The Centre Summary, Characters and Themes | Ayesha Manazir Siddiqi

The Centre by Ayesha Manazir Siddiqi is a dark cerebral novel that blends psychological suspense with sociopolitical commentary on language, identity, and cultural appropriation. 

Following Anisa, a disillusioned Pakistani translator in London, the story unravels when she uncovers a mysterious institute that promises fluency in any language in just ten days. What begins as a tempting path to self-realization soon warps into something deeply disturbing. Ayesha Manazir Siddiqi explores the tension between linguistic mastery and lived experience, raising haunting questions about authenticity, colonization, and the cost of transcultural fluency. It’s a literary thriller that quietly uncoils into something more unsettling—and unforgettable.

Summary

Anisa is a Pakistani woman living in London, quietly dissatisfied with her life. She works subtitling Bollywood films—a job that barely scratches the surface of her passion for language and translation. 

Her creative energy feels stifled, and her sense of self remains fractured between cultures. 

Her friend Naima, an intuitive and spiritually grounded figure, encourages her to look inward, suggesting that Anisa’s unhappiness may stem more from internal misalignment than external circumstances.

Everything shifts when Anisa meets Adam, a charming, enigmatic man at a translation conference. He appears to be a linguistic savant—fluent in multiple languages, articulate, and magnetic. 

Their relationship evolves quickly, though not without complications. While emotionally attentive, Adam is sexually reserved, citing a commitment to “radical consent.” His behavior seems thoughtful, but also evasive. As they move in together, Anisa feels increasingly unsure—both drawn to his mystery and troubled by it.

Their bond deepens, but one odd detail keeps gnawing at her: despite his language prowess, Adam fails to learn Urdu, her mother tongue. She tries to teach him, and he plays the role of eager student, but makes no real progress. 

Then, just before visiting her family in Karachi, Adam stuns her—on the flight, he begins speaking flawless Urdu. He confesses that he enrolled in a top-secret institution called The Centre, where students become fluent in any language in just ten days through an intensive, immersive process. 

He says he did it to impress her, to connect with her culture.

In Karachi, Adam charms Anisa’s family, winning praise and admiration. His command of the language—and culture—deepens Anisa’s discomfort. His fluency, earned so quickly and in secret, feels like a trespass. She begins to see how his whiteness is rewarded, how his borrowed fluency grants him a kind of reverence that she, a native speaker, never receives.

Back in London, Adam offers Anisa the chance to join The Centre—each member can nominate only one other person. At first, she’s suspicious. But as someone who’s long revered language, who’s longed for mastery and meaning, the promise proves too alluring. 

After a cryptic and invasive application process, she’s accepted.

Inside The Centre, Anisa is cut off from the world—no phone, no contact, no identity. The training is rigorous, psychologically intense, and deeply disorienting. 

Through sensory immersion and strict routines, she begins to absorb languages like magic. But the deeper she goes, the more detached she feels. She begins hallucinating, forgetting, unraveling. Her fluency grows, but her sense of self thins.

When she finally returns, she’s changed. She can speak almost any language—but cannot relate to her former self, or to Adam. 

Their relationship deteriorates. She suspects that even their intimacy may have been manipulated by The Centre’s influence. Her perception of authenticity, love, and truth begins to collapse.

As Anisa regains clarity, she confronts a disturbing realization: The Centre is not just a place of learning, but a machine of cultural extraction. It allows the privileged—mostly white, Western elites—to “own” languages they didn’t grow up in, stripping context, history, and struggle in the process. It sells fluency without lived experience, colonizing communication itself.

Anisa rejects this false mastery. She chooses instead to reclaim her relationship with language on her own terms—imperfect, intimate, and grounded in memory, not control. The book ends with her beginning anew—not with power over language, but a return to its messy, human heart.

Characters

Anisa

Anisa, the protagonist and narrator of The Centre, is a deeply introspective and intelligent woman who is struggling to find fulfillment in her life. She works as a subtitler for Bollywood films in London, a job that doesn’t align with her passions.

Her longing for a more meaningful life and career becomes the driving force behind her eventual decision to join The Centre, an elite institution that offers a shortcut to mastering languages. Throughout the novel, Anisa grapples with her insecurities regarding her career and cultural identity, which becomes more pronounced when she starts dating Adam, a polyglot who brings both comfort and discomfort into her life.

