SANYEEN INTERNET
Chapter 15: London 1
London
Chapter 10
Adam had enough money to pay
agent for the dunkey to go to England.
In those days it was trend to send
people in containers to England. The
rate was twelve to fifteen thousand French francs. Daowd told Adam the
person who does this business
is his friend. You will have to pay the money when you will phone me from
England that you are arrived safe and sound. Daowd settled
everything with agent. He said you have to at
Madeleine metro station at
six. Daowd did everything quickly. Adam didn't even think of it that everything
will be done in a short span
of time. Although, Adam wanted to spend one week to visit Paris, he wanted to
see everything like museums,
historical places, art galleries, monuments etc. At least he will spend one day
with Anna and he will see
Tcknip as well. None of these things happened because he had to leave this
evening. They fixed the time
at Madeleine metro at six 'o' clock.
This was the first time that
Adam and Daowd were separating. Adam and Daowd came to Madeleine metro
stop at exact time. They
haven't seen anyone so they entered in a garden which was adjacent to Madeleine
metro stop. They came inside
and sat on white marble bench. Daowd gave Adam some important phone
numbers and said, "These
are the telephone numbers of those people who bring us food stuff from London.
They have a big cash and
carry in London.
If they catch you at Calais, you should come to Paris. If they catch
you at Dover, you apply for political asylum. They
will ask by themselves for political asylum. They will
provide you solicitor as
well. Don't ruin your life. You swore upon our friendship or to whom you love
so
much".
Adam was listening quietly
and silently. It's nice listening, someone, sometime. Anyway they were leaving
each other after four long
years. So Adam was bound to think, what he was doing.
Suddenly a man appeared. He
came towards them and said in murmuring voice, "Pakistanais"
(Pakistani).
Daowd said, "Oui" (yes).
So than he spoke in Urdu,
"who is daowd among you"?
Daowd shakes his hand and
said, "It's me".
He said whole heartedly,
"so you are daowd. I have heard a lot about you. You are the best and
renowned chef
of passage Brady".
Daowd responded modestly,
"this is all because of great god and people like you pray for me".
Adam was hearing their
conversation like an idol.
Daowd asked him, "what
is your good name"?
He said, "You can call
me Nassir Uddin Paracha".
Daowd thought for a while and
said, "Oh I remember Paracha sahib, you have a shop where you sell each
item for ten francs".
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Paracha showed fabricated
modesty and said, yes, we I do have but I love to help poor and needy as well.
As
you see, to help deprived
people is our duty. These pitiable people can't find proper job, they can't
even travel
from one place to another. In
England
nobody ask them about papers and they will find job easily".
Daowd said with great respect
and honour, "he is my friend. Since we are in Europe
we lived together. We
have seen all Europe together".
Adam wanted to shake hand
with paracha and said, "My name is Adam Khan Chughtai". Paracha
didn't even
glanced at him, he didn't
bother to shake hand with him. He said incongruously, "so this is your
material. You
needn't to worry about this,
daowd sahib, if it will be god's will, we will deliver your material safe and
sound.
You know he is the most
beneficent and merciful".
Daowd said in apprehensive
voice, "paracha sahib, what about his job and stay. Will you arrange
something"?
Paracha said assertively,
"yes of course, there won't be any problem. I have many relatives and
acquaintances
in London". Paracha said this and took
permission to leave from daowd and told them to wait for him.
Daowd knew very well what the
condition of Adam's heart was. What Adam must be thinking inwardly?
Above all paracha didn't
responded Adam's salutation and he hadn't shake hand with Adam. Adam and daowd
made eye contact like they
were saying something each other.
They were not in a mode of
discussing this thing that Adam's feelings were hurt. Adam knew that he hasn't
got documents. If he would
have legal papers, than he would face this insult and humiliation. He has been
through these kinds of
situations many times before.
It was the month of December.
Christmas was very near. The sun used to go to her mother's lap very early
something like, three or
three thirty post meridian. It was dark outside. Adam look at wrist watch, it
was seven
'o' clock in the evening. It
was getting cold and it was little windy as well due to this, Adam was feeling
more
chill.
In a blink of eye three boys
appeared from somewhere. They were wearing warm clothes. It seemed like that
someone forced them to wear
all these clothes. They had features like Asian people. When they came close to
them, they were speaking
strange language. At the corner of the garden a white van came and the driver
switched off the engine. It
was like Suzuki carrier van. Paracha was waving towards them. He called them in
pantomime style. Adam and
daowd were walking speedily towards him. The boys he came afterward, they
followed them. When they came
close to van, Paracha did a pantomime the meaning was sit in the van all of
you. So they came very close
to van. Adam hugged daowd with deep passion and went towards van like other
boys. They opened the sliding
door of van and they started entering in van. There were no seats in van. There
was a worn and torn rug on
the floor. As they heard the voice the sliding door was being closed they
accelerated the van and the
van was flying. Two men were sitting on front seat. Paracha was driving the van
and other man was just
sitting next to him. He was saying something to paracha. Adam tried to
understand.
They were chatting in Punjabi
language. Adam was sitting quietly and other three boys were chatting in some
bizarre language. He didn't
know what they talking about.
Adam was looking outside
habitually. He wanted to know where he was. He read a sign board, Fort
d'Aubervilliers. He hardly
read this and there van entered in a small alley way. Paracha switched off the
van.
It was big cloth storage
place. Paracha got off from the driving seat and he slammed the door harshly.
He
opened van's sliding door
angrily. He took them like a shepherd takes heard of cattle's. He took them in
dark
and abandoned room of this
storage place. There were many empty bottles of Evian and volvic water at the
every corner of the room. It
was very easy to smell the stinks of urine or piss in this room. Where they
were
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staying, adjacent to their,
there was another room. It was unable to see but with a passage of time Adam
was
able to see there were other
people in that room. He didn't know who they were but it was his assessment
that
they must be Pakistani or
Indian but he was for sure that they were Punjabi because they talking in
Punjabi.
While Adam was thinking about
them who they are? He heard noise, the Punjabi speaking people and other
who were talking in bizarre
language, they started quarrelling. When they were shouting, Adam came to know
its group of Sikhs and
Srilankans. Paracha used to come with small patch of gaps and take pipes with
him.
There was pin drop silence
and due to darkness it was very quiet. So whenever paracha used to come to take
pipes. The pipes were
creating noise and there noise used to break the quietness and silence of the
room.
Adam was enjoying this
theatre in the darkness. He has been through dunkeys many times, so he wasn't
scared of anything. He
thought about Victor Hugo's play. Les dernier jour da condemns. The last days
of
condemn. He was thinking that
god has written his destiny or fate like this. He was going to London from
Paris but others were coming
from India
and Srilanka and they have been through many dunkeys until now.
They have given ten lakhs
rupees each, nearly fifteen thousand dollars, which was a lot of money. Their
deal
was up to London. During their journey all expanses
were agent's (people broker) responsibility. It has been
three hour that Adam was in
this solitary confinement. Nearly eleven 'o' clock at night a very slim and
smart
guy entered in the room. He
switched on the light and started explaining them precautions about dunkey.
