"Old Differences"

Suddenly I heard a boom in a library, I turned my head to see what happened, a few people also turned to see where the voice came from. It was just the voice of the book dropping on the floor because of the deep silence in the library that seemed like it was a boom. She got quite nervous because of the stares of the people.  She picked up the book and put it back in its place. I was turning the pages of the book which I held in my hand standing in front of one rack of the book, trying to find my book which I wanted to read. .I picked up my eyelids, firstly just a little gazed at her, then I had been staring foolishly at her. My mouth was open unconsciously, I don't know why I gave this reaction at that moment. She noticed me, glanced at me, I rapidly came back to my old position, turning pages quickly. Some moments passed silently then I heard the sounds of footsteps without picking up my head from the book. I was feeling ashamed,  because of doing a bad act some moments before. I didn't know whether she noticed me or not but I was feeling embarrassed. So when the sounds of footsteps closed to me I picked up my head, she was standing near me. She said slam and asked, " if you don't mind can I see this book which you're grasping now?" I got a little nervous. I didn't understand for a couple of seconds, I said, " this book! sure, why not" I gave the book to her. She read and still turned the pages for a while then spoke, 

 

" Are you getting this today"? 

 "No, no I was just throwing a single eye on this, I need another book today. If you want you can get this."  I replied.

 

"Are you sure, aren't you leaving this today for me?"

 

No, no I want to get another book today even though I don't know the title of this book." 

 

I told a lie to her, in reality, I have read the title already and liked it, that's why I started to read a few pages. It was Enid Blyton's series. I was much fond of Enid Blyton's novel series in my childhood. I used to read it very fondly and now when I see it in the library I recollect my childhood so I picked it up from the rack. I had intended that I'll take it home and read it but I was surprised to see that the girl also wanted this book though she didn't seem to be fond of this type of children's adventure series. I asked her, " are you like this"? 

 

"Yes, I read this much in my childhood, that's why I recognized it from a distance. Now I'm thinking about taking it home to recall my memories." When she became silent I smiled and told her the truth that I yet wanted to take it home today. However, I said you would take it today next time I'll.

 

"By the way, it didn't seem you would be fond of this type of book, I mean girls like you, mostly like love or emotional romantic stories," I asked.

 

"Yeah, you are right, mostly girls prefer other kinds of stories but I prefer this, and you shouldn't forget that in this novel there are  girls and boys both characters who leave out for an adventure."

 

"Yes, that is true. boys and girls are equal characters in this series." I agreed with her.

 

"Boys and girls are equal not just in this novel but in reality too." She replied and I agreed again. Then we exchanged our farewell words and walked our way. I didn't take any books because I had to meet my friend and was very late so quickly I came out of the library. 

 

After a few days, I met with her again in the library. She told me that she has returned the book already so you can take it now. We stayed for a while there, then we came out. I offered her a coffee or tea which she accepted. We went to the tea house which was situated in front of the library on another side of the road. The cafe was not so huge but elegant. I asked her after giving the order, "So tell me, Ms.Natasha," yeah, her name was Natasha, "What do you do?"  

 

"I'm an interior designer." She chuckled, "I was kidding a little, actually I'm doing architecture engineering, and I have two-semester left. I intend to do interior designing after the final semester so I used to tell everyone that I'm an interior designer." 

 

"Good. It's interesting." 

 

"Well, what do you do?" She asked me.

 

"I do nothing."

 

"But you would be doing something"?

 

"Yes, I do."

 

"What"

 

"I see dreams."

 

"Which type of dreams?"

 

"Daydreams"

 

"You mean to say that you're a daydreamer?"

 

"Yeah. I don't like jobs."

 

"Hun. So you wanna do some kind of business?"

 

"No, never."

 

"So what do you want to do?"

 

"I think work is a very useless thing." 

 

She grinned. 

 

"You wouldn't believe it too, in my philosophy, like my family. But I think I'm not born for work."

 

"So you are born for what?"

 

"Just for fun."

 

She giggled, "When your family will kick you out of the house then you'll realize."

 

"You are saying the same thing as my family, they also used to give me warnings every time, especially my dad. But what man is he who would be nervous?"

 

"Well done, great saying." She giggled, " so stop this nonsense and tell me seriously what do you do?" 

 

"Okay. Now listen, you're talking with a future doctor."

 

"Oh, this means you are doing MBBS now?"

 

"No, I have done. Now I'm looking for a job in a hospital."

 

"Wao. You would even find the job at least, Doctor Furqan. She smiled mischievously.

 

"Yeah, hope so."

 

Tea had come, she began to take the sips of the hot tea. "How can you take it, it is so warm?" I asked.

 

She sipped and spoke, "I got this habit from my mother. She used to take very warm tea so this habit came to me too.

 

After taking tea we stood up and came out from the tea house. The afternoon sun was giving a message of its going with flaring its golden glare everywhere. 

