Kid's Good News
Vol 1-issue 30-  Sep-12 -2002

Contents:

Story time
This Week's Riddle #29
Answer of Riddle #28 and Winner
Change of Email Addresses

Story time....

O Jesus, Son of Maryam, heal me - 4

Till this time you have read that, Gulshan Fatima was paralyzed at her left side when she was only 6 months old. Her mother died when she was an infant. Her father loved her so much that he took her to England for treatment but when they heard the disappointing words of doctor, "it has no cure", their hearts broke down. Her father encouraged her and said, "We will go to Mecca and knock the door of Allah, and he will heal you." So they went to Mecca and visited Ka'aba - the house of Allah. Even she kissed the cubical shape of ka'aba but to their utter despair nothing happened. To avoid her father's troubled look, she kept her face down. Then they visited Safa and Marva from where they bought Zamzam water. She bathed with that water but nothing happened. She and her father returned home heart broken.
******

When she was four years old, her eldest sister Anis Bibi got married. At the time of her marriage she was 14 years old. According to their custom, all the women stayed with her in a separate room and men in other room. The bridegroom did not see her face before marriage as their custom. Everyone loved Anis Bibi who had same resemblance as her dead mother. Many well-known and top-level people came to her wedding. When time came for her to go to her husband's house, she came to Gulshan. Gulshan clung on her and sobbed. She said, "I will come and visit you very often." And she visited very often for sometime until she settled down completely.

Second brother Safdar Shah's wedding took place in bride's home where she did not go, as women do not attend marriage. Next day they brought Safdar Shah's wife Zenib home. She lived in their home until Safdar finished his business studies in America. She used to go in Gulshan's room and spent time with her or in garden. She loved to sit among roses, sweet pea, mango and orange trees. Soon after that her sister Samina got married and went to her husband's house at Rawalpindi. Then her brother Alim Shah who was just passed his Law degree, got married and went to Samanabad to live there with his new bride. But as Gulshan was not in a position to marry they released her cousin from the engagement who later married a beautiful girl.

One by one everyone left home leaving Gulshan and her father alone at their home. It was the most precious time in her life as she experienced close company of her father more than ever before. After partition of India and Pakistan, her Uncle and Aunt came to live with them in 1950. That was the time when many lost their homes and many their family members. Gulshan's father advertised in papers to help Sayed family. So this couple came from Karachi and became a part of their family. "Uncle" became an honorary brother of her father. Father established a small business for him and Aunt helped in household works and took care of Gulshan. They were nice and polite people. They had two children, one son aged 12 and 8 years old daughter. There were many servants and four gardeners in her bungalow to do their respective duties.

She also had a teacher named Razia who used to come home to teach Islamic Religious Knowledge, Urdu, history of India and Pakistan, Maths, Persian, basic science. She took Advanced Urdu in place of English. Razia was tall and beautiful woman, she did a great job putting an interest in her heart for the world around her. Gulshan used to listen to radio news, religious programs and watch TV which her father bought after coming from Mecca to ease her pain and disappointment. One day Razia told her, "You are now ready for the examination." She got excited to hear this but she could not realize that she will miss her lessons soon. She passed her matric exams. Then there was no work for her to do so she sat all day alone. Razia had other students to look after and so her visits became less frequent for Gulshan. However father used to go and visit her every evening and read newpaper for her and to tell her about business news and what was going on around the town. Very often they went on trips to visit places.

She feels sorry when she remembers what happened next. On December 1968 her father became ill. There was heavy rain and cold whether. Her father spent much time outside in his estate and he came back socked and chilled. When he came back he had fever. Next day he went to work in his office with gray face and sweating. Again he came back home after finishing his work. He was worst that night and had a grating sound in his breathing. Doctor came and gave him medicine and Mulla came and prayed for him. Fever went down and the driver Majid took him to work next morning. He collapsed in the office and had problem breathing. Majid brought him back home. Close family members gathered around him and tried to encourage him to fight with the sickness which was diagnosed as Phnumonia. They all asked him to go to hospital but he insisted to be at home. In this condition he stayed at home and tried to work from home. Two or three more days he struggled then the worst they feared took place. His condition worstened and he was losing his battle but they had no power to save him. He started giving instructions and handed over the deeds to Safdar Shah.

Even in his extream condition he thought of Gulshan. He looked at her and said, "I have left much property in your name, even if you hire 100 servants still you will not need to beg to anybody or being a burden to anybody." He also gave instruction to look after Uncle and Aunt. They all looked at each other in fear and horror. He was losing his grip on life. Gulshan was on his side at her wheel chair. She leaned over him and wept saying, "Father, do not leave us, we need you, if you go I will follow you." Her father opened his eyes and put his weak head on her head and said, "It is hard for you but do not ever think of suicide. If you commit suicide, you will be in hell. Remember you are from Sayed family which is the family of Mohammed. Live a righteous life and you will go to paradise and we will all be there together with your mother.

Then he raised himself a bit and held her hand tightly and said, "One day God will heal you Gulshan, pray to him." Then he fell back in his pillow. He was breathing very heavily and his eyes closed slowly. Gulshan was weeping bitterly and said, "If you leave, how I will ever have faith, father?" She saw her brother Safdar Shah who was a hard businessman broke down and cried saying, "Don't leave us father, we need you, you are our father and mother." Father opened his eyes and it seemed, he was making a great effort to stay with them. He took vow from all of his children that they should take care of their sister Gulshan. They all promised him the same. Then he drank some water then he said some verses of Quran Ya Sin.. "In which we joined.." and closed his eyes forever. Next several hours he was breathing heavily then he died at 8 am on 28th Dec. 1968.

Molvi read Quranic verses from Ya Sin, "And when the Trumpet sounds, they shall rise up from their graves and rush forth to their Lord. 'Woe to us!' they will say. 'Who has roused us from our resting place? This is what the Lord of Mercy promised: the apostles have preached the truth!' And with one shout they shall be gathered all before us."

"On that day no soul shall suffer the least injustice. You shall be rewarded according only to your deeds."

"On that day the dwellers of Paradise shall think of nothing but their bliss. Together with their wives, they shall recline in shady groves upon soft couches. They shall have fruits and all that they desire..."

They read these sura's believing that it will ease the physical death. Samina her sister kissed his face then all of them did the same thing. In the next few hours father's body was taken by males of the family and neighbors. They bathed him and dressed him in a special white dress which he brought from Mecca. They put him in a box for final journey. The box had prayers and Quran verses on it. This box was left open for women of the family to go and pay their respect.

Father was a prominent and well known person in the community. So more than thousand people attended his funeral with family members. He was buried beside his wife who lay buried. Gulshan was frozen by grief because of the terrible tragedy which took place in her life. Aunt and maids tried to ease her pain by massaging her head and tried to make her happy. She woke up in the morning three o'clock and heard the noises coming from outside of her room, it was the preparation of next day. They experinced the great loss and a great tragedy but world has to go on. Her life has to go on...

To be continued...

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