21. Catastrophe strikes unannounced.
Whole lot of incomplete work is always there just before the function. In the evening when he came from office , the first thing he asked if Nuzhat had arrived. I told him that she is coming by car as the car may be of great help during the ceremony. We went back to the chores that were still pending. I still had a sinking feeling. He too appeared restless. After a long wait Nuzhat arrived at around 9 at night bag and baggage and four roasted chickens. When we told her that we were getting worried she said she could leave only after the hospital duty was over and after that the chicken was to be roasted as well. He himself saw to it that their luggage was properly kept in place by Rashid. Then we all sat for dinner. I had made arrangement on the floor in the living hall for meals
After the dinner he resumed his card writing duty. It was such a scorching heat inside the rooms that I went to the aangan where water was sprinkled and it was relatively cooler. Khalid was sleeping with us in our bedroom and that night too he slept there. As I lied down in the aangan, I was a bit tired and immediately went off to sleep. Haliman came once to tell me that Sahib is writing the invitation card and is calling you, but I was in a slumber and did not get up. The entry door of the courtyard was locked before going off to sleep. When I got up in the mid of night I found it was locked there and so I again went off to sleep. I got up in the morning and went inside the room and found him sleeping with the head of khalid on his forearm. I sent Rashid and Haliman to the vegetable market. I closed the bedroom door so that the noises outside would not disturb his sleep. We were all having breakfast when I heard the shriek of Reyaz. That was the day when Manjha was to take place when suddenly the disaster struck. It is not possible for me to describe the incidents that followed. All I can say is that for me it was all over.
After 3 days when Nawab Bhai came he asked us about the plans for Nikhat’s
wedding.
“My mind is not in a position to take any decision and I will go by whatever
you consider appropriate”. I told him.
“For you it is going to be a mourning for the rest of your life”. He
explained. . “If you are not ready for it now you might
miss the opportunity for ever”.
Qamar was coming to India for just 15 days for the sole purpose of
marriage. Moreover most of the expenses were either done or advance
was extended for the rest of the arrangements. All this was going to go waste.
We got back to the pending arrangement that was to be finished. Then I heard that
a few ladies were coming from Biharsharif to meet. Qamar’s Amman and
Mumani came in the evening. From them we came to know that as the tragic news
had spread, some people were approaching Qamar’s father with monetary offers to
re-fix the marriage. Anwarul Huda, however, was a man of principles and refused
any reconsideration by saying “we are not a wretched lot. We have given them a
gentleman’s word and there is no question of going back”.
When the Baraat arrived I went to Nikhat’s room. In isolation with her, I
somehow mustered as much courage as I could and tried to console her and
explain things to her. For some reason she was carrying the impression that it
all had happened because of her marriage as he was under so much of tension
that he eventually collapsed under its burden. I tried to explain to
the extent I could. I also told her that whatever is over is over. This is
going to be a night which comes once in a lifetime and you should not waste it
in the state of bereavement. Qamar is here only for a few more days and he
should go back with the best possible impression. I took her vow to behave in
the most normal manner as can be possible. I hugged and kissed Nikhat and left
her room. When Qamar was brought inside, I did not go in front of him nor did I
offer the sharbet; instead I saw him from a distance. He was very good looking.
Rukhsati was to be held the next morning. Nikhat was nowhere to be seen.
For a second I was taken aback. It suddenly came to my mind, by Allah’s
guidance, to find her in the store room that was meant to be a store
room of discarded materials. She was there trying to hide herself and was
crying bitterly. When I reached there she clung to me. She said weeping “I will
not leave you”. I wiped off her tears and consoled “ just go for once today and
thereafter we will not send you again”. “ It will be like a blot to
the reputation of your Abba if you don’t go to the sasural today and the groom
reaches home without the bride”. With great difficulty I brought her down and
took her vow again that she will not do anything that would blemish the
reputation of her Abba. I bid her rukhsati with a heavy heart. Manjhli Dulhan
and Haliman Bua went along with Nikhat to make her feel comfortable. Some of
the people were sarcastic about the function that was held within 4 days of the
tragedy but I remembered Nawab Bhai’s words and did not pay any attention to
such remarks.
For the walima, Ejaz, Neyaz and Aslam went to Biharsharif and returned the
next morning with Nikhat as well as Qamar. Nikhat was all right. For four days
Qamar stayed with us in Patna before leaving for Delhi and from there to
America. He asked us to get Nikhat’s passport ready after which he
will arrange for the visa. During this period Nikhat was to complete her BA
finals. Thanks to Allah, like all other son-in-law of mine this one too is very
nice and decent. I sincerely attribute all this to the benevolence of Doctor
Saheb.
After all this was over, the entire family was gripped by illness. Tarique had some problems which lasted for more than a month. After he got well and left, Reyaz got mumps and it got complicated in his case. Next was Shahnaz to get the mumps infection. Whenever the children fell ill, it used to be primarily his duty to take care. During his lifetime both Neyaz and Reyaz separately had been operated for appendicitis. I used to visit them only after the crisis was over. Now there was no one. There was no one to share my grief. His sisters were themselves aggrieved as it is rare to have a brother like him. At this juncture, the vacuum of not having my own brother or sister around, was intensely felt.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Chapter
INDEX.------------------------------------
Comments
Post a Comment