Jealousy

As I have said previously: I had my own load of differences with Ashfaq Sahab but following though controversial but powerful).

Q: What is jealousy?
A: To disagree with All Mighty's distribution!

Slow Down (for respect)

I have traveled on roads of this country extensively in last 22 years. I have been to almost every nook and corner of all states. But the most joyful are driving through small towns, staying there to grab a bite in small family owned restaurants, (once) a haircut at a barbershop, getting gas or just stopping by to avoid DVT in legs from long drivings.

One important lesson I learned is that while driving through state routes of a small town, it is very important to slow down to the posted speed limit or to a minimum if no sign. This is not just for safety or to avoid speeding tickets but because it is extremely disrespectful to the inhabitants of the small towns. Speeding car through their peaceful town is very arrogant.

These are the courageous people who stayed with their soil. Many of them are farmers or small business owners. Next time if you drive through those rural towns, please slow down to show your respect to them.

On a side note: Recently, a friend asked me, when and where I had the most delicious meal? It was driving from Badin, Sindh to Karachi in my previous life when as a medical student we used to do medical camps in rural Sindh. Never had such a delicious gosht qorma with freshly made naan from tandoor at a very manjha roadside hotel. None of the five-star restaurants from any part of the world ever came close to it. (Joys of travel :)

Ruhani rafiqe-kaar

Qudratullah Shahab ne apni kitab "Shahab naama" ke aakhri mazmoon "chota mun bari baat"main apne kuch ruhani tajarbaat ka zikar kiya hai.

Is kitab main woh likhte hain - (Ruhani tajarbaat) main meri be-basi aur be-kasi dekh ker  '90' (his spiritual guide) ne aainda se mere chote bhai habibullah-shahab ko bhi mera rafiqe-kaar bana diya.


Qudratullah Shahab ki is baat ko main ne kabhi aesi koi khas aihmiat nahi di. Magar insaan jab bohat pareshan hota hai - to aksar insaan ke kamzor dil ka paas rakhte huwe - insaan ke liye paigam kisi aur zaraye se aate hain.

Koi aath baras pehle ki baat ho gi. Zindagi main aik ajeeb pareshani main mubtala huwa (tafseel nahi likhi ja sakti). Muamla sulajh nahi paa raha tha. Isi pareshani main koi 2 mahine nikal gaye.

Aik din Hospital main aik doctor khatoon se mulaqat hui. Kehne lagi: 'I am glad I see you. I was looking for you'

Ye Doctor khatoon Orthodox jewish thin aur har lihaz se apne mazhab ki paband thin. Apne baalon ko dhaanp ke rakhti thin. Har lihas se sharm-o-haya ka paikar thin - ikhlas aur sachhai ka namoona thin - Meri to bas salam dua hi thi.

Kehna lagi: tumhare liya aik paigam hai - main ne hairat se un ka mun taka

BoliN: "Mujhe tumhari pareshani ka ilm to nahi - magar paigam ye hai ke - raasta lambe safar ka hai - magar sabr rakho - asani ho jaaye gi.

Na unhon ne tafseel batayi - na poochne ki himmat hui.

Aese zindagi ke 2/3 waiyaat aur bhi hain - jis se mujhe lagta hai - Qudratullah Shahab ki baat teek ho gi

- Aksar insaan ki liye paigam dusre insaano ke zariye aate hain
- aur woh khud hi aate hain - poochna nahi parta

What a Quote!

A Sad Story

We admit various types of patients in the hospital. And it is a norm. There is nothing new to say about it. Out of those admissions, some patients are old, frail, and lonely in the nursing home. Some come from home but never find a visitor; many others do. ( if you remember the story of Ajmal Shahab).

Last week in such a scenario, a nurse said: "There are few things in life; we cannot do anything; we can just pray. I always pray: I don't want to be a sad story."

Once, I blogged and took flakes for it, but I still believe:

Khush naseeb hote hain woh ma-baap jin ke bachhe unhe kandha dete hain.

Every culture and religion has some kind of ceremony at the death of a human, not only to bring closure for loved ones but also to pay homage to a death of a human. As Ustad Qamar Jalalvi* said:

Do char qadam to dushman bhi takleef gawarah kerte hain

No human should be a sad story or, as one colleague says - a phone call death!

* An interesting poet lived through the Pakistan-India saga and was probably called Ustad not only because he was a famous poet but also because he was a master bicycle mechanic!

*

Jhoot nibhana

Zindagi main aik cheez hoti hai - Jhoot chupana!

