24. Patna Days.
Mona was in service at one of the Tata’s smaller hospitals. After a week or so Reyaz returned from Nainital and stayed with us for a few days. He went and dropped Mona at Jamshedpur to enable her to resume her job, and came back. Now the formatives related to Nikhat’s visa had to be completed. Reyaz had already made two trips to Delhi for this purpose and suggested that this time I should go along with Neyaz and Nikhat. Tarique had arranged for our stay at Delhi in the flat of Mujeeb Bhai’s son’s flat who was on a trip to Russia those days. Only his younger brother Quaiser was staying there. It occurred to me that poor Shama due to the illness of her father had hardly got an opportunity to rejoice. So I decided to take her along to Delhi to provide a much needed change in the environment for her. Quaiser was a jovial young boy. There was a young servant who did the cooking. They had a car as well and I used to get the petrol filled in before roaming around all over the place and visited all the famous monuments of Delhi. Nikhat and Shama were childhood friends and were of the same age and used to get along very well. I don’t exactly remember how many days we stayed there but the days were spent well. It was a good change for all of us.
There was a telephone in the drawing room on the ground floor while we
were putting up on the first floor. One morning when the phone rang, I heard
Quaisar talking over it in a panicked tone. It didn’t take much time to understand
that Jhabboo Bhai had passed away. We did not divulge the news to Shama. The
next problem was for arranging the return tickets which was then not as
easy.
A few MPs were however, known to Tarique and Quaisar so we went to the
Parliament. After the session was over, we went in the main hall which we found
far from neat and clean. Somehow by next evening poor Quaisar could somehow
manage four train ticket for Patna. We explained to Shama that Jhabboo Bhai is
unwell and so we have to go back. In fact when we reached Patna his Qul was
being held on that day.
Then Nuzhat and Tarique left for England along with the kids. Ejaz passed
out ISc. with first division marks. I had this desire to have him educated in
the medical line but couldn’t make it in the competitive exam. At that very
juncture Nawab Bhai had founded the Medical college at Muzaffarpur and Tarique
had got his younger brother Jaiwaid admitted there for a donation of mere ten
thousand rupees. I could not do the same as I didn’t have even that much. Two
years passed by and every time Nawab Bhai will assure that we try next year as
the current year’s seats are already full. Ejaz then decided to go for the
competitive exams after graduation and went to Delhi for preparations. Reyaz
though had a Govt job in Patna, then decided to join private service in
Jamshedpur and eventually went to Jamshedpur. I was left all alone
in Patna.
Neyaz also got a Govt job. His duty was to test the medicines manufactured
in the factories. He got his first posting at Ranchi. Neyaz insisted that
instead of staying alone, I should go to Ranchi with him bit I had to say back
in Patna to get the pension work completed to commence some source of income
for me. So Hassu went along with Neyaz and Shama to help them with the initial
household management.
Getting all papers done related to pension payment is a Herculean task
which was pending since long after Reyaz left. Neyaz had little idea of making
such things move and Ejaz was too young for all these intricacies. Six hundred
rupees Reyaz used to send me every month and five hundred was the monthly rent
from the house. It was still manageable. Reyaz was setting up his own household
afresh which is always an uphill task. For six months I did not receive the
money from him. All I was able to get was the house rent of rupees five hundred
out of which I was paying 250 rupees as rent to Hassu for my occupancy. Nuzhat
had allocated her own flat’s rent in the name of Ejaz’s fees and education.
Soon a time came when I had no money left with me. Whom could I approach and
tell except Allah. See what followed!
A childhood friend of Reyaz named Prem used to frequently come and meet me
and enquiring my welfare. That night out of the blue, he turned up after a long
gap. I asked him if he could help me in getting the pension papers done as
Reyaz is not there around and due to non-release of the pension I am facing
difficulties. That boy immediately took out one thousand rupees from his pocket
and kept it at my feet. I thought may be Reyaz has asked him to give me the
money on his behalf and tried to take his confirmation.
“Am I not a son of yours?” I remember his words.
My eyes were filled with tears. He consoled me and assured that he
will do his best for the pension related work. Within a few days the owner of
Banarsi Kala who was my tenant earlier at Behari Sao Lane house, appeared from
nowhere after a prolonged absence. He told me that he had gone to Benaras for
his daughter’s wedding, and handed over to me the rent arrears.
Another strange thing happened around the same time. The electricity
bill for my portion of the flat suddenly stopped coming. I was also worried
that if they charged on accumulated basis it will be hard for me to pay large
sum in one go. I checked with everyone but the power bill just stopped to come.
Razi even had some doubt that my line has wrongly been connected through his
meter but even after they switched off their own main switch my line remain un
interrupted. Even though I cannot attribute this meter behavior to Allah but
definitely He had mercy on me in more than one ways in those difficult times.
Eventually I started getting the family pension which was a meager amount
and was deposited in a bank account opened for this purpose. During the days of
Doctor Saheb he had taught me to deal with bank accounts etc. and so I could do
it without much difficulty. First thing I did was to draw a cheque of rupees
one thousand in favour of Prem who had given me the money when I needed it
most. When he came to see me the next time I handed over the cheque to him. He
tore off the cheque right in front of me.