No parachute jackets, because
they create noise)
No coins of any country
No wrist watches specially
who have alarm system
Any jewellery which create
noise
Above all you can't take
anything with you which create even little noise or sound.
You are not allowed to sneeze
You are not allowed to talk
You are not allowed to fight
No murmuring, no coughing, no
sleeping or snorting, no burps.
Where you people will be
sitting, you will find two plastic bottles. One will have water to drink and
other is
will be empty for pissing. As
your truck or container will enter in environs of London, the driver will drop
you one by one. He explain
them everything and then asked them you get me. Everyone said yes accept
srilankans. They were looking
at his face. He knew that srilankan didn't understand anything. He called a
srilankan guy for them. The
srilankan guy entered in their pongy and stinky room and explained them in
their
language.
Again that slim and smart guy
came and took them like heard of sheep. The last was Adam. He thought
because of daowd they will
treat him nicely but he was mistaking. He was treating them same. For him they
were not human being, they
were like animals. He brought them close to container. What, Adam saw that
container was loaded with
cases of volvic and Evian water. Every case had twelve bottles and every
bottle's
weight was 1.5 Litre. So
every case has 18 Litre weight. One of the guys was helping them to enter in
the
container. Right at the back
of the cases there was being made a place like a grave. It was made of those
pipes
which were getting paracha
one by one. This was place exactly at the back of driver. This place had hardly
room for ten people to sit there.
Ten of them were sitting in position like their knees were glued with their
bellies. There were
srilankans, Sikhs and two Pakistani and Adam was as well among them. When they
took
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their positions properly than
that portion of the truck was filled with cases of Evian and volvic water.
There it
was very dark where they were
sitting. They were unable to see anything after a little while they were able
to
see each other faces. Adam
was sitting in a corner. This was his punishment because he was slave of his
principles but he wasn't
feeling guilty conscience. He preferred to punish himself instead playing with
someone's feelings. He had
polluted his conscience.
He was hearing conversation
outside the container. There driver was French. Adam found this thing through
his accent. Anyway either you
are crossing border illegally from Greece or Italy, France or England, without
cooperation of local people
like French, English, and Greek or Italian, you can't cross the border of that
country. Adam had this
experience in Greece and Italy.
They heard the clatter of
shutter that someone pulled it down with great force to close it. The little
light which
they have was disappeared
after this. Adam was nosy so he was trying to hear what was going on outside.
Someone locked the shutter
that what's he heard. They felt a jerk and jolt. They sensed that container is
rising
upwards. Adam new that it was
trucks hydraulic system because driver switched on the truck so hydraulic
system was functioning. As
hydraulic system completed their truck started moving. They were sitting
quietly
at their place which was like
grave. They kept quiet for while than srilankans and Sikhs started murmuring
each other. One of the Sardar
(it's a term used for Sikhs) was trying to keep them quiet but due to this
noise
was increasing. After a long
drive their container stopped. All of them were frightened. They felt that they
were not breathing. They felt
that somebody has squeezed all blood from their body. They heard someone was
opening the lock of shutter
than he lifted up shutter. He checked the container with torch. All of them
were
alert that now they will
deport us if they will discover us. They heard someone pulled down the shutter
and
locked it again. They came
back to normal but this now they were very silent. They didn't know that this
was
local check post. The check
post or the border has to come. The driver restarted the truck. Until now
drinking
was finished and both bottled
were filled with their urine. All of them were so close to each other that they
were able to smell each
other's breath. They were farting as well so it was nearly impossible to
breathe.
During this period some of
them were sneezing, some of them were sleeping for a little span; someone was
hitting the container's wall
with his knee. These all things were dangerous for them. Due to one person's
mistake all of them had to
suffer. Adam was reciting the pray of Adam and Eve when god punished them and
send them to earth from
paradise. When Adam and Eve ate the wheat grain (in Christianity it's an
apple). They
didn't obeyed god's order so
they were expelled from paradise and he sent them at different places. To meet
again both of them prayed
this pray. The central idea of the pray was "we did mistake. God please
forgive us
otherwise we will be with
same group whom you were and are unhappy. Adam was reciting this pray during
the journey.
Their container stopped after
a long drive. This time it didn't move. It was stands still. All of them were
hushed like some snake has
bitten them. Their truck started moving again and they were out of stress. They
sensed that their truck was
moving on some wooden track. After this their truck stopped there and driver
switched off the engine. Adam
was for sure that their truck has been entered in a ship. As their container
stopped all of them started
feeling nausea. Adam was feeling the same. While he was feeling this, the
srilankan who was sitting in
front of him he vomited and showered the Sikh who wasn't ready for this. The
Sikh decided to beat him up
but all of them heard the dogs were barking outside. The security guards were
carrying dogs and they were
passing close to every truck and container just to check if there aren't any
drugs
and hard core drugs in these
trucks and containers. Whenever they had doubt they used to ask the concerned
person to open it. This was
their job. Adam was thinking they were at Calais's check post but he didn't
know
this that the French and the
British immigrant officers do their immigration satisfaction at the same place.
It's
not there are separate
immigrations at Calais and Dover. They didn't know this that once they will be
out of
the ship than there won't be
any problem. As long as their container was in still position in the ship all
of them
were in terrible condition.
It was like a naked sword was hanged above their head with a thin chord. If
they
will do little mistake, this
sword will fall on them and cut them into two pieces. They heard the ignition
voice
of cars and they felt jerk
that their truck moved. It was very easy to feel for them that their container
was
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moving on zigzag track. Adam
was unable to see but he was sensing everything. As zigzag track ended the
driver accelerated the truck
and he increased the velocity. The place like grave where they were sitting, it
was
a frame which was made with
pipes and above the frame there were cases of mineral water as well. All of
them were frightened that
this frame will fall on them and they will die because driver was driving the
container very fast. It would
have been hour that he was driving fast. Suddenly he stopped the container and
they heard the voice that someone
was opening the lock. They heard someone lifted up shutter. As it was
open, sharp light entered in
their eyes due to this light they were unable to see. Everyone was trying to
see;
first of all they saw hazy
images than these hazy images became real images. They heard an up roar in
Punjabi
language, "come out one
by one. Don't make any noise otherwise I will give you to police and they will
deport
you to your country. They
were already frightened and panicked so what he said was more than enough. So
they started coming out from
this grave like place. Adam came out lastly because he wasn't in rush. A guy
came and guided them up to
the basement. He warned them to remain quiet. It was very cold in basement so
he gave them, quilts and he
gave them potatoes chips and big bottles of coca cola.
