Afaq is a character in Zulfiqar Ghose' famous novel 'The Murder of Aziz Khan'. In this article we will throw some light on his character which is a mixture of some good and bad qualities. He, too, along with his brothers, plays a role in the destruction of Aziz Khan's innocent family.
Of three brothers, Afaq, a lad of twenty two, is unmarried. He is the youngest of Shah Brothers. He is still studying Economics at the Podar University College of Commerce.
He has some positive qualities in his character. Two of which are worth-mentioning.
1. First, when Ayub and Akram consider ways to get Aziz Khan’s land, sitting along with them, he says, 'It’s only seventy acres. What good will it do to us when we get it?' Here he shows that he is not greedy and is also averse to using force for personal gains.
2. Secondly, when, upon Afaq’s reaction, Ayub delivers a lecture showing Shah Brothers’ insecurity if they do not get Aziz Khan’s land, he is unable to understand the dark motives and sense of insecurity of his brothers. He thinks when they have every facility of life, why they are feeling themselves so insecure. It means his thinking is very healthy and he is so innocent that he cannot understand the cunningness and business-minded approach of his brothers.
Though Afaq has a positive and healthy attitude towards life, he is unable to come out and initiate something good. In other words, all his goodness is impractical and purposeless. He mostly thinks of escaping his brothers’ influence. However, he dares not take any such step; for he knows that he cannot support himself. He cannot achieve the facilities anywhere else, which are available to him here under his brothers’ supremacy.
However, the positive side of Afaq’s personality is marred by his sex mania. This abnormality starts working upon him from his early life and goes along causing him play havoc with many people and himself too. Sometimes, it seems that the sole aim of his life is to have sex with as many girls as possible. Whenever he looks at an appealing woman, he bursts with desires to make love. He feels attraction for Razia and thinks in his mind the procedure of their love making. Apart from Razia, he has sexual thoughts for Zarina too.
In his first meeting with Rafiq, he complains that there are no women in Kalapur. When he drives away with Rafiq and Javed, he remembers his student days in Bombay when he had been with girls for long hours.
Once, near Aziz Khan’s land, he picks a girl of 13, transports her to a deserted place, and rapes her till she is killed. Consequent upon this murderous act, Rafiq is trapped in a murder case and is hanged. Despite very horrible results of his sex-sickness, Afaq is unable to control himself. He leaves his country and continues his madness in England as well. He does not join any educational institution on arriving in England. Instead he spends his days and nights with a number of English and continental girls. Every girl for him is a sex-object. He usually discards a girl he has enjoyed as if it were a peel of fruit he has eaten.
So, Afaq is a depraved and lustful bachelor. Aziz Khan's son, a very innocent Rafiq was hanged for the crime committed by Afaq. His sexual perversion further adds to the depravity and degradation even in his own family.
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