In this episode I would like to make a confession which could have resulted in a serious damage to our family. I sincerely thank God Almighty to have saved and guided me promptly to deter from the wrong path which I was tempted to follow.
As you go along reading my other episodes you will find that whenever I was on the brink of danger or was likely to step on a wrong path I was stopped mysteriously and made to go in the right direction.
Now coming to the point let me tell you as to what was about to happen when I think comes to me like a nightmare.
I have told you before that I joined service when I was still young about 19-20 years of age and was posted in a place called Lonavla (between Poona and Bombay). For most of the period during my Railway service of 6 years I lived alone in a big bungalow of 5 rooms with big compounds on either side of the house. Occasionally I shared the house with some colleagues but most of the time I had to live alone and cook the meals myself.
During this period while I was on a visit to my native place I disclosed my difficulty in leading a lonely life to my brother in law Janab A. Rashid Khan (your grandpa). He graciously offered to send his family consisting of my sister (your Nani) and three children namely Amjad, Shakila, and Nazir. I grabbed the opportunity and brought them to Lonavla along with me when I returned from my Holiday.
They stayed with me for eight glorious months when I had a very comfortable life and dishes of my choice to eat. At that time mutton was available for 1/2 a rupee per kg. (about $3.50 in today's money) compare to Rs. 80 (about $6.60 in today's money) today.
Pir Mohammed, the cookAmjad and Nazir, her sonsBegum, the author's sisterShakila, her daughterI used to take them to the Railway Club where there were games for children and elders. Amjad had joined school (Nursery) in Khandala which was 3 miles from our place and he used to travel in the train alongwith his teacher who lived close to us. Shakila and Nazir were too young to go to school.
Incidentally we were lucky to have a cook with us who was an allrounder. He used to look after the cleanliness of the house besides kitchen and care for the children. Nazir was very fond of him and he used to go on his shoulders to the market everyday for shopping of kitchen needs.
Luckily in those days I had very convenient shift duties from 6 A.M. to 12 noon. Frequently we used to exchange visits to Mr. Qadri and Nanhi Jan who were in Khandala. Our evenings were spent in the club which was not far from our home. Apart from elders quite a number of ladies and children came to the club and the atmosphere was quite enjoyable.
In order to break the monotony I thought of a picnic to Karla Caves which were at a distance of about 10-12 miles. Myself, Begum and children left by bus from the main road and our cook whose name was Pir Mohammed followed on a bicycle with lunch for all of us.
Karla Caves were carved in black stone and were historically famous as they existed from medieval ages of Hindu Mythology. It was a huge temple cut and carved by human hands. There were several rooms and each had a history which we could not understand. We also could not believe that it could be accomplished by people of the ancient age without modern equipment.
Anyway the whole day was enjoyable and we left the caves to come to the main road for a bus to ride homeward. All our picnic and joy was wrecked when we learnt from passers by that no transport would be available until the next morning.
For some moments we stood there under the state of a shock and after a while started trekking back. I pushed the bicycle with Begum on the carrier and Shakila on the frame. Nazir was on Pir Mohammad's shoulders. After we had covered half the distance Pir Mohammed walked briskly and by the time we reached home slowly he had the dinner ready for us. To be able to do that he must have run faster than a hare.
By God that dinner looked like a feast as we were dead tired after walking back. It was our mistake not to have found out about the non availability of the buses after 5 P.M. When you get a chance ask your Nani about our picnic to Karla Caves. Amjad, Shakila and Nazir were too young to remember the incident. By the way I forgot to write above that Amjad also had to walk with us for some distance as he got a chance to ride on the carrier for sometime allowing his mother to walk.
Another pleasant surprise during Begum's stay with me was that Sarwar responding to my call came and stayed with us for about two months utilizing his school holidays. He enjoyed his visit sight seeing and spending most of the time in the Railway club.
Finally Janab Rashid Khan your grandpa came to Lonavla and returned with his family after spending about a week with us. During his stay we visited Bombay for sight seeing and little bit of shopping. I give full marks to your grandpa for his magnanimity in allowing his family to be away from him for a period of eight months. Who would do this? Except a person with so many virtues one of which was to go out of the way to help others. May God give him peace in Heaven.
