A Life Full of Troubles – A Story of Every Pakistani Middle Class Family

A Life Full of Troubles

(Story of Every Pakistani Middle Class Family by Hassan Bashir)

“Hurry up Salma, they will come any time to see you”, said Salma’s mother Amna in angry voice. Salma was not interested in getting up from the Sofa and getting her dress changed. So she simply looked at angry face of her mother and got up from the Sofa silently but with thousands of questions in her mind…………….

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Salma was a 22 year old girl with average height, weight and fair complexion who completed her Graduation from a well reputed college in Jhelum two years ago. She was very intelligent girl and was one of the best student of her teachers. After her graduation her parents were very anxious about her marriage so they were looking for a good family to marry their daughter. Salma was a nice, decent and caring girl who always cared for everyone in her family. Salma was only daughter on her parents with a younger brother Ali who was doing his graduation from the same college.
Ali was of 19 years and he was totally opposite to her sister. He was careless, talkative and irresponsible but one thing was good in him and that was the love and care for her sister. Ali was tall almost 6 feet in height and average weight with good looking physics.
Salma’s mother Amna was a housewife. She was also a decent and caring women and no doubt Salma was totally their copy. She was very conscious about Salma and her marriage and due to recent problems in Salma’s marriage plans she was very upset and during all this she became heart patient as well. Amna was a religious woman offering prayers 5 times a day.
Salma’s father Mr. Umar was running a shop of Cosmetics and Jewelry in Main Bazar Jhelum. He was of nearly 50 years. He was getting weak day by day due to his age and stress about Salma’s wedding.

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“Mom, you know better I will be rejected once again, so why then you and Dad don’t stop thinking about my marriage”, said Salma after changing her dress and entering into the kitchen. Amna was preparing food for upcoming guests and by listening to her daughter she felt really pity for her daughter.
“Why do you think so my child? Don’t you think that everyone is not alike, this family is better and I hope they will not demand anything big from us”. Replied Amna in soft tone.
“Mom, you say this every time, why don’t you and Dad realize that its not easy for a middle class family like us to marry a daughter” said Salma while she was cutting vegetables for the lunch.
“But my dear child, we have to marry you and we can’t stop thinking about your marriage as you are our elder girl and its our responsibility for marry you in a good family”. Listening to her mother Salma was in deep thoughts….
”Why is this society so cruel? Doesn’t a middle class family like us have right to marry their daughters with respect? Why is this Dowry is so important in marriages of girls? Is this only money that is important for people? No respect, no feelings?”………Several questions were arising in her mind and she left the kitchen silently.
Seeing her daughter in deep thoughts, Amna was also deeply hurted by the fate of her daughter. She was also thinking something in her mind and it was not this time only that she was thinking about her daughter but Amna had many sleepless nights due to this issue.

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Ali was sitting in café in college, his face was very down and he was looking very upset and sad. College trip was going to Murree on next week and College administration had asked students to deposit 2000/- Rs as Tour fee if they want to attend the Tour. Ali was very happy after listening the news of trip but then all of a sudden a thought came in his mind and he got disappointed. He was sure that his father won’t allow him to go on trip as they don’t want to spend extra money on these useless tours. It was not a old incident which came in Ali’s mind….

