelist and Punathil's close friend M Mukundan had visited Aligarh to console him. Mukundan used to call her fondly 'Mariyamma'.
After the death, a devastated Punathil wrote the heart-wrenching story, 'Enne Smashaanathilek Nayikunna Njaan' in Mathrubhumi weekly, which was an autobiographical sketch of Mariyam's tragic death," elaborated Rajan.
Quoting from the story, Rajan says that a vicar read the holy book during the funeral of Mariyam, indicating that she was a Christian.
Tinku, born out of Punathil-Mariyam relationship, was less than a year old when Mariyam passed away and the boy was brought to his home in Vadakara upon the insistence of Punathil's father Mammu and well taken care of.
"Among the two black and white photos of Mariyam I had, one was taken during the time of her death," added Rajan.
According to him, the writer had visited the cemetery where Mariyam was laid to rest in Aligarh in 2003.
Rajan, a retired teacher and journalist, had four decades of close bond with the author of 'Smarakashilakal' (Memorial Stones).
"About 18 years back, Punathil handed over to me 16 volumes of his works published in various magazines and 1,600-odd letters plus this rarest of rare images of Mariyam," elaborated Rajan.
The biography which spans over 15 chapters has been almost completed and is expected to be published in January.