As soon as they were getting
confirmation about payment they were taking the telephone numbers of their
relatives, brothers or
whoever they were. Daowd knew as well that Adam has been to his destiny safe
and
sound. Adam hasn't written
any telephone at any place. He remembered all important numbers so he gave
them Daowd's acquainted
person in London. They tried that number but no one was responding. One by one
everyone left the basement
because their concerned person came and took them. Someone came from
Birmingham, someone came from
Bradford. Adam was sitting all alone in the basement like an imbecile. His
was feeling headache so he
came out from basement to ground floor of this place where he was staying. He
encounters with a person, as
he saw him, he started shouting at him, and he wanted to harass him. Adam
responded him very badly. He
said, "He haven't brought for free or for god sake. I have paid you for
this".
There was another person who
looked like a descent person. He accompanied Adam to kitchen and said,
"Make some tea for this
guy. I think he is little bit upset". They offered him tea and a tablet of
anadin extra to
get rid of headache. After
having tea and tablet Adam was feeling better. That guy said, "The number
you
have given us. No one
responds. No one picks up the phone". Adam was surprised this gentleman
was using
app and janab instead of tu
(app is lei and vous in Italian and French for respect and tu is tu in French
and
Italian as well but. On the
other hand in English there is only one pronoun for app and Tu. In old English
there
is separate pronoun for
respect but it's not in use and not very common). Adam thought, he must have
been
mistaking. He was here since
morning. He was very tired. His mouth was smelly. His breath was very bad
even for him it was
impossible to sense it. It was very easy to feel this that his mouth's odour
was very bad.
Until now it was dark
outside. Adam didn't know he was in which part of London. He didn't know that
they
felt pity on him and they
brought him in Earl's court area. There they dropped him in Earl's court food
and
wine. They told the owner of
the shop that we can't find his relatives. You let him stay with you for couple
of
days. They only said this and
took their way.
Adam was sitting in this shop
and he was staring at customers who were coming and going than he came out
from shop. The light poles
were decorated and there were many Christmas trees as well. Adam thought for
while that this was the
country whose sun never set but now this country's sun even doesn't rise.
He was walking on the
pavement. As he was walking, suddenly he saw a book shop. It was written
Waterston
at the front of this shop. He
stepped inside. He asked the person who was sitting at the counter, "what
time
you close"?
The person who was sitting at
the counter he said in cockney style, "ay o clo". He was saying eight
'o' clock.
So he has little time to see
books. Adam glanced at every section. He found contemporary fiction section. He
didn't realise while he was
flipping the papers of different books that it's eight 'o' clock. He came back
to
Earl's court food and wine.
There was an old man at the cash counter and he had Rosario in his hand and he
was thumbing it. His head was
covered with a cap made of net. It's very common cap in Muslim community
and it's made in china. That
gentleman was wearing shalwar and qameez. He shaved so many times in his
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whole life so because of this
his face was like a chicken when you remove her all feathers. Adam was
customarily observing this
old man, he heard his voice. He was talking to him. He said, "Tara kay na
a". What
is your name? (This is
potohari dialect and it's very famous in people of Mirpure. A great majority of
mirpuri
are settled in the united
kingdom of Great Britain. Some people call them mp as well. People from
Rawalpindi
to Jhelum they are acquainted
to this dialect which is called potohari). Adam answered him in Potohari
dialect, "Mara na Adam
aye". My name is Adam. That old man asked him again, "kuthay rehran
ay"? (Where
you live)
Adam was thinking to answer
him but in the mean while a middle aged man interrupted the conversation and
said, "abba jee kay ankhrein
o, papay ashraf nal achaya ay". (Daddy why are interviewing him. Mr Ashraf
left
him here).
Than that old man said,
"mein vi daso na, mein ki kay pata" (you should tell me about this. I
knew nothing
about this).
That middle aged man said,
"Oye farid tari chutti huye gey. Tu subha sat wajay achaya. Es ki Sufi nay
khar
churiya a". (Farid you
are free now. Tomorrow you have to come seven 'o' clock in the morning. Leave
this
gentleman at Sufi's house).
Adam got it that they are
either from Mirpure or gujar khan. When Adam was doing his graduation, he has
many college fellows from
gujar khan and they had same dialect potohari. It wasn't difficult for Adam to
understand there dialect.
Farid had different style and
look. When he used to speak potohari, he used to mix English as well. It was
like
some Pidgin or it might be
some kind of Creole.
Both of them sat in the car
and he was driving the car on different roads. He was trying to read the road
signs
but he didn't know where he
was. Suddenly their car passed in front of Hounslow west underground station
than he knew that he was in
Hounslow area. After turning three streets that gentleman stopped the car in
front
of house. He indicated Adam
to get off from the car. After few steps they were standing in front of a
house.
That boy knocked the door. A
man opened the door. He had long hair, very fair complexion, he has
moustaches, it was difficult
to know that either he has moustaches or not because there was very thin line
of
moustaches on his upper lip.
His both ears were pierced and he was wearing golden ear rings in them. He was
wearing shalwar qameez. As he
opened the door he said, "Langi ao, langi ao, ay pahi uri kaunrain"?
(Come in
please, come in please, who
is this gentleman?)
That guy responded, "Ay
pahi ashraf nal achay say. Una akhiya aya taray kol kini achan". (He came
with Mr.
Ashraf and he said that I
should leave him at your place).
Farid asked his name in
cockney style, "way o name"? (What is your name?)
Adam responded him,
"Adam".
The guy who opened the door
for them he said, "Acho acho, ithay kiyan standay gay o". (Come
inside. Why
are you standing here?)
As Adam stepped inside the
house, he felt very bad odour. The house was fully carpeted. Adam sensed that
carpet was very sticky,
because it was very dirty. Where they told him to sit that room had three beds
and
three was a cupboard for
clothes. The wall paper was in very bad condition. It was damaged and shabby
from
different places. There were
curtains made of net on the window but they were grimy and grubby. The spores
of this net curtain were
filled with filth. There was dim light in the room. There was 40 watts bulb,
hanging in
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the room. They were talking in
very low voice because whenever the raised the volume, someone banged the
wall which means, lower your
voice because the guy who was sleeping adjacent to this had to wake up five 'o'
clock in the morning. Finally
farid said khuda hafiz and left them on their own. Sufi sattar (that was his
name)
told Adam, "This is your
bed where you will have to sleep. There are, two other person in this room.
They
finish their work very late
so they come in the morning and sleep. So there will be no problem for you. Insha
Allah, if it will be god's
will, in couple of days you will find some job as well. Until that period you
needn't to
worry about house rent and
meals".
Adam said, "No, not at
all. I will pay you house rent in advance and I will pay you for meals separately".
Adam had hundred pounds and
rest of his saving he left with daowd.
Sufi sattar took him to his
room and offered him dinner than cup of tea and lastly switched on television.
Adam watched television for a
while than he started blaming his fate and luck. He was feeling that he has
been arrived in some village
but there no other solution. It was very late. Adam came to his room and lay
down on his bed.
Adam woke up very late in the
morning and he had severe headache. He entered in the kitchen; he saw a man
was making tea. Adam said
salutations and introduced himself, "my name is Adam Khan Chughtai and
you"?
So that gentleman responded,
"Gee, my name is tahir jamil kashani".
