Ammi’s Whispers
My Ammi whispers to the
walls at times
of tales, I have never
heard of.
In white walls and
white doors,
the magical kingdom of
Thansoor unfurls.
When the drum beats
sing his praises
and the dragons hoot
his arrival,
the mighty king fights
the evil one, Thenshah.
Ammi blushes looking on
blank walls and rooftops,
in her dreams Thansoor
looking at her in love.
At night she sings
lullabies for him.
The kinsmen murmurs at
her back
of their plans to send
her to asylum.
“Look at her, shameless
to be in love
with another man.
Her husband still
alive.
Her kids still
breathing and young.
Look at the way she
dresses up.
Does that rouge suit a
50-year-old mother?"
Those laughs, that
shyness
the colours of her
clothes!
Then one night
it happened.
A sword clanging war
Between Ammi and
Thenshah.
Thansoor wounded in the
desert
Ammi by his side
Winning the war on his
behalf.
She fought like a
roaring lioness
Merciless in
surrendering her pride,
love’s life or honour.
Cruel and unkind to the
wrongdoers
She caught Thenshah’s
lump of hair
and scared him that she
would tear him apart.
“Leave my kingdom, you
invader.
This is my homeland.
Thansoor will rule this
land to its glory
My sons and daughters
will swell with pride
on that day.
In shah Allah!
I will live to see that
day.”
In reality,
my father cried like a
baby
pleading Ammi
to leave her hold on
his hair.
The news spread like
fire
"That old lady
beats up her husband
like a dog!
Like a dog!
Put her in chains!
Put her in
chains!"
But Ammi went on...
The sounds of her
trinkets
announcing to the world
"I am still alive
and roaming
Bring your chains
See if they can fit my
legs
You noisemakers
Commentators on other
people’s lives
Go look at your own
lives for a minute
See what a mess you
live in every day."
Angered they can’t stop
my Ammi
they pointed their
microphones at Abba.
Abba walked with his
head low, ashamed.
They started crying
fake tears for us.
“Aaaa Aaaa.. Look at
the kids, poor kids.
Who will marry
Noorjahan?
Look at Ajmer and
Amir...
Such handsome lads.
Tomorrow their heads
hung in insult,
will roam the streets
like beggars. ”
In fake embraces
whispering the ill
thoughts to my Abba.
Mixed with biriyanis
they served the venom powders.
In front of our friends
and their families
they told the story
with pity spilling in each drop.
To the ones we loved
and who dared to love
us,
the story of Ammi and
Thensoor.
“She lives in her own
world, In a fantasy
And they let her
roam... roam free!”
When Abba goes to
Mosque
and on his way back
home,
they chorused
the same verses every
day.
“Hide her!
For her kid’s fate.
Chain her!
For your sake.”
Yet Abba went on every day
hearing only what Allah
said.
Every day there was a
new song
Played in the same tune
Guessing the one among
us three,
the first to follow
Ammi’s lead.
“Keep an eye on
Noorjahan.
She is the one lost in
love.”
“Oh no...
it’s the younger one
Ajmer
He shouts
and the whole world
knows.”
In the middle of the
night
from a broken dream
Ammi wakes up and
lays next to me.
Teary-eyed she gives me
a hug.
“Amir... Do you hear
what they say every day?”
“Who Ammi?”
“The ones who make
noises every day.”
“ I don’t listen to
them Ammi.
They have nothing
better to do.”
“Do you hear what they
say about you three?”
“That we will fall sick
just like you. “
“Do you believe them,
Amir?”
“I hope it’s not Ajmer
or Noor.
I can’t see them living
this life.”
“Do you want to be like
me, Amir?”
Amir cries knowing not
what to say.
Who would want to be
like my Ammi?
Hated and pushed away,
even by her own family
and kids.
“Do you think they are
right Ammi?
Do you think one of us
will be like you?
Who is the closest one
Ammi?
Who is the closest like
you?”
Ammi starts crying.
“They say it’s Noor
because she is in love.
Or Ajmer because he
shouts.
But I don’t believe
them Ammi!
What do you think?
Who is most like you?”
Ammi cries and hugs me
into warmth.
“Take care of yourself,
Amir.
You are the one with
dreams.”
No comments:
Post a Comment