Friends

 

Matti Pao!

Is blog pe main ne apne aik dost Barkatullah ka zikar kiya tha (here). 'Positive Attitude' rakhne wale aese log zindagi main bohat kum milte haiN. Barkatullah se main ne zindagi main do (2) 'Magical Words' sikhe! aur woh mujeh zindagi main bohat kaam aaye.


Jub kabhi mohalle main hamara kisi se jhagra ho jaata, hum Cricket ka koi match haar jaate, koi nuqsan ho jaata, koi picnic kharab ho jaati, koi dost dhoka de jaata....Aur jub hum sab dost beth ker - uska afsos kerna shuru kerte - ya gussa utarna shuru kerte ...to Barkatullah apni patloon jharta huwa khara hota aur kehta "Matti Pao" - aur phir kehta "chalo chai piyaiN" ya "chalo film dekhaiN" ya "chalo clifton chalaiN" ya "chalo nihari khate haiN" .....aur hum sab bhi "Haan Haan Matti Pao" keh ker saath chal parte - aur sab kuch bhool jaate!


Zindagi main aksar aese mauqe aaye.....jab main 'frustrate' huwa, jab main udas huwa, pareshan huwa, gussa ayya, nuqsan huwa, koi anhoni ya napasandeedah  baat ho gai...Main dil main kehta hun - "Matti Pao" - aur moveon ho jaata hun...


Bachpan ki kai baatain zindagi bhar saath nahi chortiN

survivor

Fareed Khan se meri mulaqat Chicago main hui. Koi 3 baras meri Fareed Khan se salam dua rahi. Ajeeb hi rang ka aadmi tha.

Kubhi T shirt pahen ke Chicago ki sardi main nikal parta. Bus na aati to paidal hi meeloN chal leta. Gas station ki naukri chuti to 'cab' chalani shuru ker di. Kuch dinoN baad kisi posh restaurant main 'bartender' ho gaya. Jitni sharab pila do hawas gum nahi hota. Ji kerta to charas (weed) bhi pi leta. Magar saath hi kisi roz masjeed main imamat kerne wala na milta to ye bhi ker deta. Angrezi bolta to pata na lagta ke peshawar se aaya hai. Aap ne idhar challenge kiya aur dusre roz lurki uske saath coffee pi rahi hai.

Aik din kafi lurke saath jama ho gaye aur raat sone ki jagah na mili to kitchen ke farsh pe aaram se so gaya. Aik din shor macha diya ke 'Ab sab bahir niklo bhook lagi hai'. Hum McDonald se drive thru le ker nikle to apna bag homeless ko thama diya aur phir poore din shikayat na ki ke bhook lagi hai.....Hum se aksar kehta: Is bhook, piyas, sardi, garmi, bimari wagera pe ziyada dhiyan nahi dena chahiye zindagi ka maza kharab ho jaata hai!

Zindagi main yahi hasrat rahi ke kisi roz phir mulaqat ho to us se poochun ke Zindagi main aese kis kare waqt se guzra - ke ab use koi mushkil - mushkil nahi lagti - bulke use zindagi aik khel lagti thi. Baqol Ghalib

Ranj se khugar hua insaN to mit jata hai ranj
mushkileiN mujh par pari itni ke asaN ho gain

3 Idiots

I wanted to write this post since I saw Aamir Khan's new movie, "3 Idiots." It's worth watching. Though the second half is typical Indian cheezy drama, I enjoyed this movie. The theme is very strong. It reminded me of many of my strange, weird, funny, spooky, and unusual class fellows. Many of them quit medicine and did something else in life! One committed suicide and many turned psycho under pressure to pass exams.

But the central character (Aamir Khan) reminded me of Ejaz Ahmad. He entered medical school with us. He did all the exams with us. He was friends with all the big student union guys. Suddenly, he vanished in 4th year. I met him after many, many years. When I asked him about his whereabouts, he laughed very hard. He was never a student of our medical school. He was a police informer planted with new arrivals. He innocently said - I don't think you should blame me for this! I was doing my job for 5000 rupees per month...And I was thinking, how the hell did you pass all those medical exams, and what about all those deep discussions on anatomy, physiology, biochemistry......

Gaye dinon ka surag le ker kidhar se aaya kidhar gaya woh
Ajeeb ma'noos ajnabee tha, mujeh to heraan ker gaya woh

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Thank you Masud

I mentioned on this blog about my broken friendship with Masud (here). This weekend I really missed him a lot. Somebody asked me to name a person whom I will be thankful ever in my life. I had few names and one was Masud.