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“Dad, I want a new Bike, I can’t go to college on Bus”, said Ali to his father on Dinner table.
Mr. Umar looked at his son and then towards Amna. All of them including Salma, Amna and Umar was shocked after listening to Ali’s statement.
“But why my Son, going college through bus is easy and economical as well, then what will you do with new bike?”, replied Mr. Umar to his son while taking a bite of Chapatti.
“All of my friends came college on bikes, only I have to go through bus, I want bike at any cost” Ali asked this time with anger tone.
Amna and Salma were quite, listening to conversation between father and son, eating dinner and thinking a solution in mind.
“Ali look, you know better we are not landlords, we are middle class people, and look I have to feed you all, I have to take care of all of my family member’s needs and necessities, so simple is that I can’t afford a new bike, we have one bike only that I use and if you want you can take that bike and go on college via bike, I will manage something”. Replied Mr. Umar while looking at his Son.
Ali didn’t bother to reply, he simply looked at his father and got up from the dinner table and went silently from there. His gestures were telling that he was not in good mood.
There were complete silence on Dinner table after that. Mr. Umar finally speaks and breaks the silence.
“Salma, I think you should go to Ali after dinner and try to realize him about our financial position, I know he will listen to you only”, said Mr. Umar to his daughter.
“Ok Dad, don’t you worry, I will talk with him”, replied Salma with a smile.
Mr. Umar and Amna both were satisfied because they knew that Ali only listens to Salma and Salma was intelligent girl who knew better how to handle her brother in such situations.
Ali was very careless but one thing that was very appreciable in his character that was his love for Salma. He don’t listen to anyone but if Salma ask him anything he will do it on any cost. Not an old incident when one morning Salma wished her desire to Ali that she wanted to eat some sweets. That afternoon after returning from college Ali had several sweets with him and from that day it was routine of Ali to bring sweets for his sister daily.
Salma entered the room of his brother with a glass of milk in her hand. Ali was busy in studying and by seeing his sister in room he suddenly closed his books and looked at his sister with a dim smile.
“Ali, my sweet brother, why are you troubling Dad, after all you know that he is only earner in this family, so its very difficult for him to afford a new bike”. Said Salma by giving Glass of milk to her brother.
“I know sister, but I have not demanded something extra ordinary”, replied Ali swiftly.
“Ali try to understand, Mom is heart patient, you also know that her medicines are very expensive, Dad and Mom both are also worried about your studies expenses, you have to do masters after graduation, that will be expensive too, our parents are also worried about our marriages as you know Marriages today are very expensive and needs a lot of money, prices of things are also increasing day by day, but look have ever Dad sacrificed on our food? Our Dresses? Our basic needs ? “. Said Salma to Ali while sitting on his bed.
“Hmmmm, no I know Dad has never sacrificed on our food, dresses etc.”, replied Ali while taking a sip of milk, his tone was indicating that he was realizing something now.
“Than my sweet brother, cheer up and try to understand whatever our parents do is better for us, look Ali I was a girl but I used to go to college from bus during by study years and I never demanded something from parents. So please you should also be responsible”, said Salma while getting up from the bed because she knew that she had done her job.
“Sorry sister, I will not demand any extra thing from now, I realized it”, Replied Ali while opening his book and getting involved deeply in his book while Salma quietly leaves the room by closing the door.

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All this incident flashed in Ali’s mind and he came back to present when his class fellow Amjad asked him about tour.
“No, I wont be going on tour, I have some work to do at home so I will not be able to join you fellows”, said Ali in very dim voice to his class fellows and he left the table silently and went out from the café towards the main gate of college.

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Mr. Umar and his wife Amna was in their room and both looked very upset with downed faces, and why not….because they had nothing to cheer about. It was 5th time that the Salma’s marriage plan was postponed because of extraordinary demands of dowry from the people. Every time they got excited when they came to know that someone is coming to their home to see Salma but then after some days when those people demand extra dowry from them they simply have to reject that proposal because they were not financially too strong to afford a high class dowry for their daughter and it happened again this time. Some days ago a family came to their house to look Salma for their son but today that plan was also cancelled because that family demanded a Car from Mr. Umar in dowry.
One more thing which was disturbing them was Ali’s higher education expenses. He had cleared his graduation with good marks and now he has to apply in University for his Masters. Definitely as it will be new class, new environment, new books and lot of new things so all that will cost a lot and that was what Mr. Umar and Amna was worried about. They had some savings for them but that was for Salma’s wedding. Both husband and wife were in deep thoughts thinking about their children and also about their fate………..

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Salma was a brave girl, ambitious and she had the power to understand every matter, but today she was deeply hurted too. She was on her bed in her room and there were tears in her eyes………
Those tears……. Were continuously flowing from her eyes and she was stationery on her position…
“I am becoming burden on my parents, is there no one in this world who marries a girl without dowry and without demanding expensive things?? Is this what Islam teaches us?? why all this happens to middle class family like us only…”….. Several questions were arising in her mind… These questions were unanswerable…… and there was a logic behind arising of such questions….because Salma had seen something weird today……..