Some time before Begum's visit and stay with me, Sirdar along with a common friend came to Lonavla and stayed with me for about five to six months.
Since Sirdar had not completed his High School in Bangarapet, I took a chance and got him admitted in a local secondary school. I don't know how much he learnt in the school as I was told by teachers who knew me well that most of the days he used to enter the class through one door and after a short while used to leave from another door. The teachers did not mind as they knew he was coming to the school only to pass his time. I did not press him also to be regular as I was scared he would plan to go back.
One thing he did well was to achieve some glory in sports. He learnt playing Billiards and became an accomplished Badminton player. Many people in the Railway club used to envy him as he had started from a scratch. He had never seen a Billiard Table in his life before and the type of Badminton play in Bangarapet was with a woolen ball and in Lonavla it was shuttle cock. It was really an achievement. The other friend spent time reading books and sleeping. He was a double graduate with an M.A. degree in Urdu. Later he became a lecturer in Urdu in central college Bangalore.
I have told you that there was a good Railway club in Lonavla. It was open to Railway employees and their families and its president was Mr. H. Safdar, Traffic Superintendent (a high Railway post). Ever since he became the president he took lot of interest in the club to make it lively for all who attended.
There used to be tournaments in each game frequently with trophies for winners. Fortunately I used to bag trophies in Badminton, Table Tennis and some times in Billiards. There were some youngsters like me who envied my success and asked me why I don't get a transfer from Lonavla so that they could have a chance to grab a prize or two.
In Badminton there were three trophies one each for singles, doubles and mixed doubles. For mixed doubles pairs were drawn by lots. On one occasion my partner was a girl of 16-17 years. She was the daughter of a highly placed Railway officer and an orthodox Brahmin by caste. The girl was a student of final year in high school and a darling of every young boy as she was fair and very good looking.
When she became my partner in mixed doubles we won the trophy. It was her first success and to celebrate that she organized a party in her house which I had to attend.
That party my dear Akbar was the beginning of a meaningless but very intimate association between two youths of diverse religions. The girl who was not a frequent visitor to the club became very regular from the day of her first success and usually played Badminton in my partnership. She confessed that she improved her game and developed an interest because of me.
The girl's name was Kunjeri and her parents also liked me presumably because of my steady habits and my popularity in sports. I spoke a little Tamil also which pleased the mother.
Kunjeri's father Subramani Iyer was not a habitual reader of news papers. In fact he was not getting any paper in his house. On the other hand I used to read the Times of India regularly and was quite abreast with the developments leading to the 2nd World War. Mr. Iyer had a Radio in his house which was rare in those days.
When the war started in 1939 with unbelievable and rapid German victories every Indian Hindu, Muslim or Christian felt happy about German Supremacy. This was because of the long British rule which the people hated. The Germans used to broadcast the details of their glories and humiliation of the British and their allies every day at 9.00 P.M. in Urdu. My presence in Mr. Iyer's house at that time was a must through an order which I could not or did not refuse. The charm for me was of multiple interest. I used to get the latest news about the War on Radio which I could not afford at that time. I had to translate the Urdu version of German triumph to Mr. Iyer. The German broadcast was mostly true but partly a propaganda which was inevitable during such a major conflict. The most important aspect of my charm was Kunjeri who kept company with us for over an hour while we listened first to BBC News and then the German version.
Most of the evenings Mrs. Iyer entertained us with sweets or South Indian savories which I could never dream of in a place like Lonavla a town in Maharashtra where Marathi was spoken commonly and obviously. I had also learnt a bit of that language. This was necessary to be able to communicate to workers of lower cadre, shopping or house servants and milkman etc.