Adam said, "Your name is
very poetical and romantic. You didn't go to work today".
Kashani sahib responded,
"Actually on Saturday and Sunday I don't go to work".
Adam asked him again. It was
his habit as well to ask personal questions in first meeting to other people,
"what you do"?
He said, "I am a truck
driver. I work for a cash and carry. I deliver their goods from one place to
another
place".
Adam frankly said,
"Kashani sahib, I have severe headache. Do you have any headache
tablet"?
He responded him friendly,
"yes of course but I think you should eat something. Breakfast is ready
after this
you can take headache
tablet". They took their breakfast together and then he took tablet. He
was feeling
better after half an hour. He
felt that he got new life but there was terrible pain in his knees because he sitting
in same position in container
for many hours. It must have been eight or nine hours that he hadn't stretch
his
legs.
Adam addressed kashani sahib,
"kashani sahib, I have to buy certain things. Is there any store around
here?
You must know it".
Kashani sahib said,
"Adam sahib why don't you come with me. I am going there as well. I have
to buy some
meat for lunch. Only these
two days I eat at home. Otherwise sometime I eat burger, sometime pizza and
quite
often doner kebab".
Both of them changed their
clothes and sat in the car and came to Hounslow west centre. Kashani sahib
parked the car and both of
them started walking on the pavement. They entered in Hounslow food and wine.
It
was big shop. There was
everything here like food stuff and household things. The speciality of the
shop was
that that all workers were
Pakistani. Adam was looking at them perplexedly. He took tooth brush, tooth
paste,
disposable razor and a towel.
He came at the counter to pay for these things but he was unable to decide
either
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he should speak in Urdu or in
English or he has to talk in potohari dialect. His dilemma was being solved. He
heard a voice from cashier,
"nine pound and ninety nine pence please. You need a bag"?
Adam gave him fifty pounds
note. He took nine pond and ninety nine pence and gave him rest.
Kashani sahib has already
paid for the meet. He said, "Shall we go"?
Adam said, "yes, why
not".
Adam bought a prepaid
telephone and dialled daowd's number. If you say it was miracle, it won't be
wrong
because when he dialled the
number, daowd picked up the phone, otherwise he is always busy in the kitchen.
As Adam knew it was daowd's
voice and daowd recognises his voice and said, "How are you Adam. They
told me that you were reached
at your destiny safe and sound. Paracha sahib phoned me that one of his
acquaintances left you at his
relative's place. What about the telephone number which I gave you"?
Adam said, "They tried
that number many times but no one was responding".
Daowd said, "I phoned
them and they told me that when we went to take him, he wasn't there. Anyway I
have
your money. Whenever you
need, I will send you and if you need anything feel free to ask me".
Adam asked him, "Were there
any phone calls for me? I gave our telephone number to some of my friends. I
didn't tell them that I am
leaving".
Daowd said, "Yes there
were phone calls for you. One had very difficult name tak Ni and other was
Anna.
Adam you never told me about this
maybe there would have some chance of paper marriage. You would have
been able to get documents
anyway in London you will have many opportunities. It's my wish that you should
marry someone because I have
heard that there are many Pakistani families in London".
Adam said, "I will do
it. You tell me, how about butt, you systemised anything".
Daowd said, "Yes I have
hired an assistant cook. When he will be able to manage everything I will go to
Pakistan. I have reserved my
seat for 27th January. It's quite possible that I and bubbly will marry. They
are
waiting for me. I feel
unhappy that you won't participate in my wedding ceremony. There is another
thing, my
sister marriage has been
arranged as well. If you have any message for your family kindly tell me. I
will
specially got there to see
them".
Adam took a long cold breath
and said, "What message should I send them. If it's possible kindly give
them
some money. I don't know when
I will find some job".
Daowd said, "You needn't
to worry about this".
Adam said, "Allah hafiz
and ciao" and phone was disconnected.
Adam found a job at
Finnegan's wake food and wine. He wasn't earning bad at all. Adam got confused
that the
shop's name was very literary
because it was the name of Irish novelist James Joyce's book.
Since he was in Europe he had
many experiences of different kind of jobs so now there was no problem for
him doing anything. It was
Adam's job to bring things from basement and he used to fill up the empty
shelves.
Chapter 15: London 1
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Where Adam's shop was, this
area was famous for labour and working class. Where Adam was working the
road was called Wandsworth
and the speciality of this road was Chelsea football ground was very near. This
was the only reason that
according to business point of view this shop was running very well.
Christmas has been passed and
it was the beginning of new-year. It was getting colder and colder. It has been
four years that Adam was
living in Europe but in London it was more than other European countries where
he
had been. The people who came
forty or fifty years before they told him that it was colder than this when
they
came and due to pollution
there isn't cold like before.
Adam liked working hours. He
has to start working at one 'o' clock and has to finish at eleven 'o' clock. He
used to finish his work and
used to take underground to come home. It was like metro in Paris.
Where he was staying, in he
has two other roommates. They were minicab driver. They used to do cabing till
late and used to come home
five or six 'o' clock in the morning. Adam used to wake up late so there was no
problem for him. These guys
used to come sometime early and they used to talk in very strange language
which was neither English nor
Punjabi or potohari. They used to smoke heroine every day. Once they asked
Adam, "Do you mind when
we smoke heroine"?
Adam responded them "you
do whatever you like. It's your life. You do whatever you like with yourselves.
You don't harm me
anyway".
One of them asked, "Bhai
sahib, what is your name"?
Adam said, "Gee Adam
khan chughtai and yours"?
Both of them introduced
themselves one by one, "raja riyasat khan siyal" and other said,
"Sohail Ahmad khan
satti".
Adam asked them a very stupid
question, "are you related each other"?
Satti responded, "no,
but our forefathers are from same village. Our birth place is Bradford".
Adam asked them, "Are
you studying"?
Satti responded him
enchantingly, "I have been to high school but I can speak English better
than who has
done masters in English in
Pakistan. I speak fluently, Pakistan's degrees are rubbish and useless. They
speak
wrong English".
Siyal confirmed what he said
and he added, "Yes he is right. I have done "o" level but in
front Pakistani
officer can't open their
mouth when I speak English with them. Can you speak English"?
Adam responded them humbly
and modestly, "a little bit. You can say I can manage things".
Satti asked him, "What
you were doing in Pakistan".
Adam invented and fabricated
an answer in a very short time and said, "I used to sell dry fruits in
winter time
and used to sell mangoes and
other fruits in summer time. Finally I sell my vending trolley and came to
England. I haven't been to
school. As you said there isn't anything in Pakistani education and degrees.
When I
will learn English in London
than Pakistani officer won't be able to speak English in front of me".
Chapter 15: London 1
SANYEEN INTERNET
Satti believed Adam's
fabricated and invented story and said, "You are very right. Are you
married"?
Adam said, "Well
actually not. In fact I am illegal in London and you know that an illegal
person is like
untouchables. You haven't
read any advertisement in Jung London about compatible matches. They mention it
precisely that illegal,
political asylum seeker and student can't apply for these advertisements".
