I have always wanted my life to be a tea house evening, where people can just be themselves, voice their opinions,chat around, have fun and never leave. Never leave is the most important part. Shall never leave....they can just move around....maybe to some other room, but on the table, thier cups placed, the burning cigarettes in ash tray, the chairs pulled back, they are destined to return. Even those who left for good, havent really left the coffee house, the feel of their presence still lingers in there as if some guest had left dunhill aroma hanging in the room.
One of these pulled back chairs is of Haroon mamoon. Why cant u say my proper name? he used to say....Haw maw keh k chup ho jati hai chudail....
The most cheerful person I had ever seen in my life. Derived fun out of every single moment, living life to its fullest...even passed away smiling..... A criminal lawyer by profession, he was by far more colorful than black and white. Every month created new issues. Controversies following him everywhere like some celebrated child. What has happened now? My father would ask my mother....Nothing, Haroon slapped a judge....contempt....mooney is trying hard to tackle it. Always the same story. Haroon , the younger brother will create trouble and Permoon, the elder one will try to manage it somehow and deal with the mess. Both complete opposites of each other, the elder a civil lawyer, rich , well connected, an obedient son, a total contrast to Haroon, who was very cheerful and loving but never knew the right way to express himself. Too emotional for words....and most of the time short of money, life exuded all its charm and joys personified as him.
We were eight cousins, him having one in his lap while driving the car, kuki aunty having another in her lap a total of 10......and he would do 360 degrees in front of our school. Would shout names of all kids from above the gate even before the school was off, and kept shouting till the kids gave him response individually from every class and run off to him even before the bell rang. Once we would come out, he would say come on ....double up, bubble up seven up....and wel all fit in the car in seconds.....no use though, we always got home late, as most of the time, we would be chasing one woman or the other in the car. He would chase down women in burqa and screech at their heels, many a times some fled out of the burka...all for a simple childlike laugh....
I used to see him give 500 out of his pocket, mayb the last ones left, to a beggar. Nothing in the world can replace this look of sheer joy and surprise on his face , he would say. That was when I learned how to let someone live a second , a minute of your life for the mere joy of it.
A friend more than a father to his children, I dnt allow them to talk unless they swear multiple times in a sentence. Im making them learn their mother language punjabi ....no good widout swearing.....He always gave special importance to his daughter Jella as he called her.....mujhay ishq hai is sabz aankhon wali sey ....Even when she was doing her masters in the University and he was teaching there in Law department, they would walk arm in arm in the campus like two love birds Aik amman, doosri kuki, teesri jella, chothi teri maa.....
Always asking grand ma if he was the nicest of them all.....Amman mein sab se acha hun na...mooney, memi, jonny, rani sab se acha na? Haan tu mera sab se acha beta hai shed say.....
sab se chota sab se acha sab se ladla ab khush....bs zara badtameez hai , thora nak cherha, thora..... To amman sen fir 9 chak wali zameen apnay nam samjhun???...hath kamina.....phuphiyon pe gaya hai puray ka pura.....
Last days, I never knew those were the last ones...heard him saying to mom.....rani ye mooney sari zindagi sab se acha beta bana raha, sab se acha lawyer...sab se acha insan...mein is jaisa banay ki koshish kerta tha per kabhi ban nhi paya....aur ab kameena sab se acha bhai bhi ban gya...hitler kay mujh pe itna ehsan hain k agar kahay haroon sari zindagi aik tang pe kharay ho kay nacho to mein nachunga....shhhh mom said bhai hai....ehsan kaisa
His last day all were around him.....Grand ma 's sister whos a doc also holding his hand....I remember him saying...beeshy sharam kro, khud qabar mein paon latkaye baithi ho aur mujh pe ro rhi ho.....then all of a sudden he started saying Kalima and left us all crying. In a few seconds, a long story of unfulfilled desires saw its end, him stepped out, abandoning all his dreams in a flick of a second. The ordinary yet not so ordinary life of an extraordinary person...The one who taught me how to face adversity with a smiling face and no harm in slapping it at times too....The one who told me the cure to your aching heart only lies in curing others hearts....The one who laughed all his worries away in smoke of his cigarettes. Who taught me a very non serious non realistic approach towards life that always worked.... the only way it should be he said. All his words, the cheerful voice echoing in my mind still....bringing my tea house to life his laughter still lingers there and the way he would say haye thak gya after a series of continuous laughs often makes me smile again.
Days after, I kept on thinking what was it....where had I seen that smile that his lips carried when he departed.....but could never place it. It was just yesterday when looking at some pics I remembered where I had seen that smile before.....and I knew exactly what it was, the contentment he looked for all his life, he found that in his last moments......
Amman mein sab se acha beta hun na? Han han tu mera sab se acha beta hai....ab Khush?
(In memory of my late Uncle , May he rest in Peace)
