Naima, Anisa’s best friend, may have Mirpuri heritage, since she expresses an interest in learning Paharri at the Centre. Yet, this character recognises that an oral language — such as this one from Azad Kashmir — is in a weaker position than Urdu or Hindi and, therefore, unlikely to be offered at an elite language school. In this way, the issue of regional asymmetries is raised. In their introduction to Postcolonial Translation: Theory and Practice, Susan Bassnett and Harish Trivedi draw attention to translation’s vampiric tendencies. Translation, the scholars conclude, “may be likened to a blood transfusion, where the emphasis is on the health and nourishment of the translator.” Siddiqi puts such debates centre stage, unsettling the notion that translation involves bridge-building. Instead, The Centre highlights its role in devouring other languages and cultures. This bitingly satirical novel shows how (neo)colonising groups strip marginalised languages of their autonomy and cachet. Rather than a tool of communication and aesthetic enjoyment, language becomes a vehicle for domination and the erasure of heritage.