Satti responded him, "we
have never given any ad for marriage in the newspaper. I am married with a girl
village girl from gujar khan.
She is my aunt's daughter". Adam asked siyal, "what about you".
Siyal responded him
confidently and assertively, "my wife is from gujar khan as well".
Adam said ironically,
"why you haven't married with girls those girls who are born in England
and their
parents are Pakistani. They
speak English better than Pakistani officers".
Satti was trying to convince
Adam. He said, "The girls who are born here, they become very open minded.
They know their rights. On
the other hand the girls from Pakistan don't mind either we drink alcohol or we
smoke heroine. Even if we go
out with other girls or visit prostitutes they don't say anything but the girls
who
are born here they can't take
these things. They take divorce straight away".
Adam asked him in inquisitive
style, "what about those girls whom you don't marry"?
Siyal responded him like a
simple guy, "they go to Pakistan and marry with their cousin".
Adam was taking interest in
conversation. He said, "What's wrong with them who are here in England
either
they are illegal or asylum
seekers".
Satti again tried to convince
Adam and said, "The guys who live here. They are habitual of this life.
Most of
the time, it has been
discovered that they are already married in Pakistan or they engaged. As soon
as they get
papers they give divorce or
they start thinking about their girl friends in Pakistan".
Adam said, "So all
Pakistanis are fraud. You are Pakistani as well. Aren't you"?
Siyal responded him, "no
we aren't Pakistani. We are Kashmiri and Kashmiris aren't fraud and deceitful
people.
Adam asked him intriguingly
and curiously, "so gujar khan isn't in Pakistan? You people, I mean your
parents, thirty years before
when they came to England. Weren't they holding Pakistani passport"?
Satti responded him surely
and confidently, "its true Gujar Khan is in Pakistan and our parent
travelled with
Pakistani passport from
Pakistan but it doesn't mean if you have the passport of some country. You
become
like them. Our parents had
Pakistani citizenship but they were and are Kashmiri".
Adam said, "You are
absolutely right. Like you are British but you aren't English. You have British
nationality but having
citizenship of some country or passport, you don't become English".
Siyal didn't get his ironical
and satirical answer what he meant to say. He appreciated Adam's wisdom and
perception and said, "Mr
Adam you are very intelligent person".
Adam said in a very humble
and modest way, "this is all because of you people that I am sharing room
with
you".
Chapter 15: London 1
SANYEEN INTERNET
Satti asked, "Do you
drink alcohol"?
Adam was habitual of these
faqs (frequently asked questions). So he responded, "Neither have I smoked
cigarette nor drink
alcohol".
Siyal asked him further,
"You go to prostitutes"?
Adam responded just for sake
of fun because he knew their calibre, "since I came out from, I haven't
had
chance to see it again".
Satti and siyal didn't get his sense of humour.
Chapter 15: London 1
SANYEEN INTERNET
Chapter 16: London 2
It has been months that Adam
was living in London. He found London different the way thought. His
imaginations were entirely
diverse about it. He understood quickly the London's underground's system. Like
in France there were metro
like one, two three and further on. In London they had colours. Like green
line,
yellow line or Bakerloo line,
circle line, Piccadilly line, district line, jubilee line etc.
Adam used to take jubilee
line from Hounslow west up to earl's court than he has to change the line. He
knew
about directions, it was same
like Paris because district line has many directions like Ealing Broadway,
Richmond, Edgware road,
Upminster, Kensington Olympia. If you will do a little mistake than you will be
at
other part of London. The Pakistanis
who came to London forty or fifty years before, they used to tie coloured
ribbons to catch the right
tube (train, line). Where have to take the tube and where have to change for
further
voyage. It used to seem like
that that someone had tied multi coloured pieces of clothes at some saint's
shrine.
If some would have removed
that ribbon by mistake, on that day the person who had tied ribbon, he didn't
go
to work. As the time passed,
people had awareness and they started learning how to use tubes. Now it's very
easy to find the right tube
on a small underground map. Even though, Adam did the same mistake once or
twice. He took the wrong
direction's train because of this he was late at work.
After first and second
(especially) world war British Empire started giving independence to her
colonies and
the countries who were their
dependent. The countries who were under their slavery, they were Pakistan,
India, Nepal, Bhutan, Burma,
Bangladesh, Tibet and srilanka. These all countries were famous with the name
of undivided India or
indo-pak subcontinent. British Empire used to nominate a viceroy for indo.pak
subcontinent.
In First World War seventy
four thousand three thousand three hundred and thirty two (74332) Indian
soldiers
lost their lives for British
Empire and they are buried in different European graveyards. In return British
Empire promises them that if
you will fight for us, we will give you independence. In their army there were
soldier from all above
mentioned countries which was called India at that time. In the First World War
Muslim of India fought
against khalifat-e-usmania (ottoman empires), which means Muslims fought
against
Muslims but British Empire
hasn't given them independence.
In Second World War eighty
six thousand nine hundred and seventeen (86917) Indian soldiers lost their
lives
for British Empire and they
are buried in different graveyards of the world. After Second World War British
Empire fulfilled their
promise and given independence to her colonies. They looted India with both
hands.
After the war the expenses
were more than what they were earning from India so they decided to give
independence because they
sucked the last drop of blood from India. When they were leaving, they divided
India in such a way that
until now they aren't able to become stable countries.
On 14th august in the middle
of the night two countries came into being. One of them was Pakistan. As
everyone knows for indo-pak
subcontinent's independence political leaders, women, young, old, kids,
everyone struggled for this.
On the other hand those one lakh, sixty-one thousand two hundred and forty nine
(161249) who lost their lives
for British Empire, they fought for Indian independence. I think those soldier
played important role in
Indian independence. In those soldiers there were Hindu, Muslim, Sikhs, Nepali,
Tibetan, srilankan, Buddhist
and people from every religion their lives. Those 161249 one lakhs twelve
thousand two hundred and
forty-nine soldiers who lost their lives, they paid the price of independence.
Chapter 16: London 2
SANYEEN INTERNET
In the fourteenth century all
Europe was suffering of Black Death. England suffered of this Black Death as
well. According to statistics
nearly one third population died due to this Black Death. In the eleventh
century
the population of England was
two million. At the end of nineteenth century the England's population
increased and it was 12
million. The birth rate in England increased until 1871. After this their death
rate
increased and birth rate
decreased.
The first time England's
population started decreasing when after the First World War their people
started
migrating to Canada and
Australia. This migration decreased in 1930 but during their migration lot of
immigrants from other
European countries started entering in England. They were continuously coming
to
England until Second World
War but this immigration decreased in 1951.
After Second World War
England got big loans from World Bank on easy instalments. They used these
loans
for their country's progress
and development and for that they needed manpower as well. Their manpower
demand was fulfilled by
common wealth member's countries and the first people who came to England for
work purpose were West Indians
than there were Pakistanis and Kashmiris as well. So from 1951 to 1960 they
came to England continuously.
