Escape me?
Never —
Beloved!
While I am I, and you are you …
—Robert Browning (Life in a Love)
While researching for his book Warrior Poet: The Life, Times, and Legacy of Khushal Khan Khattak, the author Changez Jan came across the folklore of Adam Khan and Durkhanai. This legend, also known as the “Pashto Romeo and Juliet,” exists in many forms and versions, and was first recorded in heroic couplets in the 17th century. After travelling through the undulations of time, it resurfaced in later works such as The Bazaar of the Storytellers (1986). Jan decided to synthesis the multiple versions into The Legend of Adam Khan and Durkhanai, a novella that tells a tale of love and loss.
Adam Khan, the protagonist — a masterful warrior and the destined successor of his father, Malik Hassan Khan, the tribal chief — is also a redoubtable rabab player.
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