 

"We should go now, twilight is appearing." She said.

 

We promised to meet next time, then she stopped the taxi and went. I also headed on my way. My home was not very far so I didn't stop the cab.

 

I arrived home. My little sibling Rehan was standing with his cousin Saqlain at the gate. "Why are you both standing at the gate?" I scolded them slightly.

 

"Because dad ordered us to stand here." 

 

"Oh, so you again do any kind of misdeed today that's why you are punished by the dad."

 

They both grinned. " We didn't do any kind of mischief bro. We are standing for you." Rehan revealed.

 

"For me? What rubbish are you saying?" I scolded them a little again.

 

"Dad said to you to go to uncle Ihtesham's office to take some documents." Color of my face has faded. Saqlain kept continuing his talk, " but you didn't go there, uncle Ihtesham phoned your dad and now he is extremely angry with you."

 

I almost keeled over. "Okay, right I'll talk to dad, go now," I ordered them, but inside me, I was scared. Well, I entered the house, dad was in the hall and he has watched me from there. I crossed the courtyard and entered the hall. Dad shouted, "where are you coming from?". 

 

" huh...I...I went to the library." I stammered.

 

 "What work did I give you?"

 

"Sorry, I forgot it," I replied with hesitation.

 

"Don't you feel ashamed? When will you grow? When will you take responsibility and become serious in your life?" He asked many rhetorical questions together.

 

"Sorry Dad, next time I'll take it seriously". I tried to escape in which I succeeded. Rehan and Saqlain both were closed and listening to our talks. They were chuckling. I stared at them with outrage.

 

In the dusk, I called Hena. She told me she already knew that you would call me. "How would you know?" I asked her. 

 

"I have known you."

 

"Oh, you have known me in just one meeting, so quickly."

 

"Yes, of course."

 

"Interesting. Well, what other things are interesting about you?"

 

"A lot of things. You would know gradually."

 

"Alright."

 

Well, tell me how many members are in your family?" She asked me.

 

" We're six. Me, my father, mother, two little siblings, one sister, and one brother, and my grandmother."

 

Then I asked about her family, she told me she has five members. One little sister and little brother and mom and dad.

 

We had been talking for hours, don't know when I got to sleep. My eye opened in the morning when It was 11. My phone lied beside me, I grasped it in my hand and checked there were two messages from her. First was the morning greeting and in the second message, she was written, " So doctor, you got up finally, I have found your first bad habit, of getting up late "

 

I smiled and replied, "You would know my more bad habits gradually." I waited for a while when she didn't reply I got down from my bed, took a shower, and came out into the hall. All my family members were sitting there except my dad. He had gone to the office. Though I was free those days, so I was in the home, but my siblings were also in the home because today was Sunday. After breakfast my little brother Rehan and our cousin Saqlain who is our aunt's son live in another city, nowadays he came here to enjoy his winter vacation because his school was off early whenever other schools weren't off, made a plan to play cricket. We thrice began to play cricket in our yard. We had been playing for two or three hours. We stopped when Ami(mom) shouted from inside the kitchen. She had some work so she sent both little boys somewhere out and I came into my room. I saw Hena's message, we had been talking for a while. In the evening I went to my friend Arslan. He is my class fellow. Nowadays he is also free and finding a job. I picked him from his house, sat him behind me on my bike, and went to our favorite spot where we sat almost daily. It was a tiny plot with beautiful green grass. A very few people existed there at this time. Road traffic was visible from inside the park. We used to sit almost daily. There was also a little canteen in the park from where we could buy stale buns, sticky biscuits, and tea. The tea was good, so we would just take tea.

 

 "She is nice, dude," I told him about Henna. 

 

"But where did you meet her?" He asked me again which I had told him already,  actually, it was Arslan's habit when we had told him the whole story he would ask about the starting point.

 

"I told you, dude, we met in a library." 

 

"Oh, yes, yes, sorry I forgot." 

 

"You forget ever."

 

We had been sitting for a long time there. After that, I dropped him at his house and came to my home. During dinner, dad asked me about my job. I said, " I have applied in numerous places, hope they will call me."  

 

"Okay, You would meet Mr.Farooqi, he is my friend, he was telling his cousin's brother has own hospital, in… in which area?… oh sorry I forgot, well, I'll tell you tomorrow. You would meet him, maybe he would adjust you there." Then he began to tell me the characteristics of Mr.Farooqi. He used all adjectives for Mr. Farooqi to define how much he could. He had been praising him as much as possible, you don't know he was a kind man, one of my best friends, he is very loving, he would take care of you properly, and many more. But I wanted to tell him where he is sending me is not Mr.Farooqi's hospital, he would be not there with me to look after and I am not a child that he is describing his right, wrong characteristics. But I didn't say anything and just finished saying, "okay, I'll meet him." 