Anisa’s journey is one of self-discovery and disillusionment. Her experience at The Centre, where she is promised linguistic mastery, leads her to confront the loss of self and the deeper colonial implications of cultural appropriation.

By the end of the novel, Anisa rejects the seductive power of linguistic mastery without true cultural connection, embarking on a painful journey to reintegrate and reclaim her voice.

Adam

Adam is Anisa’s boyfriend, whose initial charm and linguistic prowess seem to offer her the emotional support and connection she lacks. A polyglot from East London, Adam’s intellectual depth and emotional sensitivity make him an intriguing figure for Anisa.

However, as their relationship deepens, his secrecy and the peculiarities of his past come to the surface. Adam’s decision to join The Centre, a secretive institution that trains individuals to master languages in an extraordinarily short time, becomes a source of tension in their relationship.

Although Adam’s fluency in several languages initially impresses Anisa, his concealment of his true path to learning Urdu and the cultural dominance he gains through it reveal a deeper discomfort. As Anisa becomes more aware of the colonial undercurrents of The Centre, Adam’s role in this system symbolizes the easy access and privilege that comes with linguistic and cultural domination, without true understanding or respect for the cultures involved.

Naima

Naima is Anisa’s best friend and spiritual guide, providing a grounding presence throughout the narrative. As a former psychology student, she is intuitive and sharply aware of Anisa’s emotional and psychological needs.

Unlike Adam, who is enigmatic and often emotionally distant, Naima offers Anisa a more organic, healing form of intuition. Her spiritual guidance, particularly through tarot readings, helps Anisa reflect on her life choices and internal conflicts.

Naima’s role in the story contrasts with Adam’s, as she represents a more empathetic and authentic approach to healing and self-understanding, free from the manipulative power dynamics of The Centre.

Amma (Anisa’s Mother)

Amma, Anisa’s mother, is a traditional yet quietly progressive figure in the narrative. She embodies a blend of love, critical wisdom, and unspoken strength.

Though her relationship with Anisa is sometimes tense, especially given the generational and cultural differences between them, Amma provides Anisa with valuable insights into the importance of grounding oneself in faith and self-identity. Her emotional complexity offers a counterpoint to Anisa’s internal struggle, as Amma’s more reserved, spiritual approach to life contrasts with Anisa’s search for external validation and professional success.

Abba (Anisa’s Father)

Abba, Anisa’s father, is a wealthy and successful surgeon who plays a more pragmatic and status-conscious role in the story. His love for Anisa is evident, but his attitude towards cultural nuance is somewhat dismissive.

He is protective of his daughter, but also shows a certain pride in his traditional values and in the material success he has achieved. His relationship with Anisa is complicated by his subtle prejudices and his somewhat superficial understanding of cultural identity, particularly when he reacts with admiration towards Adam’s fluency in Urdu.

This dynamic highlights the tensions between Anisa’s more nuanced, cultural awareness and her father’s more simplistic view of success and identity.

Billee

Billee, Anisa and Adam’s cat, although a minor character, plays a significant symbolic role in the narrative. As a shared domestic companion, Billee represents the small, grounding elements of their relationship, offering moments of comfort and normalcy amid the tension and disorientation caused by The Centre.

The cat also symbolizes the emotional bond between Anisa and Adam, and in a way, reflects the ‘trial child’ status of their domestic life—an emotional anchor in their increasingly fractured world.

Brian

Brian is Adam’s mentor and a key figure in the mysterious workings of The Centre. His role as a protector or handler of Adam suggests a deeper, more manipulative hierarchy within the institution.

Although Brian remains an ambiguous character throughout the novel, his influence on Adam and his involvement with The Centre reveal the underlying power dynamics that drive the narrative. Brian’s presence hints at the male-dominated structure of linguistic power and the ways in which such knowledge can be used to dominate and control others, particularly in the context of cultural appropriation and assimilation.

Themes

The Concept of Language and Identity in a Globalized World

The Centre showcases the complex relationship between language and identity. The protagonist, Anisa, is deeply connected to language, especially translation, as a means of self-expression and cultural understanding.

The book presents language not only as a tool for communication but also as a powerful force that shapes who we are, where we come from, and how we relate to the world. Anisa’s internal conflict emerges when she is faced with the opportunity to master multiple languages through a secretive and intense program called The Centre.

