I squinted my eyes as the golden sun glared down at me.
Hot. And dry.Yes. Those two words can describe the climate of the ex-desert perfectly.Saudi Arabia has changed a lot.
The red sand have transformed into neat, black, shining coal-tarred roads and highways, the mud-huts and tents have changed into multi-storied sky scrapers and the colorful caravans have been replaced by the latest models of BMW, Lexus, etc.But the sun still glares as it used to and the clouds yet play hide-and-seek as they used to.
I sighed, spread the mat on the surprisingly cool, white marble and took off my shoes, to sit and wait for the call for prayers.
?Hum yahaan baith sakte hai??
I looked up at a pair of twinkling hazel eyes and a smile that melted your heart right away.
?Zaroor.?
?Shukran.?
?Afwan.? I smiled back.
?Aap Indian ho? Ya Pakistani??
?Indian. Aur aap??
?Jee hum bhi. Halaaki hum kabhi India gaye nahin.? She had a lost, far away look.
Surprised, I asked ?Wo kaise??
?Hamaare Ammi aur Baaba aaye they yahaan?bahut pehle..Lucknow se?aur yaheen reh gaye...hum paida bhi yaheen hue aur yaheen pale-badhe.?
After some times, ?Ek hafte baad hamaari shaadi hai.? She blushed innocently.
?Wow! I mean..Mubarak ho! Aapne unhe dekha hai, jisse aapki shaadi hogi??
?Haanji?wo Pakistaani hai. Hamaare pados me rehte hai..kaafi jaan pehchaan hai.?
?Aap kabhi India jaana nahin chahte??
?Chahte to bahut hai?magar hum nahin jaante hum itne khushkismat hain ya nahin. Jab kabhi humne Baaba se guzaarish kii hai, wo kehte hai, ?Naasira beti, hum ek maamooli se Taxi driver hain. Magar kam-se-kam do waqt ki roti to kama lete hai. Kya pata wahaan jaake wo bhi mile ya na?? Ab aap hi batao. Iske baad kuchh kehneki gunjayish bachti hai kya? Baaba kehte hai hamare liye wahan apne mulk me kuchh nahi bacha hai.?
She stared down. None of us said anything for a long time.
?Aur aapke rishtedaar?? I asked slowly.
?Ammi kabhi kabhi jazbaati ho jati hai to kuch kehti hai?humne un kisso me se jo ikattha kiya hai, uske mutaabik, hum bahut pehle Nawaab they. Siyaasi maslon ke wajah se hamari haveli ko aag laga dee gayeen aur jitne rishtedaar they, wo sab maare gaye. Ammi aur Baaba us waqt Simla me they. Wapis aakar unhe jali hui haveli aur rishtedaaron ki laashon ke ilawa kuchh nahi mila. Baaba ke ek dost yahaan rehte they, unhone visa lagakar inhe yahaan bula liya aur ye kabhi wapis gaye hi nahin.?
I didn?t know what to say. But the silence was too much to bear. She broke it, saying, ?Aap gaye ho India??
?Haanji..kaiin baar?hum ek hafte me waheen chale jayenge. Phir pata naheen yahaan kabhi aa payenge ya naheen.?
?Khuda na karein. Aap yahaan inshallah aati rahogi. Waise aap jaante honge?hindustaan kaisa mulk hai, wahan ke log kaise hai, wahaan jo rehte hai, wo hamaare baare me, jo nahin rehte hai, unke baare me kya sochte honge??
?Haan?wo humein, aur aapko NRI kehte hai.?
?Matlab??
?Naa Raha Indian.? I smiled.
She turned pale and her face brimmed with sadness.
I think I could have slapped myself.
?Hum mazak karrahe they. NRI ka matlab hota hai, Non Resident Indian. Wo Hindustaani, jo Hindustaan me nahin rehta.?
She smiled broadly.
?Chalo..kam-se-kam wo hume Hindustaani to maante hai. Mai aapko ek taqleef dena chahti hoon. Dekhiya hume bahut dino se ek aise Hindustaani ki talash thi, jo wahan ja rahe ho. Hum apne mulk ke liye kuchh karna chahte hai?humne bahut socha. Dekhiye, hum aapko ek paudha denge. Usse aap India me kahin laga doge to wo ped ban jayega. Usse ? kya kehte hai?pollution!..haan..pollution kam hota hai. Meherbaani karke mana mat kijiye. Bas do minute. Mai abhi gayee uar abhi usse le aati hoon.? And off she ran.
I sat staring at the running figure with my mouth wide open.
Could you call that ?patriotism??
Contributed for Indian Mirror by Farah Noor.
