Vaikom: Prominent Malayalam literary figure and novelist Vaikom Muhammad Basheer had modelled some of his characters on his relatives. All the protagonists in his popular novel "Pathummayude Aadu" (Pathumma's Goat) were his family members. Many of Basheer fans had the fortune of meeting and knowing his relatives, but one still remains elusive even 27 years after the death of the literary giant. There is still no information regarding Habib Mohammed, alias Habi, a character in this humorous novel which was published in 1959.
The real-life Habi was the eldest son of Basheer's younger brother Hanif Muhammad. He had studied up to tenth standard at the Government Boys High School, Thalayolaparambu. In 1968 he went to Kozhikode for pursuing a polytechnic course after his pre-degree studies and has not returned since. Basheer was then residing in Kozhikode. Habi stayed with his uncle initially for 15 days. He then returned.
Later Habi left to Kozhikode two days prior to the resumption of the polytechnic classes in June 1968, but did not reach his destination. It was only when Hanif received a letter from Basheer that he came to know about his son's disapperance. Hanifa's wife Aiyishumma waited for Habi's return till her death.
Surviving kin depicted in novel
Only five among Basheer's relatives who were featured in the novel are surviving. Pathukutty and Arifa are residing in Chengalam in Kottayam. They are children of Basheer's another brother Abdul Khader.
Zubaida stays in Chembu, a locality in Vaikom.
Khadeeja resides in Thalayolaparambu, near Vaikom. She is the daughter of Basheer's sister Fathima.
The fifth surviving one is Syed Mohammad who is the son of Annumma, another sister of the novelist.
Syed Mohammad said he had received two letters from Habib since his disappearance. However, there was no address mentioned on these letters for sending a reply.
The work on "Pathummayude Aadu" was completed on April 27, 1954. It is deemed to be one of the greatest novels in Malayalam language. Its central character is a goat ('adu') belonging to his sister Pathumma.
Basheer had died on 5 July, 1994.