While this might seem like the ideal way to fulfill her ambitions, it raises questions about authenticity and the consequences of linguistic mastery that is stripped of cultural context. Through Anisa’s experiences, the novel explores how language can be both a tool for empowerment and a mechanism for control.

The Centre’s ability to instantly make someone fluent in any language blurs the lines between true cultural immersion and superficial mastery. This reflects the tension between the desire for knowledge and the loss of connection to one’s roots, illustrating how language can be commodified in a globalized society.

The Illusion of Mastery and the Colonial Underpinnings of Cultural Assimilation

Another prominent theme is the illusion of linguistic mastery and its underlying colonial implications. The Centre, a mysterious institution where individuals can learn a language in days, serves as a metaphor for the ease with which privileged individuals can acquire the tools of a marginalized culture, without truly understanding its nuances or context.

Adam’s experience at The Centre reveals how quickly one can assimilate into another culture through the acquisition of a language. However, this mastery is not rooted in lived experience or respect for the culture itself—it is simply a commodified skill that enhances the individual’s status.

Anisa’s growing realization that Adam’s fluency in Urdu is superficial and that The Centre’s process strips away the essence of language exposes the colonizing nature of cultural assimilation. It suggests that language can be exploited as a means of dominance and control, particularly when it is learned for personal gain rather than genuine connection.

This theme challenges the notion that language acquisition automatically equates to cultural understanding, highlighting the importance of humility and respect for the histories and experiences behind a language.

The Psychological Impact of Intense Self-Surrender and the Loss of Selfhood

The Centre’s rigorous and immersive training process highlights the theme of psychological transformation through extreme self-surrender. Anisa’s journey into The Centre is marked by her increasing detachment from her own identity as she becomes consumed by the quest for linguistic perfection.

The novel delves into the psychological effects of such an intense process, where Anisa is required to relinquish control over her personal life, memories, and even her sense of self. The loss of individuality is compounded by the disorienting experience of absorbing languages effortlessly but at the cost of mental stability.

The Center’s techniques, which push participants to the brink of mental and emotional exhaustion, lead Anisa to question whether she is truly mastering these languages or if they are taking control of her. Her hallucinations and dissociative experiences illustrate the fragility of the human mind when subjected to such extreme methods of self-alteration.

This theme raises critical questions about the price of intellectual and personal transformation and whether it is worth the risk of losing one’s core identity.

The Complexities of Power Dynamics in Relationships and the Struggle for Autonomy

Throughout the narrative, the power dynamics in Anisa and Adam’s relationship become increasingly complicated as Adam’s hidden involvement with The Centre comes to light. Initially, Anisa is drawn to Adam’s linguistic talents and emotional intelligence, but as their relationship deepens, she begins to feel overshadowed by his ability to dominate conversations through his command of language.

Adam’s secrecy and his reliance on The Centre for language mastery create an imbalance of power that Anisa struggles to comprehend. She begins to question whether her feelings for him are based on real emotional connection or if they were shaped by the manipulative power of language.

This theme extends beyond their personal relationship, exploring the broader societal power structures that elevate certain individuals based on their linguistic prowess. Adam’s white privilege and his ease in navigating multiple cultures place him in a position of power, one that Anisa can never fully attain, despite her own linguistic talents.

The book probes the tensions between personal autonomy and the subtle ways in which relationships can be influenced by external forces like societal expectations, linguistic ability, and cultural assimilation.

The Ethics of Cultural Appropriation and the Consequences of Exploiting Marginalized Cultures

The Centre, with its focus on rapid linguistic immersion, raises significant ethical questions about cultural appropriation. Anisa’s growing discomfort with Adam’s superficial fluency in Urdu mirrors a larger critique of how marginalized cultures and languages are often exploited by those in positions of privilege.

The novel interrogates the ethics of learning a language as a means of assimilation and dominance, without any regard for the cultural contexts in which these languages are embedded. Anisa’s realization that The Centre serves as a tool for cultural exploitation—allowing individuals to learn languages without truly understanding the histories and lived experiences of the people who speak them—calls attention to the dangers of cultural appropriation.

The novel critiques the way in which languages are often treated as mere objects to be consumed, rather than living, evolving systems of communication that are inseparable from the people and histories they represent. Through Anisa’s personal journey, the book emphasizes the importance of respecting the integrity of a culture and language, rather than reducing them to tools for personal gain or status enhancement.