He was a ‘telemetry tech’ in our hospital doing night shifts. His name was syed samiullah but was know to we desis as ‘sami’ or was called ‘sam’ by our non-desi colleagues.
Aik din main ne us se poocha: “tum ye raat ki job se taang nahi aajate? Tumhe din main neend aa jaati hai?”
“Sir! (woh mujhe hamesha sir kehta) –Meri wife din main job kerti hai. Mere do bacche hain. Agar hum dono din ki job karenge to bachhon ko school ke baad kaun dekhe ga…you know how expensive these extended cares are. Jub bachhe school main hote hain, main so leta hun”.
“Tum Karachi main kiya kerte the?”
“Sir police main meri DSP ki job lag gai thi”.
“Really ! to police ki itni maze ki naukri kiun chor di tum ne aur yun din raat mehnat kerne america aa gaye”
“Sir! aik to police ka kaam hi haram ka tha. Dusra aik aesa waaqiah huwa ke, mere rongte khare ho gaye”.
“Aik din off duty main apne ghar ke paas, NIPA chowrangi pe, woh jahan Shan hospital hai, aik paan ki dukan pe cigarette sulga raha tha ke police ki aik mobile side pe aake ruki. Us main se unhon ne do lurkon ko utara aur bola bhago. Aur phir peeche se fire ker ke dono ko wahin goli maar di, jise Karachi ki zaban main encounter kehte hain. Mujhe police join kiye sirf aik hafta huwa tha. Main ne kaha, ye saare kaam mujh se nahi ho sakte. Main ne police ki naukri chor di. Phir kuch arse apna karobar bhi kia to kabhi MQM ke larke rok ke paise le lete, kubhi maulvion ki hartal khatam nahi hoti, kabhi is ko ya usko rishwat do, kabhi ye, kabhi woh. Mere walid ki aik nasihat mujhe yaad thi ke; beta, kabhi haram na khana. Sir ! ya to main apna zameer mar deta ya khud mar jata. Kiya kerta, meri 2 betiyan hain. Bus sir ! isi liye, main ne Pakistan chor diya aur america aa gaya”.