After eight months I again planned to visit my hometown village. It was again a lot of thinking because I had not that much money. One thought was to go and the other thought was to drop the idea. But somehow I decided to go and went there.
Luckily, I got the front seat along with the driver and I was happy for that. I always want to be on the front. So that I can see vehicles moving at the first place. I enjoyed the drive a lot and also was quite relaxed as I had a big seat.
At around 2:00 am we reached at ‘Hala’ where we stopped to get some refreshment. I ordered the tea and found it utterly tasteless. While I was taking the first sip of my tea one man came to sit with me, he also ordered the tea. After some gossip I got to knew that he is my relative. But I have never met him before. It was enough to know that he is my relative so I paid the bill for him too. When I reached at the reception table, I thought that I should give the owner of the hotel some feedback and while giving him the bill I said, “Don’t mind, but the tea was frustratingly tasteless”. He said ” Because its now summer time so we are facing problems in purchasing milk, and whatever there is available is not pure. Small contractors are mixing water in it and we are forced to purchase because we have no other option at our disposal.”
I then came out of the hotel and lit a cigarette, that man , who was my relative as I told you before, again interacted with me and said ” Why do you smoke?” I said ” I just smoke without reason”. He continued – “Its injurious to health”- I said- ” There are many things that are injurious to health.” I also witnessed an insect which was like spider in structure but unlike spider it was huge and had many legs. I thought that Animal Planet’s people must know about that insect. I also thought that I must have captured a pic of it if I had a camera phone. Opportunity Missed!
Soon after all the passengers took refreshment we again moved on and finally I reached home at 5:00 am. I saw sun rising after a long time. My Grand-Father was offering prayer when I reached there. I just threw my bag and fall asleep for an hour till 6:00 am and then I met with all the relatives who were present at home. Soon after that conventional hellos and hi, I found four cups of tea coming from all the kitchens of my uncles one after another. Actually its the one home but there are separate kitchens for every uncle in it. I took two tea cups and excused for others.. Tea was amazing. Because they had their own cows, buffaloes, goats.
At around 7:00 am my father in law called me and asked me to drop my wife for the exam myself by arranging my own vehicle as he was going somewhere. I requested my uncle for the bike and I went to my father in law home. I found all the smiling faces including of my wife. She was very happy to see me. But we didn’t hug or kiss. We just shook hands and exchanged hellos. I also noted that she was looking a bit changed. Her complexion was a bit darker and I thought that probably its because of hot humid weather of our village.
I then took her to her college, dropped her at the college’s gate. Soon after I realised that I should meet Abdul Jabbar who is the owner of City Gate Hotel. When I reached there I found someone else sitting at his place. I inquired about Abdul Jabbar and they told me that he has sold out this hotel and has relocated to some nearby location. I reached at his new hotel but he wasn’t there too. His son greeted me and insisted that I should take a cup of tea atleast. I said no thanks. That guy was looking quite old although he is younger than me.
I reached my grandfather’s home back and I found my grandfather , grandmother and uncle sitting in a adobe like room. My grandmother has gone though some Eye-Operation and she was wearing black glasses. She was looking good in it. My grand-father joked that she is looking like an engineer. (He meant to say that someone who is rich and have a good personality). Then I did breakfast with tomato gravy and Lassi. Lassi has a tranquiliser effect so I fell asleep soon. But before going to sleep I had asked my cousin to awake me at 11:30 am. I felt like its just minute after my sleeping that my cousin awoke me. I said I just slept and you have awoken me. He said look at the time, its 11:30 am. I just said – ‘oh’ and hurried to wash my face and found that the bike in which I had filled petrol is now disappeared. I arranged another one and I filled patrol in it again. When the petrol filled at petrol pump I was trying to close the cap of the petrol tank. But I couldn’t close it properly because its lock was problematic. I requested the patrol-man to close it for me. His hands were strong and he tightened the cap with a brutal force. It was now 11:50 am. I rushed and accelerated the bike to fourth gear and finally reached there on time i.e 12:00 pm. The day was hot and I was waiting outside the gate to receive my wife. I thought to turn my bike towards the city, with the idea that as soon as she will come I will go ahead. without any interruption because there were lot of bikes who were causing jamming the road. After 05 minutes I found my wife who was searching me and she came and we then headed towards her home. I asked her about the paper. She said she had done all the questions. I was riding the bike slowly at first because I am a slow driver. I was chatting with her during the travel and I was also singing some songs, especially the Dhoom song as it was properly fitting to the situation. Dhoom songs accelerated my enthusiasm and then I tried to ride the bikes faster, in style like the hero in Dhoom films do.My wife said don’t be dhoom-guy we may have an accident. I laughed and tried to be like some risky, but then I realised that I should slow down and ride on bike in my own natural slow style.
In 20 minutes we were at her home. My Mother- In Law greeted us and she then asked his son to catch the chicken in honor of me. I asked them not to slaughter that sweet chicken because I wanted her to live. Instead I offered them to have some sweet dish and that I will pay for it. I gave Rs. 500 to my Brother-In-Law and asked him to purchase sawiyaan, coconut, kishmish, milk. My wife added that she also wants to have some biscuits. I added it to the list. After half an hour the sweet dish was ready. We ate it and then I left their home.
Next day, early in the morning, I again went to my mother in law’s home. This time she again was adamant to have chicken for me. My all attempts to let the chicken live were failed. We ate that chicken. And then we talked till one an hour and at around 10:00 am of 08th-May -2014 we , husband and wife said them good-bye and left for Karachi.
Waqar Ahmed Shar Baloch 