 

After dinner, Rehan and Saqlain made a plan to play cards. I glanced at the wall clock, it was just nine. So I decided to play with them. We were playing with much revelry, giggling a lot, and cheating a little. Dad, mom, and little sister sat near us. Dad was busy on the laptop doing his work, sometimes he gazed at us, smiled a little, and got busy again at work. But Ami and little sis were taking a full part in the way of laughing and passing comments at us. My grandmother was in her room because she was a little ill so she slept soon. The clock struck ten, I peeked in my mobile, there were Hena's messages. I left the game, saying, "I felt sleepy, I'm going to bed." I came into my room and talked with her. We decided on a plan to meet tomorrow at the same place. Don't know when I got to sleep. My eye opened when the sunlight crossed the window mirror, peeked into the room from where the curtain folded and kissed my face. I examined my cell for a while, sent her morning greetings, stood up, took a shower, and left the room. Children had gone to school, just my little cousin, my mother, and grandmother were there. I called mom for breakfast who was in the kitchen and sat near my grandmother. She said, "why are you waking up late daily, see the time it is eleven." 

 

"Because my dear granny, I slept late at night." I expressed my excuse.

 

"So, why would you sleep late daily? You should go to bed early so that you can get up soon."

 

"It's very difficult by the way, but I'll consider your advice and hope one day will fulfill your wishes," I said mischievously. 

 

She grinned, "That day would never come"

 

"Will come, granny will come, a man should keep the belief in man,… especially old women should keep belief in the young man."

 

She giggled. My breakfast had come so I took my morning meal and came to my room, picked up a book of detective novels by Agatha Christie, and went out to the lawn. Sweat sparkling sunlight of winter spread around. Green grass glowing with the shining sunlight. I sat on the grass. I had been reading with enthusiasm then mom called me through the kitchen window, "your dad said to me before going that I would remember you, you should meet Mr.Farooqi today." 

 

"Okay, Ami I'll meet."

 

In the afternoon, I got ready and went out to meet Hena at the same tea house in front of the library where I met before. When I kicked my bike he refused to start, tried a lot to start him but he didn't, so I left him at home and hired a cab. I arrived late from the given time but fortunately, she didn't come right now. Coincidentally I found the same seat where we sat before. After a couple of minutes of waiting she came. She wore a black dress, long earrings hanging like a pendulum with her ears. "You're looking gorgeous". I praised her which she received by saying thanks.   We had been sitting there for a long time, discussing our future plans, talking about our past, and cracking some jokes. I was telling her, "In my childhood, I was very mischievous, that's why I got a lot of beatings from my teachers. Our math teacher was very strict everyone felt fear of him, he used to come in an old bike daily, he used to pass daily in a narrow street which was a few far from my house, one day when he was passing in a hard winter foggy morning, I with my friend throw on him very cold water. He was completely wet, shivering with cold. We had covered our faces with our mufflers so he didn't identify us. Before he caught us we ran as fast as we could." She giggled loudly. "It's amazing but a little bad." She said.

 

"But next you didn't listen which is so terrible."

 

"What's that"?

 

"The whole day we were very happy, I didn't tell anyone but don't know how he comprehended. In the evening he was in our house, told my father about that. My dad asked me strictly yet I didn't say anything. But when my teacher said confidently that he is known to all about you and your friend, he spoke my friend's name and recited every part of the incident, which happened exactly, then I accepted. After that, I was punished a lot and beaten by my dad. The School Principal was going to expel us but finally, they didn't, after taking the guarantee from our parents that we'll not do it again like that."

 

"Oh, so sad. But I think it was good." She smiled. 

 

In front of us, the sun was almost going to die, he was taking his last breaths. Near the sun, the sky had become pink. Some flocks of birds jogged towards their nests. 

 

"Well,  how do birds realize that evening time is near," I said, pointing with the finger above in the sky.

 

She gazed at them, " I think there is an antenna fitted in their bodies which signals to them about the evening." I chuckled. She spoke again,  "I don't know about birds but I figured we should realize about the evening and should go now."

 

"Just five minutes. I like this scene a lot." 

 

"I like it too. Well, would I compliment you?"

 

"Yes, why not, I need a lot of this because no one complimented me till today, especially a beautiful girl."

 

She smiled.

 

"Right, so listen, you know you're clear like this scene."

 

"Huh, would you please elaborate it?" 

 

"You look as clear and transparent as this scene." 

 

"Is this an elaboration?"

 

"No, but I think it's enough."

 

"Okay, okay. I'm thankful to you, you gave a lot of happiness to that boy by giving him a compliment who fell in a sea of sorrows and…and…"

 

She laughed aloud. "Stop your nonsense. Let's go now." 