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Salma and her mother were sitting in a marriage function. It was marriage of Mr. Farooq’s daughter. He was a well known businessman in Jhelum city and was living in same street on which Mr. Umar and his family was living. Everyone else was enjoying the function but Salma was in deep thoughts after listening to the conversation of 2 ladies in that function.
“You know, Mr. Farooq has spent almost 3 Lac Rupees on lighting and decoration only”, said 1st woman to 2nd.
“Well, he can… He has a big business and I will not be surprised if you tell me that he will be spending 10 to 15 Lac Rupees on marriage of his daughter”, replied 2 nd woman to 1st one.
Salma was thinking that how much differences are there among classes in our society, On one hand it was Mr. Umar who was striving to marry her daughter in a respected and economical way and on other hand it was Mr. Farooq who was spending a lot of money like water on his daughter’s wedding.
An announcement was then made to all people to come and see the Dowry which Mr. Farooq is giving to his daughter. It was another big disappointing blow for Salma when she saw such an expensive and large quantity of dowry which Mr. Farooq had arranged. This forced her to think once again, on One hand it was Mr. Umar who was not in  a position to arrange expensive and large quantity of dowry for her daughter and on other hand Mr. Farooq had arranged a lot of dowry for her daughter.
“Is this what Islam teaches us?? Has our Prophet (PBUH) married his daughters like this?? “ many questions were arising in her mind again….
Now it was time for wedding reception lunch and there too disappointment was waiting for Salma. She once again got disappointed after seeing how people rushed towards food when announcement was made. She was also deeply hurted to see how people were wasting food there and the biggest thing was Why it was necessary to arrange Casual and such a large quantity of dishes on wedding?
”Some poor people strive for 2 meals a day, and how these upper class people are wasting food, what a pity”, she thought and tears appeared in her eyes. Soon after the end of event both Daughter and Mother were at home and Salma didn’t talk to anyone that day and simply got into her room and lay there on her bed thinking about their life………..

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“Oh God, why is this discrimination??” Salma thought while weeping and laying on her bed.
“Oh God, Please help my parents, my father had never committed sinful act in his life, he had always struggled to make our lives Halal, he had done a lot for us, please help him….please solve his problems, please God please” Salma was thinking all this and was continuously weeping…………..

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It was a day full of happiness for Mr. Umar’s family, just like EID day. Salma’s wedding date was finalized  and she was supposed to be married within 2 months. All of them were very happy and was thanking to God Almighty who listened to them. Salma’s wedding was going to be with Adnan who was a Doctor by profession and was only son of Mr. Jameel.
Mr. Jameel was himself a famous businessman in Jhelum city. Mr. Jameel’s family demanded nothing from Mr. Umar’s family. They had everything in their house and they strictly asked Mr. Umar to avoid any kind of Dowry in marriage as they only needed a good looking, educated and decent girl and all those qualities were present in Salma. They saw Salma on a Wedding Function and then they decided to talk with Salma’s parents. First Salma’s parent were not excited as they were considering that Mr. Jameel’s family will also demand expensive things from them and they won’t be able to arrange those things but later on they realized that this family was different. Mr. Jameel’s family was very civilized family and they didn’t demanded anything from them.
Salma was also very happy not because of her marriage but because of the troubles that her parents won’t face now. She was sitting on her bed thanking to God Almighty but along with this she was also in deep thoughts……..
“ That was only me and my parents whose problems got solved…..but what about other girls of my age ??……. how many middle class families like us are facing same problems in their daily life…..oh God why most of people in this world are cruel and they have no feelings for others?? When will God help other girls and parents like us who are also looking for some good people like Adnan and Mr. Jameel…. Oh God Please help all those girls and parents like you helped us….”…… Salma was thinking all this despite of being happy for her parents…..She knew that all this will be possible if everyone in our Society sense his responsibility and murder the Curse which everyone of us has in our minds…. For that she had determined that she will also force her parents and her brother Ali that they should also not demand Dowry or expensive things from the family where Ali will be marrying in future…. She knew that if all people start thinking like her or like Mr. Jameel’s family then the troubles we had in our lives as a society can be oversome easily…….

The End

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