2. Earthquake that Shook us.
We started to go the school once again. Home was never a place for
entertainment and school was a place so invigorating and refreshing. It was 14th Day
of January 1934, when we were sitting inside our classroom. At
around quarter past two, after the lunch recess, a thunderous noise of high
intensity was suddenly heard. Considering it was the peak of winter season, the
doors of the class were closed. The teacher announced that it was a massive
earthquake. None of us had any idea what an earthquakes was like. No one had
ever experienced any thing of this sort. All the girls rushed out of the
classroom. What we saw there was that the first floor was swinging
like a pendulum. As we ran towards the back side of the building, the large
balcony collapsed to the ground and the entire play ground was filled with
dust. The sound of it was as intense as a thousand airplanes passing by. Some
of the girls ran away till they reached the boundary wall by the side of the
river Ganges and clung to it. Bhabhi was among them. Then we heard Zubaida
Baji calling all those girls near to keep way from the wall and as
they moved away from it, the entire length of the wall just
collapsed went into the river. It was Allah’s kindness that no life was thus
lost. The school principal was Mrs. Naig who had a blind mother and they lived
on the first floor of the school building. One of the school guards ran to the
first floor and took the blind old lady in his lap like a child and brought her
down to safety. Later the principal gave the guard Rs.50/- as a reward.
As soon as the earthquake was over, all the girls started crying for going
back home. The teachers were persuading the girls to stay back for some more
time in order to ascertain the condition around the rest of the city. Bhabhi
and I started thinking that if such a huge palatial building has turned into
ruins within a matter of few minutes, what would be the fate of our age old
house in the lanes. There was not even a field around in Behari
lane to escape. We both guessed the old house structure must have
collapsed. Still both of us did not cry as if Allah gave us the strength.
Guardians of all those girls who lived nearby, had already come to take them
home. After lots of hue and cry the horse carriage was arranged to take us
back. On the Back seat (outside the carriage) sat Baqreedan Bua. When we saw
the saw the effects of the disaster on the road as we were moving, our hearts
came out. All over the place, most of the houses were turned into rubbles. The
electric wires were spread all over the road. We could proceed only a little
further when we found that the road was completely blocked by a huge tree that
had fallen as also a portion of a building stretched over the main road. The
carriage driver gave us the ultimatum that the carriage can go only this far
and no further. As the help came from Allah again, after some time I saw across
the obstructing tree that Bhaiya was there on the other side nervously standing
there. As I recognised the car, I called him near the buggy and asked about the
welfare of everyone. We were immensely relieved to hear that everyone home had
survived and was OK. All the girls were somehow fitted inside the car and
dropped to their respective homes, one by one . After much difficulty, and what
appeared like a very long time, we eventually reached the turning to
our own lane. From there we had to walk over the rubbles to reach home as it
was not possible to ply the car in that lane anymore.. It was nevertheless,
quite a relief to find everyone alive there.
At home, some unbelievable events had took place when the disaster struck.
Moin Bhai who was preparing for his BA exams, had placed a cane chair right in
the centre of the terrace and studying when the earthquake commenced. It was
the month of Ramzaan. Amman was reading the holy Quran. When Amman heard the
thunderous sound and realised it was earthquake, she started yelling at Moin
Bhai to run away. Instead of fleeing away, he clutched tightly the handles of
the chair and remained idle. The rubbles got all around him and in the middle
of it all he remained unscathed. Nothing short of miracle from Allah the
merciful. Amman also saw a large jar of vinegar disappearing into the hole in
the terrace and she thought it must be doomsday. She fell into sajdah. For
quite some time others thought she wasn’t alive.
Our family structure was quite slim. A Phuphi (aunt) was there named
Ummatunnisa. She had two sons whom I used to address as Bare Bhaiya and Chote
Bhaiya. Though they were cousins, the age difference was so wide that their
daughters were my age. They came to rescue us from that locality as they had
huge house with open space. It was getting dark and apprehension of the
darkness immediately after the earthquake was too much to bear. Amman asked all
of us to leave and said she will stay back with Kariman Bua, as
she was still in the mourning phase. Chhote Bhaiya was
maulana type and also sported a beard. He tried to explain to Amman the Islamic
connotations of mourning and eventually managed to persuade her to shift to the
safer place of Phuphi, along with others. Even we had given ultimatum to Amman
that we are not moving out without her. Abba’s death a few days before was a
sad event for all of us but in retrospect, it was difficult to imagine how
Abba, in his paralysed condition, could have shifted to another place.
As we shifted to Mussallahpur, I met my old friend Chhunna and Chote
Bhaiya’s daughter Saddu. Our school was closed indefinitely till the new
structure could be built up. Our own house had been damaged to such an extent
that it was not possible to inhabit it again immediately in that dilapidated
condition. One of these days, a mild tremor was again repeated. As a
consequence of this tremor, we all spent the entire night in the open field in
the peak of winter with just the blankets on. Virtually every day there was
some rumor that the tremor is about to come again. The day of Eid passed by
quietly without the usual fanfare. Three months thus passed away. All expenses
were on Phuphi Amman. She did not have a daughter and she used to love me like
her own. Phuphi Amman’s both sons had a daughter each. Still it was slightly
embarrassing to remain a burden on some one for such a long time
In Patna city, there was my Nani’s old dilapidated house. Someone advised
us to shift there for the time being. Though the house was large enough for all
of us it appeared lusterless and sort of haunted. There was a graveyard at the
back. A mosque was also around which was labeled as mosque of the Gins (
souls). The house was repaired so as to make it livable. Right opposite this
house was another house which was constructed by my Khala. It was firmly
believed to be haunted. We were scared to death going there. The house where we
stayed proved to be unlucky for us and was a harbinger for the downfall of the
family.
