"Home — Where the Heart Found Peace"

 

Ishraq Ahmed Hashmi

Sadness had been creeping up on the walls of the house ever since Sohaib had talked about going to England to get a job. Everyone tried to convince him, but he wouldn't budge. There was a lot of discussion and debate about this in the house every day, but he wasn't ready to give up on his decision. Being the youngest in the house, he was everyone's favorite and was always in the spotlight, so how could the family allow him to go to such a faraway country? For him, this thought was a source of great joy.

Today he sat down to broach the same subject again. His elder brother-in-law, who was an army officer, explained it thoroughly. “Living abroad, that too alone, is not that easy…!” was his reply. “Brother! I am not going abroad to earn money for some strange reason. So many people go, now it is a common thing.” “It must be a common thing, but you have grown up with such pampering; you have a habit of showing off. It must be very difficult for you to spend time in solitary confinement there.” He got irritated at his explanation. “Brother! I am just a small child; I can take care of myself. And you are calling the free spaces there, the land of my dreams, solitary confinement. The comforts and facilities there are not even possible to imagine here. 

You don't know how I have dreamed of living there." A deep silence fell in the room, which Bhai Jan broke by reciting these poems of Rahat Indori. "You know what the comforts of home are... If you stay on the road for four days like us... now it is like you wander around... Out of sorrow, I had said to you, "Stay in my house." In response, he only contented himself with smiling.

"What is the reason for living here, in this country? Poverty has set up permanent camps, people troubled by poverty and destitution are committing suicide, educated youth are breaking their shoes in search of jobs... and then there are piles of dirt, dust, pollution, overhead electricity, and gas load shedding... As for ignorance, it is like gold. Now, if in these circumstances, fortunately, my friend is calling me to England, and that too with the offer of such a high salary, then wouldn't my not going be an ungrateful act?" 

Today, Sohaib had been trying to convince his family for the past two hours, and they were all convincing him that he could earn money even by staying here, especially since he had completed the visa process. Amma's tears were not stopping. Seeing her tears, Dadi could not help but be moved. 

So speak up. "Son! Your father has such a good business; look at your brothers. Your father has built several shops in the market from a single cloth shop, just on the strength of your hard work. You too can help them, and if you don't want to do this, then find a job, but don't go out. How will your mother live without you?" 

Grandma explained lovingly, but he was stubborn. "Grandma! It's only two and a half years; this time will pass like this there." She said while pinching him. "But, for us, two years will be equal to two centuries, brother!!" Even the elder Aman was about to cry after hearing him leave, but Amma did not say anything during this time; only her tears were screaming and expressing the state of her heart. And then... Abba's anger, Grandma's advice, brothers' scolding, sisters' pleas, and Amma's tears all went in vain. He had trampled the land of his dreams under his feet and died.

He was very happy as he left the airport today. "Alhamdulillah" came out of his mouth without any hesitation. Two tears of joy rolled down his cheeks and fell to the ground. Sohaib had set foot on the soil of his homeland after two years, one month, and nine days. He had already felt the sense of pride. 

He had not told his family about his arrival. After the sun set, a faint red glow spread across the sky. Strong gusts of cool wind blew the yellow leaves away and scattered them far and wide. While leaving here, he had seen a million evils and flaws in these very places and scenes, but today every scene seemed beautiful and extremely charming.

The door was opened by Amman. And seeing them, the tears that he had been holding back with great difficulty came down in rebellion, so he surrendered and let them flow. Then he continued to hold Amman's shoulder for a long time. After dinner, a great gathering gathered. While drinking tea, laughter, memories, and conversations were being shared, and Sohaib, holding the mug in his hand, was watching the happiness spread on the faces of his loved ones with great concentration and absorption. "Bhai! You too should say something... It seems you are still lost in the memory of the cold, beautiful evenings of London." Ayman teased him. "That's it, Bhai, there is no need to be too sad. 

You will go back after spending two or two and a half months of vacation. Anyway, how will you feel here now? You must have gotten used to the splendor, comforts, and free atmosphere there.” When the elder sister-in-law said this, fear rose in Amman Jan’s heart. “Son! Will you go back again?” And he got up and sat down next to her. “No, Amman! That’s it, I will never leave you now. 

I have realized that I cannot live without all of you. You know, being away from my homeland, from home, from all of you, I have felt the importance of everything very strongly. Being away from my homeland, I realized that homeland is just like home, and no matter what kind of home it is, peace is found only in home. I was suffocated in the free atmosphere there. I missed all of you very much there, the months and years spent with all of you, my neighborhood, friends, city and you and I missed the school bully to the uncle who sold sweet potato licks on the side of the street…” He laughed uncontrollably at his own words.

"Oh, my God, my God…! I missed you both the most… When I got sick, there was no one there to force me to go to the doctor. He would spend the whole night taking care of me… Mom! Even when I was here, it was a habit; I would fall asleep watching my mobile or reading a book, then you would put the mobile on charging, pick up the book, and put a blanket on me. You weren't there; when I woke up in the morning, the book would often fall off the bed. The mobile would run out of charge, and… at night, I would open my eyes shivering and shivering from the cold, so I had to get a blanket myself. 

When I would come home tired in the evening, there would be no hot, bitter tea from your hand, which would take away all my fatigue, nor the delicious food made by your hands, which I had longed to eat...and above all, your lap...where I would lay my head and forget all my worries and sorrows. No, Mother! Now, leaving all this behind, I will not go anywhere." Saying this in a wet voice and with moist eyes, he placed his head in his mother's lap, and everyone's eyes started to twinkle; finally, he had realized the comforts of home.