Shihab’s Predicament

Shihab’s Predicament

Mir Mahboob Ali

Ferdousi’s mother came running like a greyhound to prevent Shihab from entering their house. She caught Shihab at the front entrance to the residence. Shihab was taken aback. He never has seen her in such an aggressive mood. This was the first time he came alone and probably that was the cause of her disapproval, he thought.  He never dreamt that he was an unwelcome guest in Ferdousi’s house.  Her mother stopped him at the entrance of their lawn. A grimace on her otherwise Bengal-beauty-face told everything loudly, Shihab stopped and tried to explain his unheralded arrival, but he could only blabber balderdash, even he could not understand. He said, “My family left ... My mother asked me to tell... and she responded unceremoniously, “Thank you.” He left with a saddened heart.

Ferdousi is his childhood playmate. They grew up together until they were ten and thirteen years old. Ferdousi’s family moved to their own house from the government allotted residence where Shihab’s family was their neighbor. Her father and mother belonged to two neighboring districts of two different provinces of India, Bengal and Bihar. They migrated to Pakistan after the partition of British India in 1947 and settled in Karachi.  Her Bihari father was a perfect male chauvinist and frequently beat her mother. She often came to Shihab’s mother to unburden herself narrating her owes to a willing ear, specially, after a physical assault by her roguish husband. In absence of any relatives, Shihab’s family often provided her a place to take refuse. Women in the Indian subcontinent, often comes to their father’s or brother’s house, facing unfriendly conditions at their in-laws’ or husband’s home. These times, with their own kith and kin, are often used as a cooling period for disputes between spouses. It works, more often than not, to keep the spouses united, as both parties traditionally are for compromise; the tradition is quickly vanishing, as the concept of joint family is giving way to the western individualism.

The children of Ferdousi and Shihab’s family, naturally, intermingled like cousins and grew very fond of each other. Though, Ferdousi’s family did not move a very long distance but, given the conditions, they could not visit each other very often and much of the closeness was lost. The children found new friends, and with them growing up, parents’ behavior changed, particularly, the chauvinist, had totally transformed into a new mellowed being, very kind to his wife, and always all praises for her. He feels indebted to her for his good fortune in acquiring a house and placement of his sons in jobs assuring a good life. Migrating from India and going through an insecure wretched phase in life, in tents, and under the open skies, he now considers his docile wife the philosopher’s stone for his comparative good fortunes. And therefore, tries his best to make up for the earlier mistreatment. She does not need any external sympathy, anymore, to comfort her. She now glows in the admiration of her husband and children, and has become much more attractive, giving a false impression of her age. Ferdousi stays alone with her parents, as her brothers who are older than her, joined the Navy and the Air Force at a very early age as officer cadets, as is required.

Alone in the house, Ferdousi has ample time to reminiscence childhood memories. She is in her late teens, preparing to join the university. Whenever, she thinks of a man in her life, Shihab’s face, takes hold of her whole being. She glows in the knowledge that they were childhood friends. She has very fond memories of those innocent days, like using guava leaves as betel leaves to deceive Shihab.  Ferdousi wished she could mix with Shihab as she used to. Her mother has already become aware of Ferdousi’s weakness for Shihab and she does not want anything to do with him, as he is not pursuing a career of her liking. She would like somebody from the Arm forces; she was once in love with some one belonging to the Army before her marriage. The liking for uniform played an important role in her influencing her sons to join the Navy and the Air Force. As she has been the driving force behind their joining the Armed Forces, her husband feels indebted to her.

On various occasions, while visiting Shihab’s place, Ferdousi expressed her liking for him. Shihab grew up to be a very shy person and though, he liked female company, he could not mix with them freely. Therefore, he mostly avoided Ferdousi, as she was articulate and uninhibited by shyness. Shihab’s withdrawal dampened Ferdousi’s enthusiasm but did not discourage her totally. His eyes betrayed him as they brightened up at every appearance of Ferdousi. She did not miss the content happiness beaming out which kept up her hope of a relationship with Shihab, despite, his apparent disinterest.  Shihab, joining the university and working at the same time, had become a bit courageous in matters of free mixing.  He now had female friends both in the university and in the work place. The shyness in Shihab mainly developed from male, female segregation since the primary-school-days, in a co-educational atmosphere, gradually disappeared.

Shihab was due to pass out from the university with a degree in journalism very soon, and was planning to work as a journalist. Ferdousi’s mother did not know that. For some time now, he was thinking of rekindling his friendship with Ferdousi, not particularly pretty but young and exuberant and above all, he had always liked her. Rekindling, because, for a long time they did not have a meaningful conversation. Though, he never could get over his shyness to express himself as freely as Ferdousi did, he liked her a bit more than a friend. He was unable to describe his feeling for Ferdousi. But, he knew among all the girls he knew, Ferdousi always held a special position, despite, some of the other girls being very beautiful, friendly and adorable. “May be this special affinity is called love”, he thought. Whenever they visited Ferdousi’s parents, he was always with his parents, and visits were very formal that ended within the boundary of the drawing room. After the departure of his parents for their ancestral home in the eastern wing of Pakistan, he was his own boss.  Shihab, therefore, dressed in his woolen suit, for it was winter, while returning from his job knocked at Ferdousi’s door, sure to be welcomed warmly by the inmates. He even could see in his mind's eye a beaming Ferdousi, standing at the footsteps of their front door, welcoming him. His heart started racing faster and faster as he approached the entrance of Ferdousi’s house with expectation of a warm rendezvous. Man proposes, God disposes, her mother descended, from nowhere, violently crushing his love-dream into pieces like glassware thrown on the floor. The otherwise would be exciting meeting of two childhood friends remained unfulfilled!  Reddened, with rage or insult he did not know, Shihab rushed out on to the street, in front of Ferdousi’s house, feeling like an idiot. Yes, an idiot in love with shattered pride.