Saturday, March 28, 2009

Friday, March 27, 2009

Aik Jhoot

Zindagi main aksar insaan ko mushkil faisle kerne parte hain - Aur kubhi kubhi jaante boojhte jhoot bhi bolna parta hai. Mere aese hi aik faisle se - aese hi aik jhoot se - main ne apna aik behtreen dost kho diya - faisla aap khud kijye! 

"I met Masud on the very first day of Medical School. Since then, we have spent the next nine years together every day. We did lectures, exams, practicals, and all fun (masti) together. After finishing my MBBS, I came to the USA. I obtained a residency spot, but it was still seven months before I started. I decided to go back to Karachi for those months. Masud left for the USA before I arrived in Karachi.


While I was still in Karachi, enjoying each moment of my life's most precious last "off work" time, one day, I received a frantic call from Masud's father to come and see him. When I visited him, there was a massive "palpable mass" in his abdomen. I knew from that moment - he had some cancer. It turned out to be a renal cell carcinoma with distant metastasis (stage IV).


His parents requested me - not to disclose this to Masud on my return to the USA, as he may abandon his quest for residency. I obliged. Masud asked me on my return about his parents, and I flatly lied - ke sab log theek hain.


His father died a few months later. Masud is now a practicing oncologist in the USA but has not talked to me in years. Sometimes I miss him too much.....He always is the first person to wish me Happy Birthday. I haven't celebrated my birthday in the last 15 years".


Kubhi kubhi kamina bohat yaad aata hai...saali ye sauhbat-e-barham!

*

Saturday, March 21, 2009

Welcome Spring USA

Ye 21 March ka din tha aur shayed sun(year) 2003 ka zamana...I was driving from Duluth Minnesota towards Chicago.......Ye woh waqt tha jub 9/11 ke baad poore america main 'muslim community' main aik khauf-o-hiras pehla huwa tha.....

Main subah sawere fajar ke waqt hi chal para aur jald hi wisconsin ke sabzazar ilaqon main daakhil ho gaya. Ab bhi kahin kahin peechli sardioN ki barf pari nazar aa rahi thi. Subah subah 'state route' pe kafi 'fog' thi. Shomiye-qismat 2 aik ghante baad mera tyre flat ho gaya. Us ilaqe main cell phone bhi out of network tha ke AAA ko call kerta. Main ne gari aahista aashista 'highway' ke 'shoulder' pe park ki aur paidal chalta huwa aik chote se 'town' main daakhil huwa. Hari bhari wadioN main ghire bus koi 25-50 khubsurat makanat the.

Main ne aik roadside sandwich shop pe ruk ker 'public phone' se AAA ko call kiya. Intezar kerte huwe main yunhi 'yellow pages' dekhne laga. Mujhe local clinic ki 'ad.' pe aik pakistani sa naam nazar aaya. Bari hairat hui ke is weerane main aik Pakistani doctor kiya ker raha hai. Main ne 'clinic' ka number dial kiya. 'Answering service' ne mujhe direct doctor se connect ker diya. Jub doctor shahab ko pata laga ke, main is waqt unke ilaqe main kuch mushkil main hun to unhon ne kaha: "aap wahin rukain, main aata hun".

Doctor shahab tashreef laye to kuch lamhoN ke liye main chonka....He was in grey 'shalwar kurta'....sir pe namaz ki kaali topi thi aur koi aik foot lambi darhi thi....kehne lage:" Main ghar se nikal hi raha tha. kuch photo copies kerwani thi".

Main ne kaha: "aap ki bari himmat hai. In dinoN main bhi (9/11) - rural USA main - yun apne religion ko openly express ker lete hain. Wahan to sharoN main bhi log - despite in community ghetto, are fearful of expressing themselves as muslim".

UnhoN ne bara khubsurat jawab diya: "Koi kuch kahe - despite all political things going around - still America is a country - where we muslims can practice our religion with more dignity....Meri Darhi ke bawajood - rural wisconsin ne mujhe job di. Mujeh aur meri family ko green card ke liye sponsor kiya. Kahin aik lamhe bhi mujeh ye mahsoos nahi huwa ke - mere saath mazhab ki wajah se - 'discrimination' - ho raha hai....... Now I feel integral part of Rural USA. I am planning to stay here, built my practice and raise my family for many many years"....

This is so true. Rural USA which is the real soul of USA, never discriminated against muslims - and many many muslim families have become integral part of rural USA over years.

Thank you and welcome spring - my home country USA.

Friday, March 20, 2009

Nisar main teri galiyon ke aye watan

Bohut dinoN baad aaj Faiz shahab ki nazam "Nisar main teri galiyon ke aye watan" bhaut yaad aayi.

