Abject Angles
Lutif Ali Halo
The blazing Sun illuminating earth, took his brightening beams back that he had bestowed it with for a little while; and night spreading around her feathers gradually tended towards it. The birds were returning to their nests to relieve the unending overwhelming fatigue of the long day. All the people of neighborhood, including children and parents, grownups and old ones, among whom some in streets, few upon terrace while others coming out of their homes turned up. At that moment, I lying in my mother’s lap, with thirsty, starving eyes like darkened lamp, was screaming for meal. Suddenly the thunders wrapped up the atmosphere and alarms like sirens of ambulance started whistling back to back. I shockingly stood up from the mother’s lap and said in utmost anxiety, “Amaan(mother), it seems as if Khushk and Brohi (castes) are fighting again and ambulances have timely arrived to take away victims of their quarrel.”
Mother embraced me in her arms and said placing me again in her lap: ‘No my son, It is not a sound of an ambulance nor is it a quarrel. People might have seen the moon and are congratulating each other…’
“But Amaan(mother) such a great whistling sound of ambulances,” I said immediately overpowering the voice of my mother.
“This is not the siren of an ambulance but rather it is a particular alarm for people signaling the start of Ramzan.” Mother explained combing my hair with her hand. “And from today month of Ramzan has started”, she further added.
I asked mother with great astonishment that, “Moon happens to be only a full-moon’s night(moon of 14th), poor Ramzam himself has very narrow means for availing two square meal, how could he afford to have his own moon!”
A warm smile swayed upon the face of mother and she explained lovingly, “Son, you are thinking of Ramzan Hulani, but I am not talking about him. Among the Sindhi calendar, in a year there is also a month of Ramzan, as there comes a month of Urs when meals are distributed as oblations and alms and we fetch… ”
I interrupted again and said, “Amaan, Urs and Ramzan are already not in good relationship with each other. On the day when Haroon Shah’s Family had distributed cauldrons of rice as alms among poorer, due to huge rush in event Ramzan was faced with complete disregard and pocketed with abasement instead of oblation rice. And Moharram(son of Urs and my friend) told me that Urs had brought home bag, full of those rice, and he then had given these to his wife keeping it secret from Ramzan. Both had eaten these together but smell of Briyani is identical from murk therefore it transited through the nostrils of Ramzan and stocked right in his brain. Whilst his brain started dancing and baffled in the smell of Briyani. Finally Ramzan performed an onslaught in the nest-like room of Urs, abused him exceedingly and took away remaining leftover rice in the bag. Hence, from that day both brothers are not in pleasant relation.”
“Oh Lord!” mother said softly in spite of being angry,” Listen to me at first,” she continued.
“Yes my dear mother,” I said.
“Ramzan is name of a month, so is Urs” Said mother .
“Oh my god, that means these brothers have been circumventing whole the city using fake names!” I wondered.
“No my son,” said mother. For a moment smile of motherhood peeped upon face of mother and then vanished away. She then said, “Ramzan and Urs are also name of the member of Holani caste that live in our neighborhood and Ramzan and Urs are also name of two months that come in a year.”
I listened to Mom with attention and said, “Alright, I understood whole the tale.”
“But Amaan, Is month of Urs that one in which the rich distribute the cauldrons of rice(Briyani) as oblation unto the poorer and poor people like us carrying shoppers in their hands await in long queues to take it, while abject people like our neighbors Ramzan and Urs are made to fight each other for so?”
“Yes my son, it is so,” the mother said patting her hand in my hair again.
“But mother what do people do in the month of Ramzan,” I asked mother scratching my head.
“In Ramzan, the people observe fasts,” replied mother.
“But Amaan, from where the fasts can be bought? And how they can be kept? Are they expensive? Do the poor, abject and helpless people like us afford to purchase these?” non-sense and unknowing, I asked questions, one after another.
“My son! Fasts cannot be purchased from anywhere but one can get into the Janat (heaven) if he observes fasts, if one suffers hunger and thirst……”
I interrupted again unpleasantly and said, “Amaan, why are you getting me into the ambiguity by repeatedly quoting the names of members of Holani Family ” Stroking against my starving belly I continued, “Amaan, Janat died long ago and her sons Ramzan and Urs have also forgotten her.”
“See son, you again did not listen to me properly, first listen to me completely till the end then ask further questions, ” the mother said in slight seriousness.
“Okay Amaan, now I won’t interrupt any further and you please tell what the real thing is,” I said.
The mother patting my hair again said, “It is believed that there are rivers of milk and honey, all fruits of the world and delicious foods are there, tasty vegetables and pleasing breeze roams in there. Whatever you wish, you will given instantaneously there.”