Lonavla was a small town but its importance was enhanced with a big Railway division and considerable number of employees with large Railway colony for staff as well as officers. The climate was ideal as it was a summer resort for people who wanted to escape the oppressive heat. Four months June 15th. to September 15th. it used to rain almost daily. The yearly average rain fall was 200 inches due mainly to the western ghats. The rain fall was 2nd. or 3rd. highest in India. The roads and drainages were so planned that the rain did not affect any one's normal life. We used to go to work regularly and work mostly outdoors with rain coats and gum boots. Any outsider would mistake us in that dress to be aliens from another world.
I know I am digressing a little from the main subject which is our family history. All the same I consider it is necessary to let you know about the environmental conditions of the place where I had so much fun despite being alone.
Between September and next year June there was absolutely no rain not a single drop, mellow sun shine enjoyable in every way. We used to take advantage of the weather by playing cricket matches every Sunday. No one heard of a Refrigerator or even a ceiling fan in Lonavla. There was no need for it. Winter was a bit severe for about a month or two but it did not necessitate a heater. Don't you think it was an ideal place to live?
Now let me come back to the main event which I wanted to reveal in this episode. The friendship between myself and Kunjeri assumed greater intimacy when we started meeting each other not only regularly but some time alone.
One evening I went to her house by mutual arrangement and found her alone in her study. Her younger sister and small brother had gone to their friends house and the mother was in the prayer room. Since there was no Hindu temple in Lonavla the Brahmin used to take her own time for prayer in one of the rooms specified for the purpose.
I carefully raised the subject of our friendship to know her views and revealed to her that people were not only talking about us but they were perhaps suspecting our intentions, which might lead to a scandal. To my utter surprise she brushed aside my fears saying that it mattered little whether they talked or suspected. She claimed it was because some of them were jealous of our friendship. She also disclosed that she had nothing to be afraid of as long as her parents did not object to our continued close friendship. She recalled that several times her father sent someone to my house to get me if I did not go there my self. For the time being I kept mum and did not raise the subject.
One evening she returned one of the books which she had borrowed from me and when I opened it in my house there was a letter written by her which was full of praise and liking towards me. She also claimed that she would remain unhappy if she did not see me even for a day. I thought this was going too far and I realized that we would be in trouble if I did not take the lead in curbing this drama. No doubt she wrote good English and also talked fluently since she studied I believe in a convent in her early life.
After reading that letter of hers I avoided seeing her for two days on some pretext in order to find some solutions to this dangerous trend.
It did not help. We continued writing to each other through the exchange of books and every thing looked favorable for me, the warmth with which she treated me, the attitude of her parents and the environment itself. All said and done I thought only a miracle could save us from committing a blunder.
I took another step to see if it was possible to retrace our steps or to find out how serious she was about our friendship or was it just an infatuation like it happens to most young persons if their elders are unmindful.
One evening when we had finished playing Badminton we chose a secluded spot and sat in one corner which was not unusual. I very carefully asked her if she knew that we belonged to two different religions of extreme beliefs and through our unawareness we may reach a point of no return. In that case I told her boldly carefully choosing proper words that we will have only one option, Marriage. At the same time I cautioned her not to give me an answer spontaneously but to think seriously evaluating all the consequences and come back to me say after a couple of days or even a week. I also warned her that I shall not accept her answer if it comes at the spur of the moment. She agreed to think it over and come back to me after a couple of days. The period between our discussion and her answer continued in the same manner as before.
Exactly three days later I got her letter through the same channel of exchange of books. That letter completely perplexed me and for some time I remained in shock not knowing what to do next.
In that letter she gave another option which was to continue our friendship and meetings until I got a transfer to another division.
In our department there were three divisions namely Lonavla, Kalyan and Bombay. When ever my transfer took place either to Kalyan or to Bombay she would come to me secretly and we should then get married in a civil court. By that time she stipulated she would pass 18 years in age and no one can annul the marriage. She also emphasized that this would be the best solution as she could not think of marrying anyone except me. She also said she was determined to do this if I agreed. She claimed that she was confident about my approval and as such would not expect any reply from me.
Sometimes particularly young persons are faced with stranger than fiction situations. On such occasions you would not know what to do. You can't even think. Such was my condition when I read Kunjeri's latest letter. For two days I kept mum and did not even go to the club.