Nisaar main terii galiyon ke ae watan, ke jahaaN
chalii hai rasm ke koii na sar uThaa ke chale
jo koii chaahane waalaa tawaaf ko nikale
nazar churaa ke chale, jism-o-jaaN bachaa ke chale
Hai ahl-e-dil ke liye ab ye nazm-e-bast-o-kushaad
ke sang-o-Khisht muqayyad hai.n aur sag aazaad


You can listen whole poem here read by the great Zia Mohiyuddin

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Saving the Yolk

What a great piece of art!


(I was in discussion with one of my friend about - why people stay in marriages despite knowing its broken beyound repair. He shared this pic with me. To save the yolk ! I was also unable to ignore the chosen background of high rising arch.....)

Sunday, March 15, 2009

3 Mardon wali aurat

"Waqt ke dhare ne mujhe 3 mardon main baant diya. Jis shaks se mohabbat ki aur jise dil diya woh na mila. Ma baap ne jahan shaadi ki woh bamushkil chati (6th grade) pass tha - main usse 'faraz' ka koi aik shair bhi kiya share kerti - bus use apna jism hi diya. Aur jis shaks se main ilmi guftago ker sakti hun - the person who intellectually vibrates and understands me - woh khud mere shahr main nahi rehta."

Thursday, March 12, 2009

zaroorat

"Duniya main is se ziyada achhi koi baat nahi ke kisi ko aap ki zaroorat nahi. Kiunke kisi ki zaroorat insaan pe bara bojh daal deti hai - aur insaan ko bara kamzor ker deti hai...... Ye to achha hai ke ab tumhe meri zaroorat nahi"

Saturday, March 07, 2009

Siri Ram urf Rahimtolla

A tale from friend

Koi kehta: "Oye! Siri Ram chai le aa". Koi kehta: "Oye! Siri Ram ja zara bhag ke pao bhaji le aa". Aur koi kehta: "Siri Ram, zara ye chithi post office dal aa."

Siri Ram yun to Bombay main hamare ghar ke saamne factory main mulazim tha magar saari building ke logon ke kaam 'free' main ker deta. Sham hoti to hamare ghar ki gallery main beth ker khirki se 'doordarshan' ke program dekha kerta, aur raat gallery se pare charpai daal ker so rehta. Main Bombay main Kandivali main rehti thi.

Aik din main subah subah uthi to Siri Ram topi pahen ke namaz parh raha tha. Main ne dil main kaha: "Ya Allah! ye kiya majra hai".

Main ne awaz di: "Are O Siri Ram - tu janam jaat ka hindu - ye namaz kiun parh raha hai?"

Siri Ram ne jawab diya: "Hamar naam ab Siri Ram nahi bulke Rahimtolla (rehmatullah) hai. Raat Nabi Mohammad hamar khwab main aaye the aur ye naam de gaye".

Main samjhi, yunhi is ka dimag chal gaya hai. thori der main theek ho jaaye ga magar woh sach ka muslman ho gaya tha. Allah jane kahan se us ne fatar fatar Quran ki aayatain bolna shuru ker di !

Mujhe america ka student visa bari mehnat ke baad mila. Meri september 12, 2001 ki ticket confirm thi aur aik dum se 9/11 ho gaya. Mere abbu ne ticket cancel kerwa di aur phir aik mahine baad ka naya ticket liya. Main bohat dari hui thi. Musalman hone ke naate yahi khayal tha ke america main enter nahi hone dain ge. Siri Ram urf Rahimtolla ne aik din mujh ss kaha: "Are! likh diya gaya hai. Tu zaroor jaaye gi bulke wahan biah bhi rachaye gi magar mushkil ye hai ke wapas India aane ke liye tere mian ki ijazat maangti phire gi"! Us ne mujh se kaha: "Jub tu wahan officer ke saamne jaane lug to ye do duain parh lio" Mujhe Siri Ram ki baton ka koi yaqeen to nahi tha magar immigration officer ke saamne jane se pehle main ne dono duain parh li aur aram se USA main enter ho gai....

Baqol Siri Ram - mera biah bhi rach gaya. Ab mere abbu bister-marg pe pare hain magar mera mian mujhe India jaane ki ijazat nahi deta. Main ne Amma se kaha: "Siri Ram se kaho Dua kare". Siri Ram kehta hai: "Ye to likha tha magar hum phir bhi Dua karain ge. Betiya se kaho har cheez apne waqt se hoti hai".

You always argue about religion with me. How you will explain Siri Ram to me?

Friday, March 06, 2009

conversation

"Tum us fazool lurki se itni mohabbat kese ker lete ho?"
"Yaar woh chai bohat achhi banati hai"

Thursday, March 05, 2009

Mard ke dil ka raasta

"Suna hai - mard ke dil ka raasta uske pet(stomach) se ho ker jata hai"
"Nahi - Mard ke dil ka raasta uski Ma se ho ker jaata hai"