Majnun’s Agony – Part III

(Continued from Majnun’s Agony – Part II)

The doctor heard Yousuf without interrupting him. He glanced at Luyana, seated across the table whenever Yousuf mentioned the issues with his private parts and noticed her looking back at him with no expression. Dr vineet was an Andrologist who had specialized in men’s health, particularly relating to their reproductive system and urological problems specific to males, such as their reproductive organs, genitals, and genitourinary system, including kidneys and adrenal glands. He spent over 12 hours daily in his clinic attending to a never ending line of patients. Yousuf was lucky to get an appointment within three days after he had called up the receptionist.

He took Yousuf to the adjacent room and examined him as he lay naked on the bed. The examination lasted more longer than Yousuf had expected.

“You will have to have more than one sitting with me. But first have these tests today,” the doctor told Yousuf on returning to his chair after the examination. He handed over the paper on which names of the tests were mentioned.

“Get the results and come tomorrow at the same time,” he said. Yousuf thanked him and left with Luyana following him.

The doctor examined the test reports handed by Yousuf, for a considerable period of time.

“Your problem is not health related. Your ECG is fine, the blood pressure is good, you do not suffer from diabeties as your sugar level is fine, the chlosterol level is well within the limit and above all you you do not smoke or drink. You remind of a Greek statue of a man with a well chiselled healthy body,” the doctor looked at him, smiled and said.

“Oh! By the way, do you have any stress related problem? Any depression that you experienced? How is your relationship with your wife and relatives?” the doctor queried him.

Yousuf looked at Luyana and they smiled. He told the doctor that he was leading a very normal life and barring this problem he had no other issue.

“OK. I will prescribe a few medicines which you should take regularly for a month. Ensure that you exercise your body everyday preferably waliking long distances,” the doctor said handing over the prescription note to him.

Yousuf thanked him and they both stood up from their chair to leave the room.

“Please sit down, there is this problem of infertility that needs to be resolved. Please go to the lab and give your sperm. The lab assistant will help you. We need to find the sperm count. The sperm will be tested in another lab and may take some time before we get the report,” the doctor told him and handed a paper containing the instructions.

“Thank you Sir. I see your full name is Mohammad Yousuf,” the lab assistant said when Yousuf handed over the test tube containg his sperm. He wrote “Yousuf M” on a label and pasted it around the tube.

“When should I meet you for the results?” Yousuf asked.

The assistant opened a register and entered a few details in it.

“Please come on fourth August, Monday. I will note this down in the doctor’s diary also,” he said.

Yousuf thanked him and they left the clinic to head for their home on his motor cycle.

“It’s six weeks from today,” Luyana said as she sat on the pillion seat.

The bus journey to the Dargah was tiring. Luyana, Yousuf and his mother arrived at the Dargah at mid noon, five hours after they had left their residence. The room in the Dargah guest house which he had booked for two days was clean though the toilet had its priblems. After resting for better part of the day they headed towards the Shrine.

Luyana and her mother in law sat close to the mazar as ladies were not allowed in the Sanctum Sanctorium, They opened their prayer books and recited the verses from it. Yousuf placed the floral basket outside the Sanctum Sanctorium and entered it with a chadar (sheet) which he spread over the grave. He stood at the foot of the grave and recited Fatiha (first verse of Quran) alongwith other verses and Durood (Complimenting the Prophet (PBUH)). He requested Allah to bless the Aulia and to accept the Surahs (verses) recited by him in his favour.

From his pocket he took out the Mauli (red thread) given to him by his mother and tied it on his wrist repeating the same prayers. He did not ask any mannat (wish).

At night they sat at the mazar listening to the Qawwal’s rendering soulful, melodius qawwalis praising the Aulia, Hazrat Ali Alaihas Salaam and the Prophet (PBUH).

Yousuf now observed a change in Luyana and his mother. They were more cheerful and seem to enjoy their togetherness. He took the medicines religously and woke up at 5 am to walk 5 miles everyday.