The population of these common wealth countries started increasing rapidly.
At last their population
increased up to 1.7 million until 1970. There was grand increase in immigrants
when
Asian people from Uganda
starting coming to England and they were given British passports officially.
The
immigrants are still entering
in England but with passage of time it's becoming more and more difficult to
enter in England.
The owner of the food and
wine where Adam was working was a person from mirpur. It has been more than
thirty years that he was
living in England. When he left Pakistan he was only twenty years old. He was
sick of
family problems and he
decided to leave Pakistan. So via Afghanistan and passing through many other
countries he entered in
England and he felt very good.
Ali sardar Gondal, when he
came to England, there were few Pakistanis and Indians here. As he came to
England the first thing he
did, he passed driving test and got the job as a bus driver. He wasn't highly
educated
but he was very intelligent
and sharp. He learnt English and he was thousand times better than many
Pakistanis who were here for
such a long time and they were unable to speak or understand English. Gondal
wasn't even good in speaking
but in reading and writing, he was good as well. Still there are many
Pakistanis
in London they don't even
bother to learn English and they are here from last forty years even more. So
they
when their kids go to school
and they learn English and at home they speak potohari or Punjabi. So with
English and potohari they
create another language as,
"Dar ki shati chor, wind
achrein" (close the door the wind in coming or blowing.
"There are some parathas
in the changeer" (there are some chapattis cooked with oil in the pan).
Anyway Gondal sahib was very
different from others. His life style was different. He used to eat good food,
used to wear expensive
clothes, used to drink alcohol and used to have sexual relationship with girls.
He
always felt free of all
religious obligations and requirements. This was his style in the beginning
when he was
new in England. When he
wasn't married, he was young. As the time was passing, hypocrisy and duplicity
was increasing in his
personality. He started leaving the path of honesty, plainly saying things
wittiness and
sense of humour. In 1970 he
started job as a people broker and he used to help the people to cross the
borders
of different countries which
is called dunkey in these days. In other words he was an agent. As other people
entered in this business, he
left this job and started his small business in London. He kept himself busy in
this
business for few years. Then,
he planned with bank officer and with the help of his accountant, he showed
himself bankrupt. The profit
he earned with this plan, thrice of them divided but the disadvantage of this
was
Chapter 16: London 2
SANYEEN INTERNET
that there was ban on Gondal
for three years to restart any business.
During this pan of time, he
went to Pakistan and got married there. Bought a nice and beautiful house and
lived there for three years
with honour and respect. The relatives who wanted to kill him, now they were his
fan. They used to look after
him like a very important person. Gondal sahib was living happy life but
suddenly
started business with his
some relative of drugs smuggling. Gondal sahib was running this business nicely
but
it didn't last long. Finally
they captured him and he spent three in Brixton jail. He wasn't hopeless when
he
came out. He shaved his head
and grew his beard which was very long and started praying five times a day
which are farz (duty) for
every Muslim and started thumbing Rosario. Now Gondal sahib used to stay in
Pakistan most of the time. He
made a lot of money by illegal means. He used to keep himself busy in religious
activities just to show the
people that he is down to earth and very religious. All of a suddenly Gondal
sahib
thought of making gold. He
didn't know the chemical formula of gold so he was trying to make gold with
spiritual way. For this
purpose he started visiting spiritual people and the people who were related to
this
business. He started spending
time a saint's shrines and mausoleums. There he met with ftawatull malaik
shahani. Ftawatull malaik
shahani sahib was an old man with long white beard. He knew what Gondal wanted
that he is ruining his life
for the sake of gold. He can't even sleep well.
Shahani sahib was magnificent
and breathtaking personality. Before the partition of Pakistan and India
kashani was the professor of
mathematics in government college of Pakistan. As Pakistan came into being he
embraced Islam and decided to
stay in Pakistan because didn't want to spoil his comfortable and tranquil
life.
He changed his name from
jogindarpal saksena to ftawatull malaik shahani. Due to this he was respectable
in
every Islamic sect. When
Pakistan and India came into being, shahani sahib discovered it in short period
the
political structure of these
country isn't stable and the economy will be worse in future. There will be no
change in next ten years. So
the middle of sixties he migrated to America with his whole family. He didn't
applied Gondal sahib's
strategy. He was very cunning and shrewd man. He started his life right in the
beginning on religious
grounds. It was nearly impossible to judge for a normal person that his all
religious
activities were false. In
fact he was hypocrite and charlatan. The real face of kashani sahib was that
that he
was working for Pakistan and
America as secret agent. He used to travel around the world like a little kid
play
with globe because he has
American citizenship. Gondal sahib and shahani sahib became very intimate and
close friend. Shahani sahib
used to feel that Gondal is following his track.
In these days Gondal sahib to
keep himself busy had started this food and wine business in London. At the
entrance of the shop there
was big frame hanged containing quranic verses. They were for the prosperity of
business.
According to Gondal sahib's
Islamic school of thought alcohol was haram in Islam it was makroh. Haram the
thing which isn't allowed in
any case and makroh is you can do it but it isn't nice. So drinking alcohol was
a
bad thing according to his
philosophy but doing its business wasn't bad at all. Selling alcohol and making
profit was haram in Islam.
Lots of people pointed out that this quranic verse isn't suitable for this shop
or you
stop selling alcohol but he
never accepted nobody's philosophy because he had strong believe that alcohol
isn't
haram.
Gondal sahib was very mean
about money. He never trusted anybody. Whenever he used to stay at the shop,
he used to count the sale
many times. Apart from this he used to check all nearest dust bins which were
close
to shop. He used to check
these bins artistically that nobody should know that what Gondal sahib is
examining. He used to check
chocolates, biscuits and pies wrappers or energy drink tins or juices cartons
that
his workers has taken eaten
these things or drink something and he threw empty tin or carton in the bin. He
used to judge things with his
shops price stickers. Whenever any worker asked him about eating anything
either it was lunch time or
dinner time. He never liked it. It was his great desire that worker shouldn't
eat and
drink at the shop and during
work. When they finish their job, they go home and then eat and drink. There
was
CCTV camera system installed.
He used to check the video cassette of the shop every night. He used to
Chapter 16: London 2
SANYEEN INTERNET
control through this
cassettes about shelves, cash counter and basement. He never discovered
anything but
suspiciousness was his habit.
Gondal sahib was very punctual about namaz. He never missed any namaz either
he was at counter or he was
in the basement. One day Gondal sahib made up his mind and sells his Finnegan
food and wine and went to
Pakistan forever.
Adam was jobless once again
but after a little break he found job in a chicken shop. Adam used to peel off
chickens skin whole day. His
chicken hop was adjacent to Fulham Broadway underground station. There
famous London's pub the slug
and lettuce's branch was next to them. Across the road there was Irish pub
called bootsy brogan. It was
called before swan. Fulham Broadway was occupied by foreigners.