“ you did not consider me as one of your own”. He said in a sad tone.
“I owed you that money and It was my responsibility to pay the sum
back else will not be viewed with favor by Allah. If you didn’t accept, it was
your magnanimity.” I explained to him.
From that day my respect for him has enhanced manifold.
A few household helps were removed and a few maids left on their own for
some reason or the other. There wasn’t much of household work with just me and
my mother in law around. A young boy named Shakeel was assigned to help me in
the chores and Asma Bua used to come a couple of times in a week for the
laundry.
Ejaz, once when he heard about my illness abandoned his studies in Delhi
and came back to Patna. Later he managed to get through State Bank competitive
exam. He was sent out for training. Mona and Shama both were expecting now. As
the D-day approached, Reyaz wrote letter to me and also called over
phone and asked me to come to Jamshedpur. I didn’t feel encouraged to leave but
after perpetual insistence I took Rashid and left for Jamshedpur with whole lot
of household goods that had to be booked in the luggage compartment. Reyaz had
come to the station to receive us in the two-seater small car which was given
by Mona’s Papa. All the luggage which I carried along was a pleasant surprise
to him. Eventually Rashid had to take them separately with the home address.
Mona then had a 2 bedroom house and we landed there. There was a part time maid
who used to cook for them. It so happened that that she didn’t turn up the next
day. Both Reyaz and Mona had the daily routine of attending the hospital
practically the whole day. I thanked God for having taken Rashid along who was
an excellent cook as well. He took charge there on.
After a few days Mona went to stay at her parent’s place even though her
hospital was relatively closer from this place. I was left alone. The
neighborhood was full of Punjabis and when I got too bored I would go and talk
to them. Mona had a huge Alsatian dog who remained chained in the veranda. It
was able to recognize the horn of the car of their owner as it approached the
house. The dog was forbidden to enter my bedroom. One night there was very heavy
rainfall along with lightnings. The poor animal got scared and took
shelter under my bed. Rashid tried to beat him but it told him that it had got
scared of the lightning asked Rashid to let it remain there.
Jamshedpur was at its peak of heat during those months. One day I had
bananas and slept under the open sky in the courtyard. By mid night I had high
temperature out of Fileria attack. I woke up Rashid to take me to the
bedroom.By the time I could reach my bed It was a complete blackout. I fainted.
When a little consciousness was regained I asked to call Reyaz who was sitting
next to me. This was my first experience of this kind. A doctor was called who
gave some injection. Everything looked hazy. The hands were red as bricks.
Since then I have been refraining from eating bananas. Mona and her Mummy came
to see me later.
Mona was hospitalized for delivery on the expected D-day. Next day, 9
O’clock the son was born. I was at home at that time. In the
afternoon Reyaz came to take me along to see the newborn. One benefit of my
being there was that the new born could hear the “azaan” which I asked Reyaz to
recite and in fact had to educate him on that. After a month all the aunts
(phoophis) came over to Jamshedpur along with the presents. The eldest Phuphi, in
fact, named him Sheeraz while he was called Goldie from his Nani’s side.
I sometimes used to envy Mona’s mummy for she was fortunate to have the
entire family in the same city. She had three daughters and husbands of all
three of them were posted in Jamshedpur. Son was also employed there itself and
was living with his wife and son along with the parents. Sukh Saheb himself,
after retiring from the police job in Jamshedpur had got another job in a Tata
company. It was such a fulfilling congregation for them.
A nanny was employed to look after Sheeraz. I left Rashid with Reyaz
as I came back to Patna as all my children are very fond of Rashid as he has
grown in our household since when he was a nine or ten. He has stood by the
family in all good as well as not so favorable times. Even today, when I am
writing, he still continues to be a part of our household.
I came back to Patna. After a couple of months, in the month of Ramzan
1974, Shama was admitted to the Holy Family Kurji hospital. I went there along
with Sayyada Aapa. She too was blessed with a son. My Amma used to tell me that
I too was born on 29th day of Ramzan month at the time of
Maghrib. I wished for the long life of the newborn.
In the meantime, we got the new that Nikhat too was expecting. I could not
imagine she could be provided with better convenience and facilities
here than that available in America. Therefore, I did not ask her to come to
India. She however, tumbled over the carpet in her own house and the child was
lost even before opening its eyes. During this critical phase of her life,
Sabra Khala’s son Asif was of immense help to them. Till that time not many
people had gone to America – not even Azra who went much later.
I wrote a consoling letter to my daughter; the exact contents I may not be
able to recall but I remember having written to her that God alone understand
His wishes. When He takes away something He sure compensates in some other way.
She followed my example for I too had to face the similar loss after the eight months
of my first pregnancy. InshAllah soon you will be blessed with a healthy and
handsome son.
Mashallah my prayers were heard and nearly one year after this
incident Nikhat had a real cute son who has been named Tanvir Hoda by his dada.
After completing one year, she came to India with Qamar and son. Aquiqa
function was celebrated in Biharsharif. I was much impressed by the decent
nature of Qamar and his mannerism . I thank to Allah for all he has granted to
us.
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Chapter
INDEX.------------------------------------
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