Here is the chapter. ENJOY!
12] He is coming home
The June weather was getting to me. It was really really hot. I couldn't possibly use the air conditioner all the time as I was well aware that our financial position did not allow is to do that.
I turned it on for half an hour after every hour of load shedding, which happened for one hour after every two.
It was the day on which Faaris was to come home. Albeit the extremely hot weather, I was super excited. I even managed to cheer you up when you were your grumpy self when you woke up.
"Babbar, Baba is coming home today! Wo Kia kahen Fe jub tumhain choon-choon kartay dekhain ge? (What will he say when he sees you being grumpy?)" I told you I'm a cheerful voice.
You suddenly perked up at the mention of your Baba.
"Baba?" You asked, looking at me with big brown eyes.
"Yes, meri Jaan. Baba aa rahe hain. (Baba is coming.)"
You shrieked in joy and did what you usually did. You slapped both of my cheeks. I really do wonder where you got that habit from.
With that, the once grumpy Haider, turned into a most cooperating one. You allowed me to get you changed into a light, sleeveless shirt and cotton a Bermuda. Soon you were running about in the house, with me, running after you with your breakfast.
After an hour or so, I had managed to feed you and got started with the household chores. I knew that Faaris would be reach later in the day, so I prepared, his favourite, mutton karahi(1) and aloo ki bhujiya(2) with raita(3) and for desert, I baked a scrumptious chocolate cake. All this was hard and energy consuming on the exceptionally extra hot day, when the temperature was 48 degrees centigrade, but I knew it would be worth it.
While I was busy in the kitchen, a suddenly remembered a verse from Allama Iqbal's Jawab e Shikwa(3);
Dil se jo baat nikalti hai asar rakhti hai
Par nahi, taaqat e parwaz magar rakhti hai
Whatever comes from the heart is effective
It has no wings, but has the power of flight
Whatever I was doing, it was coming straight from the heart. Fussing over the house, the food, Haider, everything was coming directly from the heart. Although, my back was killing me, I couldn't care less. The pain in my back had, by now become a normal thing. It had been first triggered when you had been newly born but had stopped within a three weeks. It had started again after Faaris had gone to Swat, but I had kept him in the dark in order to keep him from getting worried. Numerous times, it had hurt so much that I had wanted to scream in pain, but I had tried my best to be patient.
When I was done with all the food, I decided to rest and do the laundry later in the day. After we had both had our lunch, I put you to sleep as you were constantly bugging me by asking 'Baba kub aain ge? (When will Baba come?)'. Meanwhile, I read a book until and maybe took a nap until five in the evening.
*** ***
Falak pauses.
Taking a deep breath she says,
"It-it is hard to go on, Haider, it really is." She lets her tears fall.
"Mama, stop whenever you want. Nothing is more important than you." Haider replies to her.
Falak sighs.
''And that is exactly why I have to keep going.''
With her tears still falling, Falak continues.
YOU ARE READING
His Land Called
Spirituale-Complete- He was her guide, And she was his darling. He was her rock, And she was his home. He was her ease, And she was his joy. He was her love, And she was his world, But he was a man with a duty, And he had to answer when his land called. ▪•▪•...
