LETTER TO "LEE": A CHARACTER FROM USMAN ALI SHAHJAHAN'S PLAY; "A WALKWAY"

          This post is about one of the two main characters of the play I witnessed live, written and led by Pakistani English Playwright USMAN ALI SHAHJAHAN. I watched the play on the 21st of August 2023 at 10:55 A.M., Perhaps it's the time when the performers took over the stage and started mesmerising our thoughts. The play has two humanist characters with the names "LEE" & "FARHAN".

          Three days passed since I attended this performance yet the echoes of the words from the twisting transformation of the characters kept my senses inwoke. Despite trying hard I could not resist writing a letter to "LEE". So on the night of 23rd of August at 11:34 P.M. emailed my letter to "LEE". Today, I am posting it here so that everyone can know what "LEE" has been through and What I wrote!

DEAR LEE,

May my words find you in the embrace of serenity. Permit me to express the profound enchantment that engulfed my senses as I bore witness to the sublime tapestry woven by your encounter with Farhan upon the walkway. It’s been three days and the echoes of your interaction still linger, and my thoughts are compelled to traverse the labyrinthine corridors of reflection. From the very commencement, your presence cast a shadow that resonated far beyond the physical realm. The utterance of your decree, "I am the law," reverberated through the air with an imperious command, a clarion call that crystallized your role as the arbiter of societal order. And yet, in the moments that unfurled, I beheld the majestic unveiling of layers unseen, dimensions that superseded the confines of your official attire.

From its inception, your presence commanded attention, a paragon of authority personified. Your proclamation, "I am the law," resounded with unequivocal power, delineating your role with unyielding clarity. And yet, the narrative blossomed into a revelation of dimensions concealed beneath the veneer of your official stature.

The communion you shared with Thomas Hardy's literary tapestry was nothing short of a transformation. The utterance of "THE DEAD MAN WALKING" flowed from your lips as a mellifluous elegy, summoning forth a symphony of emotions that penetrated the very marrow of my being. The gravitas with which you imbued those verses casted anonymous spell.

What astounded me was the gradual transmutation of your interaction with Farhan. The rigidity of your countenance yielded to a radiant countenance, awash with the luminance of shared sentiment. The sincerity of your smile as his lips spilled praise for your oratory prowess was a tender testament to the transmutation occurring within.

Your tango with the tablets and the persistent refrain of "sorry" bore the weight of a lifetime's worth of unspoken narratives. To perceive you, the embodiment of authoritative ascendancy, succumb to the tenets of vulnerability was to witness the disrobing of the mighty warrior's armor, revealing the heart of a poet beset by profound introspection.

The exchange of mantles between yourself and Farhan was the zenith of this journey. The relinquishing of your paraphernalia, your very identity, bespoke a profound cognizance, an acknowledgment that beneath the veneer of uniformity lies a shared fabric of humanity. Your denouement, ensconced upon the bench engrossed in the artistry of Hardy, was emblematic of metamorphosis – a transcendent evolution.

Lee, your odyssey through "A WALKWAY" etched an indelible sigil upon my consciousness. It whispered truths of humanism, revealing that each of us, despite our societal stations, carries an anthology of stories, of triumphs and tribulations. The resonance of your transformation, the tapestry of vulnerability woven into your persona, has ignited within me an ember of introspection.

I extend my heartfelt gratitude for the privilege of bearing witness to this magnum opus of character evolution. You have bestowed upon me, a testament to the immutable power of connection.

Yours truly,

A person from audience, who is still in thoughts to realize the reality of the textures beneath every single word of “A WALKWAY”.

COMPOSED AND WRITTEN BY "SUMAIRA SHAMIM"

arshimagul84@gmail.com