The Satanic Verses

Saladin, now a grotesque creature with horns, hooves, and a tail, finds himself living in the Shaandaar Café as Sufyan agrees to take him in. His monstrous appearance creates a mix of fear and revulsion among those who frequent the café. Despite this, Sufyan’s daughters, Mishal and Anahita, feel drawn to him. Mishal, the elder daughter, views Saladin as a symbol of rebellion and defiance. Anahita, though also interested, does not like how much of an interest Mishal takes in him.

Within the Sufyan household, tensions rise as Hind Sufyan, Sufyan’s wife, wants Saladin out. Hind, who once embraced her role as a loving and supportive wife, now battles with deep-seated resentment. Years of feeling trapped in an immigrant life in England, coupled with her husband’s passive nature, have left her bitter. To make matters worse, the sight of the monstrous Saladin in her home triggers memories of everything she believes she has lost. Her anger festers, particularly when she discovers that her daughter Mishal has become romantically involved with Hanif Johnson, a local lawyer who also boards in the upstairs of the Shaandaar Café.

Hind Sufyan’s anger toward Mishal and Hanif escalates into a full-blown crisis when she confronts her daughter about the relationship. Tensions rise and Hind slashes at Mishal with a kitchen knife, but Mishal kicks the knife away and avoids any serious injuries. Angry at how her daughter has been behaving, Hind accuses Saladin of bringing misfortune upon her family. She sees him as the root of all her problems, the devil incarnate who has cursed her life.

As Saladin’s physical transformation progresses, he unwittingly becomes a symbol of fear and fascination in the local community. Rumors of the horned devil in the attic spread through the neighborhood. People begin to dream of Saladin as a powerful, demonic figure, rising up to challenge the world. In these dreams, Saladin grows to gigantic proportions, his horns twisting into elaborate designs, his voice echoing with guttural, unintelligible chants.

The youth of the neighborhood, drawn to Saladin’s rebellious image, start to idolize him. They see in him a reflection of their own struggles. They begin wearing rubber devil horns, imitating the figure that haunts their dreams. Saladin’s image starts to appear on banners and posters, his monstrous form transformed into a symbol of resistance against the status quo. The unintended attention thrust upon him only deepens Saladin’s despair. He feels trapped in a nightmare, unable to escape the grotesque parody of his former life.

One night, Hanif Johnson bursts into the Shaandaar Café with alarming news. The police have arrested Dr. Uhuru Simba, a local Black activist, and plan to frame him for the “Granny Ripper” murders, a series of killings targeting old women that has been plaguing London. The authorities, desperate to quell the growing unrest, accuse Simba of using black magic, casting him as a voodoo-priest responsible for the killings. Hanif warns the Sufyans to lock their doors, as he expects there to be violence in the streets over the case.

Hind Sufyan, already at her wit’s end, snaps. In a fit of uncontrollable rage, she attacks Hanif, striking him across the face with all her strength. The blow catches Hanif off guard, and he collapses, more from shock than from pain. As Hanif lies unconscious on the floor, Hind rushes upstairs and begins hurling his office equipment out the window, her anger and frustration spilling out in a destructive frenzy. Meanwhile, Mishal and Anahita look on in horror.

The café descends into chaos. Mishal, fed up with Hind Sufyan, decides to leave home. She packs her bags and announces her departure, daring anyone to stop her. Hind, seeing her daughter on the verge of walking out of her life forever, begs Sufyan to see reason. She wants him to recognize that Saladin’s presence has brought nothing but misery to their family. Her pleas go unheard as the building begins to tremble, and the ominous sound of something growling and singing echoes through the walls.

Mishal, unafraid and with Hanif by her side, goes upstairs to see what is happening to Saladin. When they reach the attic, they find Saladin in a terrifying state. He has grown to over eight feet tall, his nostrils emit smoke in two colors—yellow from the left, black from the right—and his once-human form now resembles a demonic beast. Saladin stands before them, naked except for the thick hair covering his body, His tail swishes angrily, and his eyes glow red.

Despite the monstrous sight before her, Mishal does not flinch. She questions Saladin, asking where he plans to go, knowing full well that he wouldn’t survive long looking as he does. Saladin, in a voice that rumbles like thunder, responds that he is considering taking action, that there is someone he needs to find. Mishal urges him to wait, promising that they will work something out. In the dead of night, Mishal and Hanif make arrangements to move Saladin to a safer place. They contact their friend Pinkwalla, a local DJ, and convince him to use his van to transport Saladin. Pinkwalla arrives at the Shaandaar Café and watches in awe as Saladin climbs into the back of the van. Then, Pinkwalla drives Saladin to Club Hot Wax, a nightclub filled with wax figures of historical and cultural icons.

At the club, Mishal and Hanif lay Saladin down on a couple of sleeping bags. As Saladin drifts into a fitful sleep, his mind fixates on Gibreel. In his dreams, Saladin sees Gibreel’s face on every wax figure in the club, mocking him, taunting him. Unable to control his fury, Saladin lashes out, destroying every wax figure in the room. As Saladin succumbs to exhaustion, the intensity of his emotions triggers another transformation. This time, his body shrinks back to its human form. When Mishal, Hanif, and Pinkwalla return to the club in the morning, they find Saladin lying among the wreckage, naked but human once more. His body, though restored, still bears the marks of his ordeal—his eyes still glow a faint red, and his face reflects the bitterness that consumes him.