 

After paying the bill we left the tea house. There were no taxis around so we began to wait to stand at the footpath. "If the taxi would not come then what would you do?" I asked this silly question deliberately without any reason. 

 

"If the taxi would not come then I'll go on foot." 

 

"But your house is far, how can you go on your feet?"

 

"God is giving me strong legs."

 

Then a cab arrived, she sat and went. I waited for a while for the next cab but when it didn't come I headed on foot. When I reached home the sun had completely disappeared yet dark didn't happen till now. I didn't enter the house right now. My cell rang. It was Arslan, my friend. "I can't come, dude, my bike has been out of order...you're coming… Right, come, I wait here outside." 

When I told him that I can't come due to a bike problem then he said I come here and pick you. I began to walk slowly towards the direction from where he was coming. Almost after ten minutes, he reached here. We headed to the same spot where we sat almost daily. 

 

Park's lights had been lit up, because of this, tree leaves and green grass were gleaming. Though people's arrival had started yet there were also very few people in the park right now. "So, you met her again today?" Arslan, who was listening to me for a long time, asked, according to his habit, about the beginning. "Yeah, I met her again."

 

 "Good, very good, interesting."

 

After this, our topic turned to our job. He told me he got to know another place where we can apply, so tomorrow, we'll go there together. 

 

When we were returning I received a call from my dad. He said, suddenly my grandmother's condition is getting worse so we have taken her to the hospital. We rode our bike to the hospital when we entered the emergency room, I listened to the weeping sounds of my mother and my little sister. I consoled my heart, nothing like it would happen to what is coming to my mind. I saw my sister, she hugged my grandmother who was lying on a bed with her eyes closed, without any movement. I realized that the consolation I had given to my heart was temporary, I had known, these eyes would not be open again, she had been closed forever. 

 

My heart was heavy for many days, I used to feel great loneliness. I was older than my siblings when I was a child, I played a lot with her because in those days she was healthy, that's why she loved me a lot and I was more attached to her than my little siblings. I didn't think it would happen very quickly. 

 

 

After some days I got up one morning, received a call. It was for my job interview where I applied long ago. I was allotted an interview and they hired me. The hospital was a few distances away so I would leave the house very early in the morning and return relatively late in the evening. Those were the highly tiring and busy days but gradually I comprehended my work and it became easy for me. Arslan also found a job in another hospital, he got busy too but we met almost daily in the evening on the same spot. Hena's final semester was going to be finished so she was busy in preparation for the final exam. We used to meet sometimes at our favorite tea house. 

 

After a few weeks, I changed the hospital and found a job in Arslan's hospital because his hospital was near my house and of course also both friends were getting a chance to do work together. Our parents started forcing us to get married but we were procrastinating on them continuously. Finally, Arslan surrendered and agreed to a marriage with his cousin which was liked by her mother. But I stood like a mountain, whenever they touched this topic I procrastinated.

 

After Arslan's marriage, the forcing of my parents was boosted. I knew it would increase more so we have to decide as soon as possible. 

 

In the evening we both were sitting at our favorite spot. Now, the weather had been changed. Hot summer days were knocking on the door, therefore people used to come out from their houses towards the parks. 

 

"I think you should make any decision now," Arslan suggested to me.

 

"Yeah, but you know the problem, what's the thing that is preventing me from making a decision."

 

"Yes, I know, but you can't delay more. Both of you will have to make the decision soon."

 

"I'm unable to understand what I would do. It is not a small problem, it is a caste difference between both of us. My family wouldn't allow me to marry a girl at any cost who belongs to a different caste, similarly, her family also wouldn't approve."

 

"You would try to make them agree, in which world they are living, your families are modern and well educated. I guess they must be accepted."

 

"Modern…? No one would be modern to adopt modern luxuries and fashion. One becomes modern with his thoughts. He is called well educated with his behavior. Our families adopted modern luxuries and modern lifestyles but our ideas, beliefs, thoughts, and behaviors are extremely ancient. So they would not agree on any condition."

We both were silent. I looked outside the park. The vehicle's gleaming lights were running. Sometimes a car came and passed speedily like a breaking star, appeared and perished just in the blinking eye. A truck came, felt its existence for a few seconds, and Passed. Then arrived some moments of silence for a while and again another vehicle reached.

 A couple was sitting in the park in front of me, Seemed he was a newly married couple, but what was the thing that brought them out of the house? Perhaps they came here to raise their happy moments. And some others who were sad may have come here to find some happiness. Some were escaped out inflicted by the suffocation, but they didn't know what had forced them to flee, it was everywhere, it had covered the whole atmosphere. 

 

The next two months passed to convince our families. But they did not have to agree, nor did they. Finally, one day her message was found, she put down her weapon, she surrendered against her family. And next month was her wedding. He suggested that I go to my family and get married somewhere else. The faces of the people in the park turned in front of my eyes, I went out and started running towards the park.