May 13, 2008
She was anxiously waiting for the 2:00PM. Still two hours left as she looked at her old Casio watch and started cleaning its top with her thumb. This watch was a gift from her mother when she entered the medical college. A smile spread on her lips. ” what a day it was!” she thought. Her mother had tears in her eyes when she took out the watch and gave it to her.
” I wish I could give a very expensive gift to you love but ..” tears up to the brim
“Maan ji, no mother in the world could give a more expensive gift to her daughter. Only because of you I am able to get into the medical college. Pray for me that I am able to help those who need me like baba wanted “
” InshAllah!, you are my daughter. Your father always helped others and he gave his life while helping others. I am sure you ….” finally tears could not be contained, she could not complete her sentence.
They were a small and poor but a happy family. Riaz, her father, was a Rickshaw driver, helping people to reach their destination. He was a very hard working and honest man. He would never over charge his customers. Always took his profession as his social duty too. Most of the population of the city did not have car and he made it a point that if people needed transport , they should be satisfied with the services.
He always told his wife, Razia, ” I could not go to school because I could not afford it but Zainub will go to school. InshAllah she will become a doctor one day and then will help poor people, no one takes care of them. She will make a difference in people’s life“
” But she is a girl!. she will have to marry. Who will marry her if she is so much educated” Razia always thought like other women in her neighbourhood.
” You will see when she becomes a doctor, there will be a que of boys from clifton and defence who would like to marry her” his eyes beaming with pride
“You are crazy!. We will see when the time comes. She is only 4 now“
Days passed by and this family lived a life of contentment that their honesty and faith brought to them. But things do change..and they really did.
It was a day of early November. Darkness started to engulf Karachi ,once the city of lights. Men stood against their own brethern just because they spoke different language and wore different dresses.Trust started to fade away from the city that was always a welcoming home for every Pakistani. People started to play in the hands of puppeteer. Strike, setting tyres on fire and cars ablaze became standard ways of expression. It was mid day and Riaz had gone to a school for admission of Zainub. He was very happy once he deposited the fee and the teacher gave him the syllabus, a printed sheet. He came out and thought to pick up few customers before going home and celebrating an occasion which might be one of the biggest in his life. Suddenly he heard on the radio that riots have broken out in the city as one group killed one of the leading member of other group. He turned his rickshaw towards home, hoping to pass the dangerous areas before hell breaks out. He saw a woman with a child waving her hand to him to stop. He could not just ignore the woman when the city was not even safe. He stopped
” where do you want to go? don’t you know city has turned violent?“
” brother, I had to come out..my daughter is sick and I have to go to the hospital“
” ok..come come…I will see what can I do because we will have to pass through the dangerous area to get to the hospital. Don’t worry sister, let me see“
“Thankyou brother… “
And then it happened what they feared. A mob came after the rickshaw and ordered woman to get off and go; then they started beating him up. Few put his rickshaw ablaze.
They left him there lying in a pool of blood and a paper in his tightly closed fist..the syllabus. He was later taken to hospital but there were no doctor who would attend to him. Humanity took another plunge.
Zainub did not know anything except that her father is gone forever; he will not bring candies anymore. For Razia, it was the end of life. She could have ended her life had it not been for young Zainub. She knew she not only has to live but has to earn too. She made a promise to her late husband ” I know you were right
, InshAllah our Zainub will become doctor!“. After few days of mourning, She took cleaning and washing jobs in homes , working for whole of the day but she did not allow herself to get tired or sick. Years passed by and her hardwork paid off. Zainub excelled in academics , leaping far ahead of her peers. Finally the day had come..May 12…the last day of the house job for Zainub. She will be a complete Doctor today.
” Doctor Zainub, there is an emergency…firing case” she was brought back to the present
” lets go ” she said while running to emergency ” What happened?”
” Riots broke out in the city. The guy is a taxi driver. He went out to pick people stranded away from home. The mobsters from stopped him and set his taxi on fire and then shot him.”
Past started running in her mind again. Is it repeat telecast of the same drama?. 23 years have passed but city remains as violent. Why don’t these mobsters respect humanity. Why do they kill anyone who thinks differently. She was trying hard to resuscitate the patient. She did not want another Riaz, another Razia , or another Zainub. She was perspiring with mind at the verge of hope. Finally her efforts did not go invain. The patient started breathing again. The senior doctor had arrived and took it from there.
She was tired…breathing heavily…tears of joy in her eyes. She could go home now, its 2:00 PM May 12,2007..She has finally made the difference in someones life. ” Maan ji will be happy” she thought. She could not wait to narrate all the events to her mother.
Razia kissed her forehead and then looked to the sky ” I have fulfilled my promise…You were right again!”
…