“Oh Yeah Amaan, I have seen such a heaven in the rendezvous of Wadero(Baron) Photo Khan. I had gone there with the father once when Juma Chandio had teased father a lot citing ‘Non payment of monthly ration bills’ as reason, then after we had gone to the heaven of Baroon Photo Khan for borrowing money so that we could pay money to Juma Chandio and thereafter Baron could recover his money from our share in final harvesting of the crops. But do you know Aman? Instead of lending money to us, the Baron made a great joke out of us and abased us at large. Really Amaan, there were different delicious meals and pleasing breeze roamed freely. Father had requested him for lending Rs.200, how can you claim that there’s everything available in heaven as per wish?” I said hastily.
“No no my son, that is the heaven of Barons(Wadero). I’m talking about heaven of God, which is present above the seven skies. This heaven is awarded to them who are pious, offer prayers, observe fasts, pay charity, perform Hajj and recite Kalma. ” Mother continued explaining further, “just as Monks and clerics (Molvi Sahab) do.”
“That means, the heaven is confirmed to be awarded to head-cleric(Pesh-Imam) of mosque in our neighborhood..?” I enquired in great wonder from mother, “But Amaan, what will the clerics and these Monks will do of heavens? They have also got everything available like Baron Photo khan has. They can get everything at any time. Shall we not be awarded heavens? ”
“Molvi Sahab is a pious person; he will surely get a heaven for his good deeds even if he needs it or not,” mother continued explaining that, “We will also be given heaven if we offer prayer, observe fast, pay in charity and perform hajj.”
I felt the heaven slipping from my hands and said to mother almost breaking a nightmare, “Once I had gone to offer prayer in the mosque, there were many people present, some at the tap of the water-tank, while some were rushing at box of caps. The Molvi called me and told me while examining me physically that ‘it is not the time of prayer come after half an hour’. When I went to mosque after half hour, the mosque was empty except for Molvi Sahab who was sitting there holding, stroking and gripping hand in his beard. I got back to home having been frightened by the dreary beard of Molvi Sahab. And now I don’t get free from crystal billiards game so that I could go to mosque to offer prayer. Now please explain the fasts and Hajj system to me so that we could secure a heaven for ourselves as well. Remaining is Kalma; I doze up to slumber with recitation of Kalma whenever we cannot afford to have meal for dinner. Amaan can I ask you something?”
“Ask son,” the mother replied.
“Why men look as fierce as boar in long beard?” I asked.
“Shame upon you lad,” the mother slightly hit my head and scolded while taking me out of her lap, “Beard is an obligation upon pious people, and you’re jerking and quipping upon these people.”
“No Amaan, I was just…..”
“There is no room for any justs and nos, Shameless lad! Ask for remorse,” the mother scolded furiously.
I said while rubbing nose with my filthy hands, “I am sorry and ask for remorse. Just tell me how to observe fasts, pay in charity and perform Hajj so that we could also attain the heaven? ”
Mother said hastily, “I’m listening to your non-sense for last two hour. Now shut up lad, you’ve almost made me out of mind.” Mother scolded further in furry, “Whole the day you’re playing crystal billiards games. You have not occupied yourself with any work, only prattle and chatter. Furthermore you are abusing the pious individuals of God, and you’re still not ashamed of it.”
“Amaan I beg pardon and ask for remorse, please tell me something about it,” I requested mother with weepy face.
The mother pointed her index finger towards me and maintained shoutingly, “Whenever men observe fasts, they are forbid from eating and drinking any things from dawn of the day till the sunset. When Molvi sahib call for evening twilight’s prayer then people start eating and drinking. For Charity, we have been living on alms and other charities for the life, and still can’t even think of paying charity to others. To perform Hajj, a huge amount of money is required which also we can’t afford for rest of the life, thence, drop down the idea of performing Hajj. Therefore, deflate the view of achieving heaven from your mind also forever.”
“How can this be Amaan? You must assure that the heaven is confirmedly ours,” I retorted happily, “the people have been required to observe fast for one month but we starve for rest of the year, observe fast for whole the year. The people are required to observe fasts for one month because they’re also required to perform Hajj, pay charity and offer prayer. The terror of that Molvi made me withdraw the vow of offering prayer. For performing and paying charity great amount of money is needed, which we are unable to deposit while living a decent life under social ethics. I use devising different strategies which might bring in some money from anywhere or give me a mendicant’s bowl so that I collect some money after begging for a while. For remaining is Kalma; which I recite before dozing up while starving in absence of dinner. For Fasts; we are already thirsty and hungry, therefore, we survive in total observance of fasts. Therefore Amaan please pray because heaven has gone no further from us.”
“Lad! You have been over muttering with your tongue; now keep quiet so that I could bring in some paltry piece of meal from neighbors for you to eat and fall asleep. Heaven is not for abject people like us. Performing Hajj and giving charity is obligatory upon everyone in order to achieve heaven, for which heavy sum of money is required. We do not have such money and who will give you money in bowl.” Mother replied.
The mother got up and treaded towards door leading outside. I dismayed, with body coloured with dust and mud stretched myself lying upon floor. Afterwards devising strategies for getting money consequently the way to heaven, recited the Kalma while waiting for meal and went into the deep untampered slumber.
Note: Urs, Ramzan, Moharam are names of Islamic months and people keep these names on their children.