Where Adam was working in
front of that chicken shop all the building were own by Sikhs. Who came to
England forty years before
and they worked very hard, saved money and bought these properties. Adam
couldn't even dream about it
that he will be working on Fulham Broadway when he completing his graduation
and there was a story which
was written by Angus Wilson and in that story he talks about Fulham Broadway.
The short story talks about
dog, which die on this road in car accident. People discuss about it feel pity
for
him but after a while they
forget about this.
Adam was working in a chicken
shop and that was adjacent to a pub called The Slug and Lettuce. This pub
used to be quiet in the
morning but it used to be jam pack in the evening and further on. There used to
be
football matches on Wednesday
and Sunday in Chelsea ground, sometime F.A. cup's matches. Due to these
events Fulham Broadway area
and its environs used to be very busy. There used to long queues in food stores
and chicken shops and fish
& chips shops. In England people drink a lot of beer and on this occasion
hooligans used to show their
specialities. If they win, due to happiness and joy they throw empty bottle and
cans towards shops and if
they lose they throw empty bottles and can towards shop in anger and rage. It
happens many times, police
intervened to stop them and he ordered nearest shop to close the shops.
Goras (white, which means
English) wherever they have been and ruled, they applied there famous formula
divide and rule. There this
formula never functioned in the sports because in play ground the level to
judge
team or a single person with
his stamina and quality of game which he shows, Golf, Cricket, Squash and
Billiards. These were royal
games. An ordinary person couldn't even dream about to play these games. The
countries that were under
their slavery, they were not even allowed to touch cricket bat, squash racket,
golf
and snooker or billiard
stick. Now these countries are independent and free and they play these games
and it
they beat them in their
grounds and courts and they can't take this. Their arrogance and egotism
disturb them.
These defeats are unbearable
for them. This thing they have shown when Pakistan won the world cup final
against England. In England
where there were Pakistani immigrants there were many riots among them.
Adam used to peel of
chicken's skin all day. This was his job and after that he used to marinate
these chicken
pieces with bread crumbs.
This was special kind of flour which was made for this purpose and due to this
i
was easy to fry chicken
pieces. With a passage of time Adam got permission to serve the people at the
counter. When he started
working at the counter, he met with allahyar khan. In the beginning he thought
that
he is very proud man but
later on he discovered that he is very nice man and they became friends. The
reason
of friendship was Adam's
feet's pain. Adam used to work in standing position for ten or twelve hours a
day.
Due to this his blood
circulation wasn't the way it should be. His feet never ached during work. As
soon as he
Chapter 16: London 2
SANYEEN INTERNET
came home, took off his shoes
and had shower he felt that feet are burning like a fire. He always wanted to
put
his feet on big slab of ice.
Allahyar khan was working in
Patel's pharmacy across the road. He was B. Pharmacy honours. Adam met
with many other Pakistani
boys before, who were born in England. They haven't left good impression. Or
you
can say that they were not
able to make a good impression in front of Adam. There were two British born
boys in his room. Both of
them were addict of hard core drugs. Above all they were proud and pompous of
being British born and they
were feeling haughty that they speak English. After meeting with allahyar khan,
Adam had to change his
opinion and estimation about British born boys. Anyway he hadn't mentioned his
opinion to anyone until yet.
Allahyar khan was very well
educated person. He was well mannered and he knew the etiquettes how to talk
with people. He wasn't proud
of being British and of his English. Adam lacked Daowd's company many times
but after meeting allahyar
khan he was feeling little bit better. They started going to discotheques
together
because allahyar wasn't even
educated; he was kind at heart as well. He had one bad and strange habit. When
he has seen some beautiful
girl, he forgot where he is standing. He started chatting with her and offered
her
drink and took her in to
nearest bar. When she used to say yes, he used to say in loud voice,
"Adam, i got to
go". In short period
Adam understood this was his style so this thing never offends him. On the
other hand
allahyar was man of many good
habits that's why Adam had respect for him in his heart. Allahyar knew about
Pakistani kids who were born
in England that they have some social defects. This is not their fault. They
are
suffering of cultural schism.
Whoever has born in this
world, he can't born with his will and he can't die with his own will. He can't
be born
with a religion which he can
select before birth. He doesn't even know that he is born in Hindu family or
Muslim family. He doesn't
know either he is Christian or Jew. That kids parents tell him that what
religion he
has, what family he has and
rest of the things he learn from this society.
If a baby is born in England
or in France, He is born in Pakistan or in Germany. This isn't his fault that
he is
born in these countries or it
his quality that he is born here because he can't select these things before
birth like
someone can't die according
to his will.
In England when Pakistani
kids go to school. Their school environment is according to British standard.
They
speak English when they are
in school. When they come home they feel that they are in some little Pakistan.
They are bound to speak their
parent's language, dialect. This is hard fact there is massive difference between
Pakistani and British
culture.
The Pakistani who came to
England from 1957 to 1970, they were not weak financially and monetarily but
their basic qualification was
nominal as well. In those days there wasn't big difference between pound and
Pakistan rupee but in those
days to make or have Pakistan passport was very difficult. It was that
difficult like
today having visa of European
countries, America, Australia on Pakistani passport.
In sixties and seventies
people from Jhelum, Campbellpur (Attock) and Gujar Khan migrated from Pakistan
to
England. It has been not very
long time that Pakistan came into being. The country was in construction
process. It needed manpower
as well but right in the beginning there were some political disasters. The
Pakistan political situation
was strange. This newly born country faced many calamities and catastrophes in
the beginning. There was no
stable government and it had martial laws one after another.
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SANYEEN INTERNET
In those days the people who
migrated to England. They were not highly educated and they haven't had
enough religious awareness.
Their main goal and objective of life was to make a lot of money in short time
and get rid of their poverty.
They used to work days and night shifts in factories, mills and industrial
units.
They used to get good
salaries. As long as pound's rate was increasing in Pakistan, these Pakistan
were happy
and gay the now we have
earned that much money and we have saved such and such amount. They never
thought of it that in country
where they were born, its economy becoming weaker and weaker. They never
thought in this way that it's
not the pound whose value is increasing in fact Pakistani rupee is devaluing.
It
wasn't the matter happiness and
delight; it was the matter of pitying and shame. There were few people who
were able to read and write
or they were aware of religious rituals and sacraments. The people who paid
little
attention for their kid's up
bringing while they were working. They never faced any ignominy and dishonour
either in England or in
Pakistan. Whoever sees them, he praises their parents that they have raised
their
children with traditions and
norms, culturally and religiously.
Allahyar khan's father was
one of them who came to England forty years before for the betterment of life.
Allahyar's mother was from
city not from village. She was educated and she was a teacher in Pakistan. When
she came to England after
marrying with allahyar's father, she was able to speak English language.
It would take her long to
understand this foreign land's culture. She used all her energies and potential
to raise
her children according to
norms and tradition, either they were cultural or religious. She has done her
duty
very well. This was the
reason that Allahyar was different, diverse and prominent among other British
born
kids. This was the only
reason that in allahyar's personality there wasn't haughtiness and egotism
being
British. He never thought of
it that he can speak English like English people.
