Stories, too short (Part: 2)

Time has become the most precious commodity so the urge for quick tranfer of messages are needed everywhere. Here I have managed my time considering others time also..............

Stories, too short (Part: 2)

11

A hot discussion amidst of clashes of views and accusations were there. All were trying to find some points for attacking. The struggle of everyone was to show himself patriot and concerned about the national culture, identity and pride. An old man in panel was silent. When anchorperson asked him, “Why you are not participating in discussion?” He smiled and replied, “The intolerance in discussion shows lack of mind and that is why we know all about others but others don’t know about us. My silence was a rejection of intolerance.”

12

Boys were gathered around a fire in playground and were busy in a general conversation. The son of driver told, “I don’t like winter season as most of traders go to their villages and native cities and besides days are short. The utility bills rises and my father can hardly manage the expenses so I can’t get a smart pocket money”

“But I like the winter season as our clinic gets more patient. I pray the winter season stand longer and more people suffer from flue.” The doctor’s son protested.

“It is of equal opportunity for us so I don’t know whether I should like it or not” said the son of a fast food shop keeper. “In winter, prices of cold drinks and juices drop so we buy them in large amounts and store them. In summer when both prices and demands rise up we sell them.” He added.

13

“It is correct that we couldn’t serve our country as we should do. I accept that we had failures and mistakes. I know the country is in great trouble and many forces are threatening us but still we are hopeful” He responded in a very angrily type of speech to anchorperson.

“What your hope is based on?” Asked anchorperson

“Our youth is our future and my hope is based on our youth” He replied at the same temper.

“What is causing you to hope on the youth?”

“The hopes I see in eyes of youths are my hope”

“Your father had also said that youth is our future and I can see great promises and hopes in youths. But your generations were total failure?”

“I know that hope is no policy but we can’t find other policy stronger than hope”

14

“We were always ready to fight and resist for our friends but now when we are in great troubles, our friends are silent and our enemies are laughing and trying hard to damage us more. Perhaps, we are not reaching well to our friends that they can’t understand our situation and are not helping us?” An elder in meeting stated.

“I don’t think that in era of information and chaos nations can afford misinformation and ignorance both about their friends and enemies.” Another elder replied.

“OK! If our friends can understand our situations and they are intentionally silent and not helping us then, it means that even our friends are agree for our punishments for death. Have you not heard the famous proverb that, “The punishment for crime of weakness is death?”

“No! Weakness is not a crime but relying on others instead of relying on ourselves are a crime and whose punishment is really death.”

“What do you mean by others? Are our friends are also come under definition of others?”

“Yes! All those who don’t have common roots with us are others. Those, whose interests are linked with us, come to us as friends and those whose interests are in harm due to us, confront us as enemies. We can reduce the sizes of our enemies by relying on ourselves and strengthening ourselves. Those who are strong have more friends and those who are weak have more enemies.”

15

They were three brothers with a small retail shop as their only possession and sources of livelihood but their unity and selflessness grew them into several wholesale points and transportation business. As they grew rich their home became the focal point of the local people. Their elder brother became leader of their tribe. His main political point to share with all were, “ If we got a place where only our people could live, with all heirs of single race, single religion, single language and single cultural practices then we will require no police and no courts and there would be an unimaginable progress as there would be no clashes. There would be only harmony and cooperation for an ever increasing progress.”

People were really impressed of his hope and promises. He was highly respected in community. A few years later, I heard of clashes and separations between the brothers. It was really a strange event for all so I asked from one of his neighbors, “What was the dividing factor?”

“Oh! What else could you expect? It was wealth. Have you not heard that all conflicts are rooted in one of three factors, land, wealth and women? As their businesses expanded and each brother had to control a lot, so the struggles for bigger shares started and similarly the blames which lead to breaking of brothers”

I was thinking that even in most idealist situations we can’t rule out dividing factors and it is a natural principle for assortments of species.

