Chapter no. 2: The Dream (III)

Yousuf Mairaj had come outside the room for Fajar prayer, but a view forced him to stop.

Qandeel was sitting with the pillar of viranda and her eyes were closed.

Looking her, sitting like this at this time, he was very surprised. She had slept earlier at night. Due to the load of work these days, she was tired and had gone in her room right after dinner to take a long sleep.

Yousuf Mairaj suddenly felt himself worried for her health.

He sat beside and started looking her, but she was still in the same position with closed eyes. Perhaps she was fallen asleep.

“Qandeel”, he called her name worryingly.

She suddenly had opened her eyes.

“Baba”, she sat in a linear manner. “When did you wake up?”

“I am awakened at the time, but may be you are awakened before time today”, he said looking in her red eyes. “What happened? Are you not feeling well? Why are you sitting here?” She had smiled.

“Nothing has happened Baba, I am perfectly alright, and you are worried for no reason”.

“Then What?” Yousuf Mairaj was still not satisfied.

“It was a dream, a very strange one. My sleep went away. I was not feeling well in the room therefore had sat here”. Perhaps she was not feeling the need to use more words.

“How was the dream?”

“Very strange, incomprehensible”. Her smile was now fainted.

Yousuf Mairaj didn’t ask the next question, he knew that after some time she would be telling herself and the same had happened.

After few minutes, Qandeel changed his place and now keeping her head in his lap, she was lying on the floor of veranda.

There was a smile on the face of Yousuf Mairaj.

“Baba…..dreams are true, right?” She was now looking at his face holding her head high.

“Yes, as far as I think”.

“But this dream was so mysterious; don’t know what would be its interpretation?” Innocent, unfamiliar to the world, she was looking like a small child at that time.

“Interpretations are made by God, exactly as He shows the dreams. Therefore being worried for a matter which is not in our control is worthless”. He was now combing her hairs with his fingers. “Just tell me the dream, leave the interpretation”.

“A strange and mysterious valley surrounded by the mountains, and divided into three equal halves. Desert, snow and greenery”. She said like repeating things in her mind. Yousuf Mairaj was listening silently.

“I was standing in the desert. My whole body was burning due to the scorching sand and hot breeze. Then don’t know what happened to me, I reached at the snow by walking but the coldness of the snow was also unbearable for me. Even then a force kept me walking”. She stopped for a moment.

“Were you alone there or there was someone else too?” He asked the question.

“I was not alone….. There were two more persons. One was standing far, and the other……was the man who was lying on an ice slab. I had kept my hand over his hand when reaching near to him and you know Baba, what had happened then?.......All snow was melted except the slab”. Her tone had doubt.

“Then”, he was looking very serious.

“Then I reached near the feet of the man and sat on the ground. Something was happened after that but I don’t remember anything related to that”.

“Who were they? Do you know both of them?”

“No, I don’t remember the face of anyone of them, or maybe it was not possible to see their faces clearly in the dream, except the blurred images and from those blurred images I can not have any idea that who were they?” He didn’t say anything. “Then my eyes get opened. My body was so cold and I was feeling like that coldness has just penetrated into my soul”.

“Certainly, the dream is so strange, but you don’t have to worry for that. Will see what happens, always should keep hope for the best”. He tried to relief her worries, “You have lots of burden due to work these days, and you don’t care for yourself, take a break today from University and from office as well and rest completely, and you will feel better”.

“I am thinking the same”.

Yousuf Mairaj bowed a little and kissed her forehead. Her body was still cold.

“Baba…..” she smiled.

“Yes, my child”, all Love had been emerged in his eyes at the moment.

“How was she….Ammi(Mother)?” In her whole life this was her only favorite question that she was used to ask time to time from Yousuf Mairaj.

“The most beautiful woman of the world”, some pearls had started to shine in his weak eyes. “She taught me to fulfill the right of my name and told me the meanings of life which I didn’t know before that”. A very beautiful smile was spread on his lips. “You know what; she never learned to hate someone in her life. People gave her pain and went, and she had met with them for the next time like nothing has ever happened among them. She tried many times but remained unsuccessful. God had made her with the dust of Love, she only knew how to Love”. Qandeel had a deeper smile this time.

“And you are just like her, sometimes you react very strictly when in anger, but to hate someone, to dislike someone or to be angry with someone are the things you could never learn. And I want you to be like this forever, wish that nothing would change this habit of yours”.

“Will have to think, Baba. Still there is a very long journey; habit could be change as well”. Her tone was witty while saying this.

He still was combing in her hairs with his fingers.

“Baba, can I ask one more thing?”

“Yes, sure”.

“Had Phuppo(Aunt) disliked Ammi in the same manner she dislikes me?”

Yousuf Mairaj had looked her very seriously this time.

“She just dislikes you, Qandeel……but she hated Saima, perhaps still hates her”. Qandeel had seen a nameless pain on his face.

“For each and every awful thing in my life, Saima was just supposed to be responsible for that for her. She always thought that if I would have used my abilities in any other profession except Teaching then I would have been more successful. Whatever had been changed in my life, after that earning money and depending on that money, transforming the status could never be the success or development for me. Saima had never imposed her concepts and ideas on me. She was not an admirer of any mental imprisonment or limitations in Love. This decision was just my own that I will utilize my whole life for Knowledge and awareness, but even then Aapa(Elder sister) always felt that Saima is the only hindrance for my progress”. He was tired speaking continuously.

“And I am the daughter of the same woman; even then she hadn’t any issue on my engagement with Sami. I surprise sometimes when think about it”. Her tone was very odd.

“Yes, maybe she gave up due to Sami’s persistence. In your relationship with Sami, if something puts me into worry then it is the same one, Qandeel. I am very well aware of Aapa’s nature. She has spent the whole life with her own standards and always wished to see people following the same standards. You will have to face certain problems after marriage”.

She laughed. Yousuf Mairaj had looked her.

“It is good then, Baba. At least in this way I will get some problems to face in my life, otherwise I have never faced a single problem yet”. This time he laughed too.

“Not only you Qandeel even Saleha Aapa will have to face problems. Perhaps she doesn’t, but I very well know about your inflexibility. Nobody could ever successfully convince you to follow his instruction”.

She sat up.

“Yes, but in the case of inflexibility, Sami is more firm than me, Baba. I will just have a wish during my whole life that someday may he think and look at life like me”. Her tone had a very different impression.

“Man should never lose hope, Qandeel”. He smiled, “Ok, there is very little time remaining for the prayer. I will have to offer prayer at home now”. He stood, “Sleep after prayer and take rest, if you would feel better then come with me at evening”.

“Where?” She asked surprisingly.

“At Hamza’s place, there is a lecture. Will meet with Kamran too there and you will have some change as well”. She also stood.

“Ok, I will go with you. It’s being very long time while meeting sir Hamza, he visits us very few times. I like him so much just sometimes…….”

“Sometimes what?” His eyes had surprise.

“Sometimes his personality looks very mysterious, therefore while talking to him I always become confused”.

“While talking to him, elders and olds become confused even, Qandeel”.

This time she laughed in a cracking voice.