Twilight in Delhi

Twilight in Delhi is a historical novel by Pakistani novelist Ahmed Ali, first published in 1940. Set during the 1910s in British-occupied India, it focuses on old Delhi and the Muslim inhabitants of the city. The main character is Mir Nihal, a Muslim man who experiences dramatic changes in his life and the lives of his family during this period. As his son Asghar struggles with problems in his marriage, India undergoes a major upheaval of its own as King George is named the ruler of a newly conquered India, and the glory of Delhi begins to fade. Exploring themes of colonialism, alienation, gender roles, nostalgia, and the passage of time and empires, Twilight in Delhi was Ali’s debut novel and was controversial for its frank depiction of the negative effects of British colonialism. It was published only after the intervention of acclaimed English author E.M. Forster, but today it is considered one of the great early modern Indian novels.

Twilight in Delhi begins on a hot summer evening as Mir Nahal comes home to find his wife awake. She wants to talk about the marriages of their two children. Mir insists their son, Asghar, must be married first, but they are interrupted by a snake sneaking into Mir’s pigeons’ quarters. After Mir chases it off, Asghar arrives home and is chastised by his father for his English fashion. Asghar leaves rather than argue, his thoughts occupied by his would-be wife, Bilqeece, a girl from a lower class. Asghar knows his father will never approve of their marriage. He contacts his older sister, Begam Waheed, to help him make the case to his parents. He tells his sister that he would rather die than live without his beloved. Begam Waheed talks to their mother, Begam Nihal, to ask for her help. Although she is skeptical, Begam Nihal agrees to help because she’s worried about her son. When she talks to Mir, he becomes angry because he’s worried that this will ruin the family’s reputation. Their servant, Dilchain, overhears and tells Begam Jamal, Begam Nihal’s sister-in-law. Although she gloats to her sister-in-law over the family’s misfortune, she also offers to help arrange the marriage without Mir’s blessing.

Asghar goes to visit his mistress, Mushtari Bai, along with a friend of his. The friend reveals Asghar’s love for Bilqeece, which causes Mushtari to become jealous as she’s in love with Asghar herself. After they spend some time together, Asghar goes home and learns that his mother has agreed to help him marry Bilqeece. Begam Waheed suggests that Asghar return with her to her home in Bhopal to wait out the time before he can marry Bilqeece. After some time, Mir returns home to find his family suffering from heat sickness. The heat is so extreme that several of his beloved pigeons have died. He buys new ones at the market, and one of his servants arrived in a hurry to reveal to him that his mistress, Babban Jan, is dying. He hurries to her home, forgetting to lock the pigeon coop. He returns to find that Babban Jan has passed away just minutes prior. Grieving, he gives her mother some money before leaving. At home, he finds that his pigeons were killed by a stray cat. Despondent, he decides it is time to retire and let Asghar make his own decisions about who he wants to marry. After retirement, he spends time focusing on his old hobby of Alchemy. This is when King George is crowned King of Britain and as such rules over India. Mir and his family go to the parade, but Mir has a flashback to the violent takeover of India by the British. Excusing himself, he walks home and comes across a beggar who he realizes is one of India’s former rulers. He gives the man money before walking home, reflecting on the changes in his life.



Asghar and Bilqeece get married in an elaborate, days-long ceremony, slightly marred by a member of Asghar’s family insulting the bride’s family. At the end of the ceremony, Bilqeece’s family tearfully says goodbye to her as she leaves to be with Asghar. The marriage has some problems from the start, with the two finding themselves awkward around each other and Bilqeece not feeling at home around her husband’s family. She tries to fit in, seeking to please his father, but there’s little result. Asghar wonders if there is a true spark between them, but when they talk about getting their own home and Asghar getting a job, things improve. They move out and get their own place, filling it with English items. This causes controversy with their families, but they don’t care. Soon they have a daughter named Jehan Ara.

Bilqeece’s father passes away and she goes into a depression, and this causes more conflict between them. Soon, she comes down with tuberculosis and dies. Asghar is left to be a single father to their daughter. Bilqeece’s younger sister Zohra helps him, and he soon becomes infatuated with her. At first it’s not mutual, but she eventually returns his feelings. They keep their relationship secret at first, but soon Asghar talks to her parents about marrying her. They agree, but Begam Jamal contacts them with details of how Asghar treated Bilqeece during their marriage. Zohra’s mother refuses to accept the marriage. At the same time, Asghar’s older brother Habibuddin comes home as he suffers from an illness, and Mir is consumed with grief as he sees India descend into chaos at the same time his eldest son dies. After the funeral, Asghar receives a letter from Zohra, telling him she’s being married off to someone else. He’s left with a broken heart. Mir returns to his room and reflects on all the misfortune that has befallen his family, and dies in his sleep.

Ahmed Ali was a Pakistani novelist, poet, critic, translator, diplomat, and scholar who was highly active in Indian politics during the British occupation. A Founding Fellow of the Pakistan Academy of Letters, he was the author of three novels, two plays, three books of poetry, and twelve short stories.