Aap ne kisi se jhoot bola - usey chupaya - waqt guzar gaya - baat badal gai - aur zindagi chal paRi 

Jhoot ki is se bhi ziyada aik bhayanak shakal (Dangerous form) hai 

- Jhoot nibhana

Ye aik bohat takleef de amar hai ke ye jhoot ki aik musalsal (continuous) shakal hai
-Lamha lamha aik aik pal insaan jhoot ke saath jeeta hai

- Kabhi rishtoN main to kabhi gairoN main
- kabhi rozgaar ke liye 
- kabhi fazool begaaar ke liye
-  kabhi des main, kabhi perdes main
- kabhi sirf kisi ki izzat ke waste ya murawwat o lihaz ke waaste

- ya kabhi sirf "society" main dikhawe ke waaste

Jhoot nibhane ki sainkRo wajoohat hain - aur hazar shaklain hain

Jese aik raakh ka dhe'r hai - jis ke andar aahista aahista aag jhulasti rehti hai 

- Aur phir 

Aik behisi ki chadar si paR jaati hai

Aur insaan ki zaat ka koi hissa aahista aahista be-jaan sa ho jata hai 

Rehana Khala

Rehana khala kis rishte se meri khala thi - aaj tak samjh na aaya 
- Amma ne jab bhi samjhaya, muamlaa mazeed uljh gaya

Poore khandan main sab se baRa makan unhi ka tha
- Un ke mian ka 'ship breaking' ka waseeh karobaar tha - Aur daulat ki achhi khasi rel pel thi 

Garz ravi har taraf chen hi chen likhta tha

Rehana khala paison ki numaish gareeb rishtedaaroN  ki imdaad ker ke kiya kerti 
- Aur aik dafa jo koi un ki imdaad le leta - woh saari zindagi aesi aesi rakh rakh ke sunaati ke banda sharam se zameen main gaRtha chala jaata. Jab tak un ki raqam wapas nahi hoti, izzat rehana khala ke paas rahen/girweeh rehti - jise woh jab chahtiN football bana ker khelti

Phir Pakistan main 'ship breaking industry' pe zawal aa gaya
 - shohar ko heart attack ne kha liya, aur beta ghar choR ke chala gaya
- 2 betiAn perdes biah di  
-
Aur rehana khala naukroN aur naukranioN ke saath akele reh gain

Kab tak jama punji kaam aati?

- minnate ker ker ke bete ke paas london chali gain. Magar chunke - purani aadatain ab pukhta ho chuki thiN, bahu se nahi bani - aur bete ne ghar se nikal jaane ki warning de di

aik beti canada main thi aur aik america main
 - Canada ki sardioN main unka arthritis aesa active huwa ke, 
-2 mahine main hi dusri beti ke paas america aa gain

 - Aur phir 12-14 baras guzar gaye, mujeh is kahani ki koi bhanak na pari -

Peechle hafte Amma ne poocha: "Rehana khala yaad hai?" (Mere chehre pe aik muskurahat aa gai)

Amma ne bataya: "Rehana khala Houston main aik boseeda se apartment main kisi family ke saath paying guest rehti hain. Saare bachhe mun moR chuke hain. Jin logon pe hukm chalaya kerti thi, ab unhi logon ke ghar aaya-giri ker ke apne 'paying guest' ka kiraya poora kerti hain"!

- Shayed isi ko makafate amal kehte hain

The Clothing of Books (Jhumpa Lahiri)

"In America I attended public school, where everyone wore what they wanted. And I was tormented by this choice, by this freedom".

Jhumpa Lahiri - "The Clothing of Books".

Finally, I got time to order this book. More than anything, it is a long essay, a vent or an emotional review about jackets/covers of the book. And, how authors' are left behind by publishers' for this important aspect of the book.

What author writes, feels and attaches him or herself - a cover designed solely to look beautiful and attract people at bookshop window - may take away everything from the heart of the author.

But, as brilliant she is and matured immensely over years (and a teacher of creative writing), she beautifully tagged it with the emotional dichotomy of people who spend their lives in foreign lands.

I admire her as from the very first paragraph - as she described the every morning sight of school uniforms clad children back home - she grabbed my attention and I finished the whole read in one sitting, an unusual thing for a man like me with ADHD.

"On the one hand, I want desperately to belong, to have a clear identity. On the other, I refuse to belong, and I believe that my hybrid identity enriches me. I will probably always remain torn between these two roads, these two impulses".

My review of her book in 2 lines is

Hum desi log andar se kuch aur hote hain aur
hamara cover uper se kuch aur ban jaata hai