A walk with a stranger.

Abdul Rehman, was pulling an empty hand cart near Batmaloo. He was an old man in seventies, with curly grey hair and broad shoulders. He had black complexion and white round beard. Though his face was black but when the rays of sun were falling on his sweated face it added an elegant shine. His fore head was layered with wrinkles. Despite being very shabby and grungy there was some kind of attraction in him, not because an old man lugged a cart but his features were very strong. He had sunken eyes, pug nose, broad mouth and a pored face. He was wearing a grey frayed khan suit which was scruffy and a white round necked inner which due to sweating had turned black and filthy.

When I went to him, he stopped his cart and I then asked him about his self, he replied “what”. And then I went little loud and clear and asked him about his strangest life’s tragedy.  “There are tragedies of tragedy, my daughter’s tragedies; my daughter’s husband has abandoned her.”, he said. Then I asked him another question but he said, “Daughter I am very busy right now, I cannot answer more questions”. And then he went down the road side and moved behind some shops.

 I thought of going to somebody else but I recalled the words what my teacher had said, “you will go and ask the strangest tragedy to the ‘first person’ you meet” so I went downsides and waited for him to came and lucky he came back. This time he had loaded his cart with two big logs but covered with the canvas cloth. I again went to him for more queries, but he again said, “I am busy this time; I have to take these logs to somewhere else”. I told him I will also walk with him while pulling cart.  Meanwhile a road came and the old man was pushing the cart with the force to take it on the road. Latter abruptly I thought of helping him but by that time his cart was already on the road. So, I walked along with him and came to know his name and further details.

Abdul Rehman is a cart mover living in Firdous-Abad Batmaloo, has two daughter and two sons. Naseema who has studied till 10^th class is his elder daughter. He got his daughter married to Naseer eight years ago, who is living in Maysoma and working in Fire Service Department. Initially after their marriage everything was fine but latter Naseer started showing his brutality. He never used to give her daily allowance for the household and always made her cry for money which resulted in squabbling and quarrelling. He started subjugating and torturing her. Naseema bared all this for the sake of her two daughters’ one is Saniya who is 4 years old and another is Bareen of 6 years. But Naseer never cared for his children and wife and gave them less attention. And whenever Naseema asked for some penny he used to refuse and wrangle. As money was the matter of daily basis so they everyday stood up fighting. He gradually began to beat his wife and Naseema still remained silent in the hope that one day Naseer will transform. But when he later became more harsh and cruel and started beating their children, Naseema informed Abdul Rehman who tried to negotiate the issue but couldn’t succeed as Naseema one day came back to her father’s house with her children because his husband was least bothered and then didn’t ever ask Naseema to come back. Naseer a nasty and callous man married some other lady. When Naseema and her father come to know about this, Rehman went to Naseer’s house to solicit this matter but he was beaten by Naseer there.

As now they have filed the case in the court for a divorce, Abdul Rehman is apprehensive for his daughter miseries and sorrows.  He is anxious about Saniya and Bareen who are going school and are staying with him since two years. And all their expenses are being shelled out by him, “their father would not spend even a single penny for them” said Rehman. He is waiting for the justice for these girls. He is in a hope that the court will put Naseer liable for his granddaughter’s expenditure. His eyes were moist in the fear that what will happen to them after his death. Rehman was more annoyed rather than disappointment.   

In a meantime, while we were walking we reached his destination. “I reached my place, you can go now. I have to unload my cart.” said Abdul. So without irritating him much I took his leave and left the place.

His tragedy might not be the different or the heart breaking one, but for him his tragedy would not be less than any other hardest tragedies. At the time when he would have married her daughter, the thoughts and the dreams that he might have seen for her, has now totally shatter his expectation. Despite earning only a paltry amount, he managed to arrange for his daughters’ wedding. He would have never thought that his daughter’s marriage will end up with nothing.