“Zakir! Meri Kabr Teri Kabr Se Achi Hai.”

The word “Kabr” has been repeatedly used throughout the novel, Basti. Kabr also seems to hold special importance in the eyes of all Muslims. The very first time we hear Kabr, is from a child’s mouth, Zakir in Rubnagar.

"What is it?"
        "A grave." He answered casually, without looking toward Sabirah.
        "It's a grave?" Sabirah asked in surprise.
        "Yes."
        She regarded the grave with wonder. Then she spoke with a kind of warmth in her tone. "Zakir, make me a grave too."
        "Make it yourself," he answered shortly. 

Sabirah gave herself airs at her success, and glanced at his grave, then looked at her own. "My grave is better." 

I feel like this sentence “my grave is better” is symbolic towards all the conversations and thoughts about the peaceful graves with leafy trees shading graves of Muslims in India versus the not so pleasant and shady graves in Pakistan. The sentence “my grave is better” itself is said by a character (Sabirah) who will continue to live in India even after partition hence making it more significant. This idea of better graves in India is mentioned several times by different characters in the novel. For instance, Surrendar’s chat with Hakim-ji (Surrendar’s 1^st letter to Zakir):

In Vyaspur that Hakim-ji from the big house, you remember? -- his whole family went off to Pakistan. He stayed in his same place, and continued to take sick people's pulses. I asked him, "Hakim-ji, you didn't go to Pakistan?"
        "No, young man."
        "And the reason?"
        "Young man! You ask for the reason? Have you seen our graveyard?"
        "No."
        "Just go sometime and take a look. Each tree is leafier than the next. How could my grave have such shade in Pakistan?" 

Hakim-ji is at peace with his decision of staying back in India since he will end up having a nice grave however Maulana Sahib, Zakir’s father is seen lamenting over the fact that he has moved to Pakistan where no arrangement for his grave has been made. He had CHOSEN his grave in India and had made all arrangements for his burial but now in Pakistan there were none. Amma is also worried about what will happen:

"Oh, this is just the anxiety that eats at my heart, how will our deaths be!" Ammi said worriedly. "Our lives have passed somehow or other, but for death a hundred arrangements have to be made." 

The idea of not being buried in India is pretty distressful for these elderly characters.   Even after Maulana Sahib’s death and burial, I feel he is not pleased with where he has been buried. As it is mentioned at the end by Khvajah Sahib:

 "Son, last night I saw the Maulana Sahib in a dream. He was somewhat disturbed. I was concerned about the reason. Early in the morning I went to the cemetery. I read the Fatihah over his grave. The earth around his grave has subsided, you must arrange to have it filled up." 

Thus, Sabirah will be buried in a pleasant kabr like Hakim-ji but Zakir’s kabr  will not be “better” than Sabirah’s. “Zakir! Meri Kabr Teri Kabr Se Achi Hai.”

(Translation of Basti: Frances W. Pritchett)