It was Sunday and he entered the house from a visit to a friend who was fond of Sher Shayari (Urdu poetry). His eyes fell on Luyana who was scantily dressed and water was dripping from hair.

“Where is mother?” He asked.

“Oh! She has gone for a Majlis (meeting),” she replied.

“Good, we are alone,” he said and lifted her. She was shocked but soon giggled out loudly as he took her to the bed room and gently placed her on the bed. They undressed and made love. For her it was an experience of her lifetime and to him he at last was a man! The medicines had worked, his disease had left him. Every night thereafter they made love; they wanted to make up for the lost time!

He reached the lab on fourth August and noticed a new assistant who was busy with a few patients. He waited patiently, after a long while the flustered and edgy assistant handed him his report when he mentioned his name to him.

The doctor smiled and greeted him as he sat on the chair across the table. Yousuf told him about the success of the medication and thanked him.

“I am extremely happy. You can now lead a normal life,” the doctor said and took the report from Yousuf.

He could notice the frown on the doctor’s face as he took his time to go through the report.

“You have a problem. Your sperm is infertile, it’s count is well below the normal,” the doctor told him with a sigh. He felt his heart sink and felt dizziness.

“I can not have children?” He asked.

“I am afraid in the present condition the answer is no,” the doctor replied.

Yousuf got up from the chair and headed for the door.

“There are ways to solve this issue. It will take time and money. If you want you can meet me after a month for examination and tests,” the doctor told him.

“Thank you doctor, please give me sometime to think,” Yousuf said and left the room.

The ride back was very frustrating, he kept murmuring why me, why me? He decided to keep it a secret from his mother and Luyana. Maybe, at a later date they would agree to adopt a child.

The moment the door opened his mother stepped forward and hugged him fiercely, planting many kisses on his face and fore heads.

“Shukran Allah! He has heard the Aulia, we should have gone earlier, why did we waste the time?” His mother kept on repeating with excitement and joy.

“What has happened?” Yousuf held his mother by the shoulders and asked her.

“Allah O Akbar! You are going to be a father!” She raised her voice and said.

Yousuf let his hands fall, his shoulders drooped and his mind spun in a frenzy. He lifted his head and looked over his mother’s shoulder. He saw Luyana with a bright smile on her face.

He decided to flow with the tide; his loved ones were happy and he did not want to spoil their fanciful days. However, he failed to understand the dichotomy; he had not wished for a child at Aulia’s mazar and the doctor said that the sperms were infertile. How then did Luyana, a chaste and very dependable wife become pregnant? He decided to accept the majority opinion, Allah has sent this child. Was then Luyana impregnated by a holy spirit? He shook his head and slapped his cheeks. The very such thought was blasphemy. He will never ever think or speak about it.

They named him Asad (Lion). He spent more time with his grandmother as she was free from all duties and responsibilties. Both Yousuf and Luyana adored him and pampered him. The neighbors and the relatives often visited the house to have a glimpse and gifted him with toys. To them he was a God given child.

Nearly a year had passed and all the while Yousuf kept thinking of his inability to have another child. With reluctance he rang up the receptionist to fix an appointment with the doctor.

“Welcome Yousuf, nice to meet you after a year!” The doctor greeted him.

“Thank you,” Yousuf said and sat in the chair.

“So what brings you here now?” The doctor asked.

“It is about my infertile sperm. Please help me out,” Yousuf pleaded.

The doctor frowned and then burst out in a loud laughter. Yousuf, perplexed kept looking at him.

“You do not have infertile sperm my friend. In fact your sperm count is very high,” the doctor said.

Yousuf looked bewildered and confused, he could not belive his ears.

“But you only said ……….”, he muttered.

“My profound apologies. The new lab assistant had given you the report pertainig to Yousuf A, where as you are Yousuf M,” the doctor said.

Yousuf sighed and gradually his mind commenced to crystaline.