The thought that bothered me most was about my parents as to what will happen to them if they come to know and in case the suggested events took place. Whether I would ever be able to go back to my native place with someone of a different religion and culture as my wife. Would I ever be pardoned?
At that time I did the only thing that a person in such conditions would do. Pray to God to show me the proper way, from the inner most of my heart.
I have told you before that God listens to you if you are sincere and if you do not harbor any evil intentions against anyone. That prayer worked like a miracle. This is what happened after that letter.
As per our usual practice I returned that letter after reading it about ten times. The practice to return the letter was to avoid any doubt that it may be misused or exploited at a later date. The same thing happened to my letters. Our understanding was that we ourselves destroyed those letters after they came into our hands.
Kunjeri it appears kept the book in which her letter was inserted on her table forgetting to destroy it instantly. By chance her younger sister whose name was Ingoo picked up that book probably to browse it and found the letter with my name on the top. Although Ingoo was two or three years younger to Kunjeri she was in the habit of reading story books in English. Obviously she could also read the whole letter and understand what was going on between her sister and myself. I believe it was never her intention to expose the sister to their parents but instead of replacing it in the book she took it to her own room allegedly to read it again.
When Kunjeri remembered that she had not disposed off the letter she came to her room as Ingoo was leaving. When she did not find the letter she suspected her sister and started shouting and scolding her, reminding her that it was not a good practice to read other's letters. Exactly at that time while the argument was going on their father unexpectedly appeared on the scene. Without knowing anything he just asked what was going on and when Ingoo was trying to hide the letter with tears in her eyes, he demanded and took hold of the letter which was half crumbled. At the same time Kunjeri is believed to have left the room in a hurry.
When Mr. Iyer read the letter, the whole drama of the past few months must have come to him as if he was seeing a film. My frequent visits to their house, the Badminton affair, the party celebration and the unusual anxiety on the part of Kunjeri to hurry up to the club etc.
My son, I am sure you must be wondering as to how I came to know about what happened in Mr. Iyer's house. This is how I learnt. Mr. Iyer himself told me partially after two days and the rest was conveyed to me by Kunjeri when she came to the club after three days.
Usually a person, the father of the girl, in a situation like that would loose his temper instantly and would perhaps become violent against the daughter first and against me later. Prudence came to his and our rescue.
I believe his immediate action was to consult his wife. Generally speaking women folk are considered to be dumb and not so thoughtful but this lady, Kunjeri's mother, it appears gave a very sensible idea to Mr. Iyer, the result of which we came to know after about a month.
Two days after he saw the letter, Mr. Iyer came to my house when I was alone. For a moment I felt scared but he looked very cool and he asked me if I had a copy of the Holy Quran. When I told him that it has been borrowed he asked me to swear and tell him the truth as to how far we had gone in our friendship. I knew what he meant. For a few moments I kept mum not knowing what to tell him. However I made up my mind to tell him the truth which he may or may not believe.
In the same cool manner I told him briefly as follows: Myself and Kunjeri became friends ever since that famous Badminton tournament followed by the celebration in her house. We met frequently afterwards and exchanged a few letters of affection one of which was in his hands. I also emphasized that we never exceeded the limits. As a proof I said we never got a chance as he knew himself that we met either in the club or in her house.
When he countered about the mention of marriage in his daughter's letter, I told him plainly that it was her idea. When he insisted on more information I said, if we were allowed to have the same freedom, we might have committed the blunder of marriage without realizing the consequences.
He uttered some angry words and turned to leave. When he reached the door he turned again and asked me to continue to meet his daughter in the club but never to step in his house. This was probably not to give any room for speculation by others.
Kunjeri came to the club not so frequently and it was on one such occasion she told me the details of how that letter got into the hands of her father. We never talked about our future program and agreed to remain cautious. On my part I thought this was an act of God Almighty which if implemented could have been worse for both. I thought to myself that it was nothing short of a miracle.
It was Kunjeri who told me that it was her mother who restrained her father from taking any drastic action against either of us. I knew then something was being planned. I have told you before that some women prove to be very sensible on such critical occasions.