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A Sojourn to Another Marriage
by
Ehsan Elahi Ehsan
Sex is a dominating passion. It is the only passion that dares to accept the
fear of death and destruction.. Nepolian Hill had once said.
Ramazan, a young man of 17 years was sitting gloomy in the mourning gathering of
his father. He had brought the dead body of his father last night. After the
burial ceremonies, people were consoling him and advising him to take heart in
the newly changed circumstances because the burden of winning bread for his
widow mother and two young sisters; one three of years and the other of one
year, had fallen on his shoulder. He was just nodding on these pieces of advice
but actually absorbed in the mysterious circumstances bringing the death of his
father by an accident with a truck when he was coming back his home after his
duty in the office as a peon. The family in the big city of Lahore.
Despite his best efforts, his could not reach a conclusion and thought it better
to postpone it at least for the time being. His mother also consoled him to be
firm and accept the death of his father as a reality. She did not seem much
embarrassed, perhaps to make her son bold to walk upon the hard path of
practical life.
Hardly two months had passed after the death of Ramazan’s father that his mother
began to talk of Ramazan’s marriage. He was going on daily wages with a wagon as
a driver, earning reasonable amount and able to run the expenses of the house,
so it was wise to marry, his mother said. Ramazan adjusted with the time and
circumstances and left all the time thinking about the mysterious death of his
father. Yet one thing lingered in his mind; Who were the two persons who had
come to condole him and his mother the second day of the death of his father. He
had never seen them before yet they seemed to be very familiar with his mother.
He also could not also reach the conclusion why had they suddenly escaped his
home, when his cousin Saghir looked with suspicious eyes to these two strangers
from Lahore.
Ramazan was married in accordance with the wishes of his mother. He got a
reasonable, loving and faithful wife. The affairs of the family seemed to be
running smoothly when suddenly a few days after his marriage a sudden and
strange event took place which shocked his very foundation. He had gone to his
in-laws for a day with his wife and when he came back the next day, he found his
mother missing from home. He asked her younger sisters about her but they could
not give any convincing explanation and did not exactly know where she was. The
news of her disappearance spread in the village like a wild fire and a hectic
effort started to search her when till night she did not come back.
After a week, a villager who had also been active in the search brought the
shocking news that Ramaza’s mother was in a distant village and that she had
remarried. For Ramazan it was a sudden blow and he did not think he would be
able to recover from the shock. What was the need for this? He was earning well
and was looking after every member of the family including his mother. Once
again the mysterious circumstances of the death of his father caught him. People
fingered at him and their pointed fingers had a satirical sting in them. It
seemed to him as if he had committed some sin. He did not know how to escape the
sneering looks of the people. He let the time pass as it wanted and at last, he
found out a shelter. He began to over work till late at night and came back home
when nearly every body of the village was sleeping except his wife who kept on
waking and praying for his safe return from the tough driving job. He used to
get up early very early in the morning when ! the critical eyes of the people
were sleeping. He often questioned himself why the people wanted to punish him
for the irresponsible behaviour of his mother. The answer which usually came to
his mind was that he was quite young, rather a grown up man now and he could
prevent his mother from taking such an irresponsible step which could bring a
defame for the whole family.
Nearly six months passed and Ramazan could not come out the disgracing position
in which he was living. The only difference he could make was that he showed to
his wife and younger sisters that he was alright. He wife however, often felt
that every thing was not alright with him.
It was nearly a midnight when some body knocked at the door. Ramazan’s wife was
waking. She doubted that the knock was not similar to that of Ramaza’s. She came
to the door and without opening it asked who it was. Sister, I am Fazal, a
worker who works on the wagon stop. I want to impart you an important message
from Ramazan because he would not be coming. Fearingly, Ramazan’s wife opened
the door and saw a young man sobbing. What has happened, she asked nervously.
‘Ramazan has met an accident and died. Please tell the villagers and ask some of
them to go with me to bring his dead body from the hospital. It was done, the
funeral ceremonies over, the sympathies of the villagers with the bereft family
expressed and the family left waiting for Goddot it was all because of……
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