16

There was a long queue of patients for getting token for OPD. A man rushed with his little sister ignoring the queue. First he asked his little sister to take token but she failed as she was too short to reach the window where computerized token were distributed. Then he himself reached the windows and asked the computer operator to issue him a token. They were talking in their own tribal language. All those who were in queue were members of other tribes. As people in queue protested against him, he replied, “There is no justice in Pakistan.” I was amazed of his logic. He was committing injustice and was blaming the country for injustice.

17

“Only Hazaras are paying utilities bills. Others either steal electricity or pay no bill”

Looking to my father told the WAPDA officer to whom my father was complaining about 1500 Rs of utility bill which we have deposited but some official has transferred them to the account of another person.

My father smiled and replied, “The fishes of fresh water can’t survive in brine water”

The officer looked in surprise to my father and replied, “You are correct, it is why you people have better lives than others.”

18

Everyone was feeling deep sorrows for him. He was a person whose all wishes were come true as his father was a rich and influenced man in the area. His father was a well known politician and an international trader. His homes were always filled with men and women when he was home. Some were coming to him to resolve their differences; others come to him for help and future of their children. Many were there just for raising their social status by showing their links to him. He was too busy to give attention to his family. There were money and their wills to live. His son was the most fortunate boy in area. His was travelling continuously to neighboring cities, countries and had always new toys and gifts coming from his father trips and from visitors and well wishers. He had money to spend as he wished. He had respect and pride. All children were wishing a life and position of him.

But now he was a person engulfed in debts and no hope. After death of his father he couldn’t manage his life and spend as always and lost everything in heir and now he was unable to steer his life. He was living on support of others who were in debt of his father’s helps.

I remembered my uncle’s saying that, “Fortunate in not those who born with rich heirs but fortunate is one who born in a wise family. A wise family raises wise children who live a life of great achievements and source of inspirations for others.” I was convinced of his truth of his observation.

19

It was science class of grade three, the most feared class. There were frequent oral tests and frequent punishments. After 15 days of spring holidays of Nauroz celebration there were expectations of tough oral tests besides loads of home works. Except of few brilliant students most of students feared of tough punishments from science teacher. Class started and teacher was asking questions and was lining students according to their wrong and true questions. Now it was the Tahir’s turn. Teacher called, “ Tahir!” Tahir was looking to teacher as he has not heard anything. Again teacher called, “Tahir! I am speaking to you. Are you deaf?”

Tahir, while standing replied, “I can’t hear anything. Are you with me Sir?”

Teacher walked to Tahir and as he reached to Tahir he stood silent there for a while just staring at Tahir. Then he leaned over Tahir and brought his mouth near Tahir’s ear and whispered in his ear,”Tahirrrrrrrrrrrrr…..”

Tahir also replied in same tone of whispering with a very dim voice, “Yes sirrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr…………”

All the class started laughing as it was proved that was totally failed in proving himself deaf. The teacher forgave all students and told the class, “You can’t overcome difficulties of life just by ignoring them. You have to face them to see how much difficulties are coward and you are brave. Once you learn about your bravery then your life is a certain success.”

20

He was a typical introvert person, rarely participating in talks. Due to his usual non-responding nature his friends considered him foolish. They were always neglected him in decision making. At that Thursday they made a mountain hiking plan. Responsibilities for preparation of hiking divided. He was given no responsibility. One of the friends told,” He is unable to make any decision by him or complete a responsibility given. He is physically strong like beast so we just give him water pots as they are heavy and he is good in transportation. Next day, all water bottles put in a large bag and provided to him. It was the heaviest bag that all were carrying with them. When team started hiking he was a little behind than others and as the steep of mountain increased the distance between team and him was increasing due to weight of water bottles. Friends were making joke of him and left him far behind. As the team reached the peak, they decided to make a camp there. After they rested a while they were feeling thirsty and they also needed water for cooking and preparing tea. Half hour later he reached to team and put bag near other bags. All friends come to bag to drink water but to astonishment of all, all water bottles were empty. They look to each other and to him. All were almost weeping but he was smiling. They were punished by one who was neglected by them. He had emptied all bottles on the way. On the way back all friends had filled bag but he was carrying an empty bag.