The other personality who
stupefied and impressed Adam was an Indian old man. Lakhsmikant Chatopaday.
Lakhsmikant chatopaday must
have been seventy five years old. His complexion was wheatish and had little
hair on his head but all of
them were white. Health wise he was okay, medium height, nose wasn't straight
or
flat. He looked like younger
than his age because of his face freshness and good health. He used to speak
broken Hindi and with
difficulty. Chatopaday sahib has seen the partition of India and Pakistan. He
belonged
to rich and educated family
of Bihar. His forefathers were land owning Brahmins but chatopaday sahib never
liked this path since his
childhood. He was against this that only Brahmin can take religious education,
it
should look after the
religion like a pundit. In other he becomes the guardian of religion and in
return without
doing any efforts, he gets
whatever he likes and others are lesser than him. When Mr. Chatopaday completed
his basic education his
family arrange his marriage when he very young. He had a baby girl from this
marriage. Chatopaday's wife
was a real housewife and she knew very well about feminist things. On the other
hand chatopaday was fond of
knowledge and he was curious about everything. As you might have heard,
"curiosity is the father
of knowledge". Same was the thing with Mr. Chatopaday.
Mr. Chatopaday has tender and
affectionate feeling about painting. A Brahmin left his rituals and sacraments
and goes towards painting, it
was astonishing and astounding thing. He was very stubborn and obstinate. One
day he left his wife and his
baby girl and other family member and went to Bangladesh. He joined
Rabindarnath Tagore brother's
Shantinikaten (a kind of school). Although it wasn't very easy and his family
opposed his idea but they
were unable to do anything against his obstinacy and tenacity. He didn't listen
to
anyone.
In this shantinikaten he
learned bangle language first than he learnt how to draw and became a painter in
a
very short span of time.
During this period he got scholarship from famous school of fine art in Milan,
"Milan
Institute of fine art".
So he came to Italy for further education. He completed his diploma in five
years. His
family was annoyed with him
so he decided to stay in Italy permanently. Then suddenly something came in
his mind and he decided to
migrate to England. The first job he got was as a male nurse. In the beginning
he
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SANYEEN INTERNET
found a job as male nurse. He
never used his art and painting talent for making money. He never wanted to
sell his skill for dollars or
pound. It was his philosophy that you can't reach at the height of art you look
for
money. He used to give the
example of poet. If someone is poet and starts writing poetry for films songs.
The
films poetry hasn't got that
respect and recognition as other literary things has. Although films poets they
write very good and
meaningful songs but not always. As a matter of fact the films poets write six
or seven
songs in a very short time
and they have to write songs in two or three months. On the other hand the
normal
poets write two ghazals
(gazelles in English but in Urdu it's kind of poetry. You talk about woman's
beauty
but now people are trying
different ghazals in Urdu) in one day and sometime they complete one ghazal in
one year's time.
When chatopaday's wife died,
he didn't go for her funeral and death rituals and he didn't go when his one
and
only daughter got married.
In forty five years time he
thought many times to go to India but every time when he planned his brothers
asked him for the money.
He used to wake up very late
and buying news paper was his habit. The favourite newspaper of Chatopaday
sahib was the Guardian. Even
though there are other news papers in England which are The Times,
Independence, Sun, Mirror, Sports, Financial Times but The
Guardian was his darling and desired newspaper.
Shaving beard everyday was
his habit. Wearing light clothes even in cold weather was a customarily thing
for
him. He used to say that,
"my blood cells are habitual of this cold weather. He used t take small
steps and he
used to walk slowly and
whenever he used to come to Adam's shop where he was working. He used to tell
him latest news. He never
liked watching television and watching films as well. He had a small transistor
radio in his room where he
used to hear news. His permanent staying place was an American bar. The owner
of the bar was a Cyprian,
Turkish Muslim. Chatopaday sahib used to enter in this bar and he used to leave
this
bar very late. He used to
have only one meal. It has been twenty years that Chatopaday was sitting in
this bar
so one table was reserved for
him. He was nearly the part of the bar. He used to have a ball pen i his hand
and
marking important and special
news with pen was his hobby. He used to write notes as well with marked news
and than giving that marked
news paper to Adam was his habit. Adam always read the art and culture section
and he threw rest of it in
the bin. Apart from guardian chatopaday sahib used to buy new scientist
regularly.
Whenever he found something
very special he showed it to Adam and gave him to read. After meeting with
Chatopaday, Adam started
reading popular science as he was fiction reader. Whenever Chatopaday sahib had
some book related to popular
science, he showed to Adam as well. He suggested him so many authentic books
of popular science after
reading them the Adam brain's different chambers were opened. Like he suggested
him to read, Stephen Jay
Gould, Stephen Hawkings, Fritjof Capra, Richard Dawkins, Paul Davies, Steven
Pinker, Jared Diamond, Carl
Sagan, Richard Leakey, Jacque Monod. Other than popular science he
introduced new fiction
authors like, Italo Calvino, Paolo Coelho, Vikrem Seth, Vikrem Chandra,
Rohinton
Mistry, Milan Kundera,
Michael Ondaatje, Alejo Carpentier, and Jorges Louis Borges. Chatopaday sahib
used
to feel very proud when some
Indian used to get some success. Last year an Indian female writer Arundhati
Roy got Booker Prize for her
debut novel "The God of Small Things". He gave the hardback of that
book as a
gift to Adam. She was second
Indian who got this prize. Chatopaday sahib especially went to Hayward gallery
to see the exhibition of an
Indian artist anish kapoor. This was an honourable thing for an Indian and
being an
Indian. Indian artist M.F.
Hussain had exhibited his artistic work here as well. Adam used tell him about
Pakistani poets, writers and
painters but he never heard of them. The only Pakistani he knew was Professor
Abdus Salam, who shared Noble
Prize with Steven Weinberg for physics.
He knew about Mirza Asad
Ullah Ghalib but Chatopaday sahib never liked love ballads. Adam told him about
Faiz Ahmad Faiz, Saadat Hassan
Manto and Ahmad Fraz, other than these he told him about famous Pakistani
calligrapher and painter
Saadquian, Gull Jee, Ustad Allah Buksh and Abdul Rehman Chughtai, Chatopaday
sahib was unaware of all
these names. It wasn't his fault because Pakistani cultural department never
worked
Chapter 16: London 2
SANYEEN INTERNET
for these things. This was
the reason Adam had to listen quite often where Pakistan is, which language they
speak. Still lots of people
think and believe Pakistan
is the part of India
but English people know very well
about us because they ruled
us for hundred and fifty years. Above Pakistan has beaten them many times
in
squash and cricket. Jahangir
Khan and Jan Sher Khan were unbeatable in squash and they have made great
acclamation. Now everyone
knows Pakistan
because it has atomic bomb. Now Pakistan
is becoming famous
as India is famous.
Chapter 16: London 2
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