In final year of my medical school - I completely lost touch with my education. I was having too much fun outside college, in hostel and in college's cafeteria. I lost track of all lectures, clinical rotations and practicals. I didn't touch any text book for months. A month before final exam I realized my stupidity after a surgeon degraded me during my seldom showup at one clinical rotation (I failed to read a simple CXR). I asked Masud - what should I do? Masud made a crash course of all subjects and suggested small booklets/articles instead of text books. He was my instant encyclopedia. I just didn't clear all subjects but secured upper high first division.

I want to thank you my friend Masud - where ever you are and if you ever read my blog.

A quote

"Badnaseeb hai woh shaks jise dost na mile, aur us se bhi ziyada badnaseeb hai woh shaks jo achhe doston ko kho de" !

- Hazrat Ali

Picture abhi baqi hai mere dost

Over the weekend, I was in Dallas and was sitting with a friend - talking depressingly about few events from life. Though this may not be true but I liked it when he imitated these dialogues of Shahrukh Khan from the movie 'Om Shanti Om'. I kept smiling all my way back.

"Ladies and Gentleman. Kehtey hain, agar kisi cheez ko dil se chaho to poori kaainaat use tum se milane ki koshish main lag jaati hai........aaj is baat ka bhi yaqeen ho gaya ke hamari filmoN ki tarah, hamari zindagi main bhi 'End' tuk, sab kuch theek hi ho jaata hai - Happys Ending - aur agar theek na ho to woh 'The End' nahi. Picture abhi baqi hai mere dost. Picture abhi baqi hai ...."

Try to say this line in your bad patch - "Picture abhi baqi hai mere dost" - it may help.


You can see both versions, (funny) and (serious) at youtube.

The Catcher in the Rye

Nowadays, I am reading the famous novel The Catcher in the Rye" (hopefully, I will write a post once finished). Still, it constantly reminded me of one of my class-fellow who had immense dry humor, sarcasm, psychological dyslexia, "cheeni kum," but was simultaneously extremely funny. I miss you, man !! 

His famous Quote: "Meri aadhi batoN ka koi matlab nahi hota, magar un aadhi batoN ko - jin ka matlab hota hai - ko samjhane ke liye - un batoN ka janna zaroori hai - jin ka koi matlab nahi hota - Isliye zaroori hai - tum meri har bakwas pe dhiyan do"! 

My friend Arif Iqbal - now as a physician, I am sure you turned out to be one heck of a Catcher in the Rye!

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Umar's take on Hajj

Umar's parents are from Pakistan but he is born and raised in USA. He is a very handsome chap and a very smart surgeon. Certainly, one of the most eligible bachelor! Umar and I always communicate in English. Even, if I speak urdu he replies in english. I always thought that his urdu may not be good as he is Pakka ABCD.

Aaj sham main hospital ki elevator main daakhil hua to.... umar was standing there. His head was shaved....Main ne kaha: "are ye kiya ho gaya? tumhari 'tind' kiun nikal aayi"...He informed me that he is just back from Hajj.

Main ne kaha: "Yaar Umar! aik baat batao. Is it true that Hajj is really such a spiritual experience that you can't describe in words or is it just something hyped and exaggerated by muslims"

Umar replied: "Its very true. The impact of spiritual enlightment can't be described. I was like in outer world watching my whole life in a single glance. Money and career, even family seems like a bubble to me....."And than very first time in 2 years, he spoke to me in very clear urdu: "Hajj ke baad aadmi apna nahi rehta".

Main ne poocha: " Agar main tum se poochun ke, sirf aik lafz main batao ke Hajj se tumhe kiya mila to kiya kaho ge?"

Umar ne jawab diya: "Sabar. Manasike Hajj kuch aese hain aur phir duniya ki aarzi zindagi ka aehsas kuch itna ziyada hota hai ke wapas aa kar bari jaldi sabar aa jata hai. Woh aik lafz hai sabar"

Shabana - 2

Agar aap ko yaad ho to is blog pe main ne aik bazla-sanj (witty) lurki "shabana" ka zikar kiya tha, jo mere saath Karachi main house job kiya kerti thi.

Peechle weekend main apne purane kagaz saaf ker raaha to us main se shabana ka aik card baramad huwa. Tafseel suniye:

Main house job ke kuch arse baad America aa gaya aur Shabana wahin reh gai. Uski shaadi hamare saath ke hi aik senior doctor se ho gai. Jub main residency main pehli baar Pakistan gaya to Shabana ke kai messages mile ke - usse mile bagair wapas na jaun magar main wadon ke bawajud usse mile bagair wapas USA aa gaya. Aake mujhe apni kum-zarfi ka aehsas hua to main ne Shabana ko "I am sorry" ka aik card mail kiya. Kuch hafton baad uska aik sada sa card mausul huwa aur andar ye do satrain (lines) likhi thin..

Manane ki adat kahan par gai
Satane ki ta'alim kiya ho gai ?