May Allah protect Raza Rumi

I never met Raza but connected to him via blogging. He moved towards tweeting and over time he became a strong voice against fast changing and religiously getting ritualistic obsessed Pakistan. He is more of sufi and tolerant type human. As his voice was getting stronger on tweet, blog and social media,  he was attacked in Lahore and his driver was fatally wounded. Read story below

http://razarumi.com/?p=6181

On 'Silence'

Once there was a farmer who discovered that he had lost his watch in the farm. It was not an ordinary watch because it had sentimental value for him. After searching the hay for a long while; he gave up and called the help of a group of children playing outside the barn. He promised them that, the person who found it, would be rewarded. Hearing this, the children hurried inside the barn, went through and around the hay but still could not find the watch.

Just when the farmer was about to give up looking for his watch, a little boy went up to him and asked to be given another chance.The farmer looked at him and thought, “Why not.? After all, this kid looks sincere enough.” So the farmer sent the little boy back in the barn. After a while the little boy came out with the watch in his hand..! The farmer was happy and surprised and so he asked the boy how he succeeded where the rest had failed...!

The boy replied, “I did nothing but sit on the ground and listen. In the silence, I heard the ticking of the watch and just looked for it in that direction.”

 MESSAGE : A Peaceful mind can think better than a Worked up mind. Allow a few minutes of Silence to your mind every day.

Qudrat

2 years ago, my car broke down on highway. Compressor of aircontidtion went out. I was very unhappy with estimates I was getting from repair shops (in 3 grands range). It was relatively a new good branded car, just out of warranty. As I was pensive, sad, upset and little angry - my mother said: "Beta! Allah ka shukar ada karo"!

I replied in my usual irritated mood: "Had kerti ho amma! Kis baat ka shukar - ke gaari beth gai?"

She said: "Nahi beta! is baat ka - ke Allah ne tumhe itni qudrat di hai ke tum ye nuqsan bardasht ker sakte ho. Is se bari naimat aur kiya hogi"

Baat choti si thi, magar zindagi main jab kabhi nuqsan huwa, amma ki us nasihat ne bara sahara diya hai.

Death by Scrabble (Khel)

I recently get introduced to blog of "Rafiullah Mian". It was a pleasure reading his poetry, musings and short stories.

His one short story is a pure masterpiece - and can make a super hit TV play. Outstanding. 5 stars. He reminded me of Agatha Christie. Story is titled "Khel" (Game). It is an interesting story of a husband and a wife who are playing scrabble. Husband hates his wife from all his guts. As they make words on the board of scrabble, events start occurring  in real life, like:

"Suddenly I thought of a word. I can make word EXPLODES from the rack, if I take advantage of letter X from previously made word JINXED. I made word and avail 72 points. As soon as I made word on the board, there was an explosion in the room, and air-conditioning unit of room stopped working".

Climax of the story is worth reading.

His story link is here and blog link is http://rafimian.wordpress.com/

Prem-jal (water of love)

So true

The LowLand - 3

(Writing this comment as a post from my previous review on Jhumpa Lahiri's 'The LowLand')

I was searching for reviews as I read this beautiful book and read your review. I am not from Pakistan (or India), but from Bangladesh. I lost my only child in University of Dhaka. Years ago, I lost my son when 2 groups of students fought fatal fight on minor issue of who will perform stage drama in famous TSC auditorium on that particular day. My son was killed. Later, we learned one teacher was deeply involved in igniting fight, passing information (making scripts of each other group public) and creating hate to benefit a third group. I lost my son. I got a newspaper heading, police inquiries and life long agony of no sleep of 30 years. There was no history written. There is no mention anywhere in google search.

I wish someday someone ever writes about those teachers who negatively impact out societies. There is no sacred cow anywhere. In novel, Udayan was a teacher, was influenced by a teacher and whole environment in world at that time was political in academics. It was no different from hippie culture in California. But, should teachers be allowed to play politics in sacred institutes of learning? Can someone please write something.

Read previous posts here and here

Beyond 'Cheeni Kum'

It is not that I was molested as a child or I never had a loving father. I had a very typical, secure, and affectionate household - but - I always felt attracted to men, way over my age.

I was 24 when I first saw him at a wedding. He must be 48 or 50 (In fact, he was 54). He looked so dashing in cream-colored sherwani, churi daar pajama, salt pepper hair, graceful mustache, in his unwavering confidence and the way he was carrying himself. He was never married before for various reasons. My untamed eyes finally caught his attention, and without going into detail as soon as he proposed to me, I said 'yes. My parents had a heart attack, siblings cried, but in the end, everyone gave up. We got married. He agreed to have at least one child.

No, it was not a happily live ever after story. Life sucks!

As he grew old and started losing charm, I was more and more into life. You may not know, and doc, you don't know, and you will never know! For a woman, 30ish is the most agile, sexual, lively, and womanly period, where she needs a 'man.' Her fear of dreaded 40 makes her go wild as she approaches more and more towards late 30..........

His list of medications was growing. His arthritis and complicated knee surgery made him immobile. He developed diabetes and bought stents to the heart. I became from a wife to a nurse. I tried to reconcile myself 1000 times. I cried. I read Quran. I went to dars in the local mosque. I joined group therapies - but love was gone. Let me confess it, I was dying to have sex, and he could not perform. I never cheated on him, but the vacuum grew deeper. Eventually, that thread of feeble connection, of holding hands, went rotten too. I find excuses and now sleep in our only child's room.

And no, there is no climax to this story. - that what sucks!

I guess 'Cheeni kum' type romance only exists in Bollywood - or they don't dare to make a sequel to it?

*

Note: 'Cheeni Kum' was a Bollywood flick starring Amitabh and Tabu showing romance apart of 30 years difference (here)

Scared!

I am actively practicing Medicine (since internship) for now more than 20 years. I have been to all real TV drama situations - live - uncounted times. But nothing send shivers through my spine, when I ask patient: "How you feeling?" - and if (s)he replies: "I am scared".

(Trust me that 6th sense of patient is not a good thing)

Kiss on forehead

One thing I learned in life is that: 

Nothing is more precious than kiss on forehead. Its just pure love as well as respect.