Story with in the story … Part – 6

(Recap – In the last episode, I mentioned about the desire of the previous owner of the house i.e. the old man, from whom I had bought the house annexed with orchard. He wished to have a look of the old house, before I implement my plan to reconstruct the house. I happily assented for that. On one day, he came along with his family. There, he began to narrate one incidence, in shape of a story about the house.)

                                   Old man continued the story

After a pause, old man began, ” regard the timber business, my father had contacts with so many other businessmen in the same line. One of them was a Muslim businessman. As I recollect, his name was Akhlaak Miyan. In fact, he was a denizen of this city and this house belonged to him. At that period of time, every one had his own conceptualization for life and own way of thinking. But coincidentally, whatever concept my father fostered about the partition of the Nation and its aftereffects, the same concept Akhlaak Miyan had in his mind.

Probably, that merchant had some exact and inside information about the realization of issue of the decision of partition of Nation. On one occasion, he expressed his desire to sell off this house before my father. The house, no doubt was spacious enough and contained so many rooms. My father too had had  a good amount as a profit of the business in the purse, he justly had earned. Secondly,  Akhlaak Miyan  too was in hurry to relocate himself in that part, which were supposed to become the part and parcel of the prospective Pakistan after the partition.

                                              House bought in hurry

Akhlaak Miyan was eager to sell off this property at a discount price. My father struck the deal and after that, Akhlaak Miyan sneaked to that part of undivided India which later on declared as Pakistan. On the other hand, there in Lahore, my grand father was living in a false belief. He was certain, nothing untoward was to occur with his family, in case, if the partition of the Nation takes a shape. It was his misconception, though his this misconception propped upon some vital reasons.

                                     Misconception of grandfather

The reasons were, our family had been settled there for last so many generations. It seemed to him, the cordial relations between both the community were so deeply woven, so that, nothing bad would occur with his family and him. But one good deed my grand father did. He sent my mother and we children along with father. Behind this shifting mere purpose was, by this shifting, father could be availed with home cooked food. When we shifted here, perhaps I was a toddler and never I saw my grand father and other family members, after obtaining my senses. Truly say, I heard about them from my father, in shape of story only. ”

                                                Architecture

Old man took a pause and after a while resumed, ”  Son, if you notice minutely, the architecture of this house is after the lines of Muslim concept of construction. The one part of the house is constructed in a way, it’s aloof like an outer portion. This portion was used by the male members. This too were used to receive male guests or visitors. They were entertained here only. On the back side, the rooms were used as harem or gyneceum.

When father bought the house, even kitchen was attached in the back side, as a part of the gyneceum. But, when we took the possession of the house, my mother refuted to use the old kitchen. She had her own arguments, she was of the opinion, Muslim family in all certainty would have used the kitchen to cook the beef. Hence, the place was  unholy for Hindu’s family cooking purpose. Upon that, my father demolished the hearth and furnace of that kitchen and converted that into store room. Our new kitchen was shifted to one of the rooms in the male portion of the house. It remained there till present.”

                                        Aftermath of partition

He again stopped and remained plunged into thoughts, as if,  recollecting the bites of story, then spoke in a profound voice, ” Though, my father too somewhere in some corner of his heart was hopeful about the peaceful division of the Nation. He ever imagined, upon the completion of peaceful partition, the rest of his family members certainly would join him here. But whatever occurred in the name of the partition of the Nation, in shape of aftermath, that all is now a “dark chapter of the history.”

The almost entire Nation were gripped into communal riot. The entire family of father, back in Lahore got massacred. Every atom of the family property were looted . Some painful, sordid and humiliating stories about the mistreatment with family’s women too reached us later on. In all, since we were already settled in this part, so, the individual family of father here were saved. But after that, father was never all the same, as he happened to live prior to the partition.

His mental condition remained like a wounded bird divest of wings. Never we saw him laughing with the contents of his heart. When I attained the age of twenty four years, he made me got wed locked. Perhaps, he had some  inkling to leave this world. Just after one year of my marriage, he left for heavenly abode.  Yes, my mother lived a long life, She outlived the father for twenty years. Reason was, Personally she did not encounter any such woeful happening. Mother’s parental house already located in this side of the India. So she didn’t have any such personal loss on that account. Besides, being a mother she had mainstay of a son and daughter in law. I mean my better half and I. (Cont’d)… Penned by — Vinay Pharasi …..