The childhood days for me were getting over and so were the days of
freedom. Freedom of going in front of everyone. The house in front of ours
belonged to my Khala which she had given to Zafar Mamoo who used to live there.
His wife had passed away survived by a daughter named Safia popularly called
Saffoo. Age- wise, Saffoo was my contemporary but she was rather petit, quiet
type and sad looking. I never relished living there in this environment. Neither
the house not the inhabitants around had any kind of attraction for us. All the
other girls around wore sarees despite being of young age as mine. Most of them
were always sober and quiet. Constant company of other oldies had made these
young girls to behave like one of them. Lying in my bed, I often used to think
that while these girls claim to be older than I am, why they looked so
different.
Gradually, I started mixing with others. Aapa also used to stay in the
same locality. She was daughter in law of Ayesha Khala but never used to pamper
me. Occasionally she used to come to meet Amman. Whenever I used to move
around, I felt like a stranger in that environment. The reason could be that I
was the only one that age who wore shalwar kameez instead of a saree and
moreover I was one of those playful types close to being called a tomboy. At
the first opportunity, I would call Safia and Asia and play hide-n-seek or
kabaddi. I was then 11 but had attained a good height. Once I went towards the
portion of Chhoti Nani to discover cute oranges hanging in the tree. Asia asked
me to get it for her. I refused initially apprehending the inevitable rebuke.
Eventually, when everyone else was having the afternoon siesta after lunch, I
gathered a couple of young adventurous boys and went to the orange tree. After
the orange, it was the turn of jackfruit. I cajoled a boy to climb the tree but
when the fruit plummeted down the ground, there was a loud thud and then a
threatening voice followed. “who’s there??” All of us down below fled away
while the poor boy on the tree was caught. The boy out of fear more than
innocence, disclosed my name as the main perpetrator. I was let go after a
stern warning but the booty of orange and other fruits was snatched away. An emergency
meeting was called between Chhoti Nani Amman and Amman and the Nani passed the
judgment
“she is turning into a tomboy and she should be sent to Chhoti Nani every
day for regular lessons in Quran Sharif”.
“I have already completed the entire course of Quran as well as Urdu.” I
retorted.
I was missing my school days like mad.
Bhabhi was staying at her parent’s place in Kadam Kuan after the
earthquake and so did Bhaiya. In a way I was happy they were not with us as
things might have got even more complicated.
Then there was a Maklu gowalin (feminine gender of milkman) who used to
come with Malai (solidified creamy upper crest) and curd. All the kids, whether
belonging to the maid or the master, with a plate in hand, use to gather around
her. Malai was given for one and a half paise. Breads were made at home. The
corridor facing the east was bright with sunlight since early morning. In the
sun the breakfast of malai and bread was like a feast. The flavor is just
unforgettable and shall remain with me as long as I am alive.
*********
FIRST GLIMPSE OF QUASIM MAMOO
One fine morning, a decent looking
elderly gentleman came clad in Sherwani, and a carved walking stick in his
hands. He addressed Amman as Chanda Aapa and said he has come
walking all the way just to meet her. Amman called me to meet him and he was
introduced to me as Quasim Mamoon. I offered my salaam and he rewarded me with
a lemon candy on my palm. He looked like noble man and wealthy too. Not many
elders had treated me with that sort of intimacy. He left after assuring me
that he will get me candies every time he came.
Within a week he came again. I offered salaam again. Received the candy
again. This was repeated shortly and as he stood there in the centre
of the courtyard, he waved the candy towards me. I was by that time, had become
quite free with him. I ran for the candy which he teasingly put back in his
pocket. I was not there to give up easily. I reached inside his pocket got the
bounty out and fled away. He kept laughing heartily. My innocence coupled with
playful nature appealed to him to such an extent that it became the portent of
making me his daughter-in-law. By chance Chhoti Nani was also present there.
After Quasim Mamoo left, she complained to Amman regarding my brash behavior
and also warned Amman with the consequences of not reprimanding me. So I then
had to get a nice scolding from Amman. For the umpteenth time I was made to
realize that I was not a child anymore, and instead I was grown up now. I still
did not want to go for being taught by Chhoti Nani.
Next morning dictat was issued by Amman to go and take lessons in Quran. I
said I had completed it from beginning to the end.
“then go for the revision” I was told. And that was final.
There wasn’t much I could do now. I wore clean dress and the head covered with dopatta, I quietly slipped into the gent’s portion of the Haveli and there I started playing around with Ali Ahmad. After I got tired of the games I went to the portion where Rabbu Aapa lived. She was very fond of me and the liking was mutual. Else every other female around just used to give me strange gazes. When it was time for lunch I returned home with an innocent face.
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Chapter
INDEX.