I left my village for the better life of town, Everything magical, a fairy tale of tall buildings fancy cars, colorful clothes and multi ethnic cuisines! It was all that I had always wanted and dreamt of all through my childhood, Bollywood movies did play an important role in my thought process though, I have heard of the Metro Mumbai and Delhi which never sleeps, true to the core, yes there is not enough space for every one to sleep so those who cant find footpath or a cart prefer to work the nights.
I was from a small village which was situated on the bank of Ganges, a holy river which from time immemorial had invited devotees from all our the country and the world who are seeking salvation amongst the sweet ringing bells of the temples and melodious chanting of Mantras on the Banks of the rive. What I remember the most is the chripping of the birds, fresh air, simple people, and the wealth of nature, It was is if I knew all the birds who sang the melodious songs and the winds were familiar, animals knew me by my smell, it was a magical world when I think about it!
I remember Growing up, I always wanted to go to the town where egos were larger then the humans and greed larger then the depth of ones eyes!
I was well respected in my Village, I was poor, had less material means but felt rich and desirable as every one exchanged pleasantry and asked for my advise, I was important part of that society but now hardly anyone knows my name, hardly any ones notices me and most try to stay at a hands distance.
To meet my childhood dream I moved to the Glittering town of Mumbai, everyone lived in palatial homes drove fancy cars and wore designer clothes while the rest of 80% who came to fulfill their dream to be part of the glittering city lived in the back allies with tin rooms and rag doors, where rodents and humans lived in perfect harmony, streets were littered with rich mans trash, where getting a bucket of water was no less then a war between India Pakistan, a Place where a even water was sold in black market by the back alley hooligans so shower was not an option lucky if we could manage to get some drinking water.
I was not able to buy a car or a toy car for my son but I was able to support his education, who is a bright man of great personality and intelligence! Hardly anyone knows my name, but I was perfectly happy with my life that included standing at the fair price shop for hours to a handful of grains, but it was all worth it; as I was raising a beautiful son and very loving wife! we were happy that if we provide a good education to our son he will take care of us in the Sunset of our life.
He passed the grad school with flying colors, he was a bright young man, little shy though, He was offered a great job in Europe, we were not happy with the thought of staying away from our son but it was for the best! He was also in hurry to get married to one of her batch mates from college, she belonged to a well to do family and that could be the reason I had never seen or heard of her, so we were invited to their wedding, our daughter in law was really beautiful but she was not very found of us, can't blame her we lived in a shanty where it was hide and seek between cats and rats and we were the spectators living in the back alley in a crumbling one room everything home, I and my wife still wear the same clothes when my son was five and I still wear the shoes which I had bought? no I bought new shoes for my son and I started wearing his, we don't have a chair to sit but a rice bag is our piece of carpet so yes we cant expect her to like us despite all the problems we have.
We wanted to be part and organize the marriage and my wife had made some silver jewellery for our future daughter in law, but we are happy to be part of the wedding, our jewellery was like shreds in front of the diamond jewellery she wore so we did not expected her to wear it but as our gift we gave it to her which was not accepted very kindly. Wedding was hosted in a five star hotel which I passed every day thinking what it might look like from inside, in a way a dream came true, here I was the most important person Grooms father! headed to the hotel, we took a three wheeler instead of number 11 (Legs) a dream ride for us was not good enough for the hotel they thought we were some kind of freak show as everyone else came to the hotel in fancy cars and clothes, guards at the hotel were rude, cant blame them looking at our clothes and comparison we did look like as if we just landed from Mars! My wife was a simple women she hardly bought any fancy clothes or for that matter any clothes instead she bought good clothes for our son! It took us quite a bit of time to fought our way to convince the guards to get inside the hotel, it was better then what I have seen in Bollywood movies. We did look very different from everyone else, few thought we were the traditional dancers for the blessings, few thought we were cleaners and someone gave us a $100 bill (Traditionally offered to poor to sing blessings). I was prompt to let her know that we were no ordinary but the Parents of groom! she was speechless and lot disappointed, we were both organic people as deodorant and perfumes did not fit in our budget so she could not muster any much courage to change the DNA of her smelling power, she was kind enough to direct us to a corner away from the human beings, it was magic to see our little man getting married! after the grand ceremony he greeted everyone by hugging them but he did hug us with his eyes! from a distance. We did not wanted his fancy clothes carry a porters smell, so we slowly left the grand hotel of the big city with the satisfaction that our son was one of them, a successful, educated, well dressed man, what else could we have asked for, all our dreams were fulfilled , my wife's handwork and prayers were answered. We were like a deer in front of the bright headlights there, so we came back to our humble abode where curtains were made off of the rice bags, so were the mats.
After the wedding was over, our dear son came to say good bye as he was leaving for Europe, he gave me a hug and a big hug to her mother, I did cry but those were the tears of happiness! He was following his dreams of green pastures where buildings touched the sky, roads were smooth, cars bigger and everything about Europe was magical. We were very happy for him but at the same time we were very sad, knowing that we might not see him for few months but it was wait of many years and my wife got sick and she left the material world without meeting her only precious son, she loved him more then anything in the world. I hope she went to a better place, I was not able to provide her anything when she was alive.
Our son did return from Europe for the last rights of his mother, He was able to carry and immerse her ashes in the river Ganges, a ritual which opens the doors of heaven for any parent. My wife never saw her grand children but I was lucky to have a glimpse, he looked at me as was one of a kind strange character, I wanted to give him a hug but my daughter in law did not approve of it, so to respect her wishes 1 stepped back respectfully. My grandson did look like my son so cute and handsome, I remember the days when I used to carry my son on my shoulders around the village! my son was busy with his in laws but he did gave me two pairs of cloths including a suit with tie before he said good bye to me.
That was the last time I hugged him, It has been many years, he has been to town many a times since but decided not to visit the shack which was a home once, I was also little strict with him when he was growing up, but his mother loved him to death and I understand he might be hurting with the thought of his mother not being around or I might be reminding him of her.
It was a coincidence that one day I picked up his language from the train station when he was visiting town, he did not recognize me as I have changed a lot over the years, weaker, older lonely, He was very generous man and gave me $100 bill and wanted me to keep it, I was able to have a glimpse of my Grandson and my daughter in law! a beautiful family, Now whenever their is a plane heading towards airport I wonder if it will bring my son and I hope he will come looking for me one day at this train station and that is what brings me to train station every morning.
But you are too Old Baba to carry this much baggage on your shoulders everyday, I said with lot of love care sympathy and concern but the old man was all set in his ways, he got back on his feet picked up my bag and took me to the taxi and refused to take any money. I was really sad and concerned about his state of affair, so I took him to a nearby tea shop and I asked what was the one thing he would change if he was given a chance. After thinking a while he took a deep sigh and said I could have stayed back in the village raised my family on the banks of river and dusty roads and would have avoided the long lines to fetch water, instead of standing in lines to get handful of food grains I would have been proud grower of it, Instead of living a life without a name I would have lived a life of respect and Identity and now will be paying with my grand kids!
I wondered if this was the story of all other porters or he was the one of kind? I said good bye to him and left on my journey onwards but whenever I pass through a train station in hope to see him again, But I hope his son came and took him to the town of dreams! a place like his Village where birds sang, rivers brought life and kindness of others was a way of life!!
بدل گیا ہے زمانا توں موسموں کی بات نہ کر
بے وجہ زندگی کے اب ستاروں کی تو بات نہ کر
بص جلے جاتے نہ جانے کون سے گناہ میں ہم
نیند بی آتی نہیں کے خوابوں کی توں بات نہ کر
