BY HAROON RASHID BHAT
Let me add here that the characters are entirely fictional and that any character resembles any person is purely coincidental my sole purpose is to highlight the social issues confronting our society.
Abdul Gafar Hajam, a widower was enjoying a calm and dutiful life; earning his bread and butter by practicing his ancestral job -Haircutting. His relatives and colleagues often insisted him to go for a second marriage, but he preferred to dedicate the rest of his life to look after his three daughters and his only son Nazir. His whole life cycle circulated from his home, shop, and his apple orchard. He worked hard, burning the midnight oil to get his three daughters wedded, and constructed a double-story Pucca house. His worldly achievements became a source of inspiration for all. His shop acted like a mini-Assemble where people used to spend their leisure time- discussing polity, economy, and other social affairs in their way.
For the last few days, his regular customers are witnessing an abrupt change in his behaviors. He remains no longer happy, his silence and moody face indicating that something serious has happened to him. When inquired the reason for his deep depression He said, “I am disheartened by the behavior of my son the way he is leading his life, neither he put any interest in school books, nor he showed any inclination to learn his ancestral job; I fear if things go like this, time is not so far when he will sell out my whole property including my holy place that is “My shop”.
Sharing his movement when his only son entered into this temporary world, a sense of happiness spreads all-around, the family received greetings, they arranged a special tea party and sent an open invitation to all to share his birth why not so? Because three sisters got a brother after repeated requests before almighty Allah, even his mother tied a Desh (a rope tied at any holy shrine)
By nature, Nazir was very talkative, theoretical, dreamy, suffering from high egocentrism. Whenever there is any debate, discussion or any function be it the marriage ceremony or any mourning assemble, he never remains silent. He expresses himself as if he knows everything about politics, economic, agriculture, education, etc. The focal point of his talk is unemployment. He either attributes the cause of unemployment to the government or his parents. His daily engagements are – roaming one house to another, from one shop to another. People addressees him by his nickname “Moongarilal”
As the days passed, his father’s prediction proved true. When Gafar Kak breathed his lost, his indolent son rented his shop to Azim – a non-local hairdresser. An agreement was signed between them. According to the agreement, Azim had to pay half of its shares to Nazir against each payment. Days passed when he could not full his financial needs out of that meager amount; he first sold out his apple orchard to the city businessman, spent all that amount lavishly. The same businessman constructed a ten by ten feet tin shed in the orchard and asked Nazir to remain the caretaker of his property on the monthly remuneration of five thousand. He shifted his family there left his own house for rent.
One day, one of his close associate of the same nature from his neighborhood suggested him to try his luck as the land broker (Zameen Draal). He convinced him that this job doesn’t need any physical regression. It is the easiest way to earn his life and accumulate wealth without any physical exertion. That suggestion well-matched his mood because he believed in effortless life.
Just to start that business, he required a huge in vestment. Therefore, he sold out his shop and his old ancestral house acquired a few canals of land, demarcated the same into several plots for sale. Later on, he came to know that the land he has acquired is the state land ( Kashcharia ) No one showed any interest to buy that property (Land). Then came the time when the district administration issued a notice through which he was directed to vacate the land within a week.
At last, whatever the property his father preserved for him, he lost it all. He got frustrated due to the economic burden on his family. Neither he could fulfill his domestic needs nor could he fulfill the needs of his two growing kids. His constant desperation and anxiety put a negative impact on his behavior. Torturing, abusing his family members without any reason became the mere matter of the course for his family that ultimately lead to the total disintegration of his relations. His wife left the home and went to his father’s house along with his two kids.
His greed didn’t end here, One day he was sitting all alone in the tin shed, in the meantime, a notorious gambler visited there, motivated him to use that tin shed for gambling purpose. He came under his influence and allowed the local gamblers to use that tin shed for gambling purposes. Then came the day, when the owner of that orchard saw the play cards scattered in the entire garden, he got angry at his irresponsible and immoral attitude. He kicked him away from there. He tried hard to regain the trust of the orchard owner but all in vain. He not only lost his property but also ruined his family by his wicked deeds There is a very famous Kashmiri folktale that once a bear received a bullet that caused a deep sore on his back, he tried hard to fill up that wound with a pile of grass, but his attempts were of no use.
The author can be reached at minamharoon123@gmail.com
