Majnun’s Agony – Part II

(Continued from Majnun’s Agony – Part I)

Liyana listened to Yousuf’s mother as she narrated the harrowing experience that Najma, their next door neighbour underwent. She was diagnozed as having Lukemia cancer, three years after she had delivered her second child. Her husband worked as peshkar (manager who presents papers and letters to the judge) in local session court. In the 12 years he had accumulated sufficient money through various means and lived a fairly luxurious life. They had 15 acres of agricultural land, two mango gardens and a pond, which he auctioned for selling fish. He had sufficient money to bear the medical treatment of his wife. She was treated in All India Institute Of Medical Science where after a month’s stay was advised to get admitted in a famous hospital in USA. He accompanied her and stayed with her meeting all the heavy expenses. The doctor’s experimented on her with the latest chemo therapy technology but to no avail. Her condition deteriorated further, she no longer responded to chemo therapy and the Oncologist recommended her to be moved to a hospice. He brought her back home and waited for the inevitable. A lawyer suggested to him to take her to the Dargah to seek the Aulia’s blessings and plead with him to request Allah for her safe recovery. They stayed at the Dargah for three days and returned. They performed all the rites and rituals under the supervision of the Imam of the Dargh.

A day later after arrival at night in her sleep, Najma had a very strange experience. She saw a bright light moving towards her, she tried but could not open her eyes. The light hoovered above her and brightness spread all along her entire body. She felt her body tremble and the blood draining out from the veins. Soon her mind went blank, her heart stopped beating and she lay listless. Within a few seconds she felt the blood gushing into her veins and other parts of the body. She regained her conscious and opened her eyes. It was dark and she could barely see her hand as she lifted it. She lay for a while on the bed and got up to drink water to quench her thirst. She headed for the light switch and noticed that she could walk witout any assistance. With the glass of water in her hand, she sat on the bed and drank it. She was alone in the room, the helper maid was sleeping on the floor in the adjoining verandah. She could not contain herself and in silence wept hysterically.

“It was a miracle! She sarted performing all the normal duties as she had done before she fell ill. Her husband and her children were overjoyed and so were all her friends and acquaintances. That is the power of the Aulia! Go there children and beseech him with pure and open heart. He will reward you.” Yousuf’s mother sighed and ended her narrative.

Yousuf remained silent for a while, his thoughts taking him back many years, when he and the neighbor’s daughter were friends and he had enjoyed her company. The family had left their house long back, he had missed his friend.

“Where are they now?” He asked.

“He is in our District Court doing the same job. Najma’s recovery was short lived, she died after eight months from the same disease,” Yousuf’s mother said and looked away.

Liyana sighed and shook her head; the lady had an extended hospice period, she was fortunate to have lived a little longer.

Yousuf soon took over the garment business from his father, who had become weak and needed regular attention. Besides attending to the sales in the shop he had to make regular trips to the town to fetch the maerials from the wholesale sellers. Liyana joined the girls school as a teacher and taught students in lower classes. Time passed smoothly for them though she had her bouts of depression, especially at night when they slept together.

Yousuf’s father passed away and his mother too soon left her household responsibilities on Liyana’s shoulders. She took to reading the Quran and praying more than the regular namaz; they found her in Sajdah (prostration) on the Ja Namaz (prayer carpet) late at nights and very early in the mornings.

“Beta, for the past three months I have in my every namaz, including tahajjud (late night namaz) beseeched Allah to bless me with a grand child. Take me to the Dargah, let me seek Aulia’s blessings and ask mannat (a dezire) and I am certain I will be succesful. We will soon have a child to love and play with,” Yousuf ‘s mother pleaded.

Yousuf felt her pain, he had reconciled with his fate, though the urge was there to see a doctor, however his parents reluctance had stopped him.

“I will go to the Dargah, but first let me meet the doctor to obtain his opinion. I have a friend in town where Liyana and I can stay. You can make any excuse to those who enquire about our absence. We will meet the doctor and return after three days,” Yousuf said.

His mother’s eyes lit up and she kissed him on his forehead. Luyana felt relieved, a hazy light at last appeared at the end of the dark tunnel.

His friend and his wife received them with warmth and affection. They spent the night in their well furnished and comfortable guest room. At breakfast he mentioned to them the purpose of their visit and the need to visit the doctor who was a specialist. They listened attentively and sympethetically.

“I am certain soon with proper medical treatment you will get well,” his friend remarked.

To be continued ,,,,,,,,