TERHI LAKEER by Ismat ChughtaiThe Crooked Line by Ismat Chughtai is a powerful and provocative novel that stirred debates upon its publication. Some critics claimed it portrayed a girl with a diseased mind, but the author makes it clear that Shaman, the heroine, is neither mentally nor sexually illshe is simply a spirited human being navigating a corrupted environment. The novel portrays Shaman as sensitive yet resilient, collapsing under lifes blows but always rising again. Her