THE GIRL CHILD

Recently our daughter told us that they visited 3 Ashram's near Bangalore. In one of the ashram they came across a young lady with a lovely girl child and the authorities told them that she had been thrown out of the house by her husband because she had given birth to a girl. It made me sad and depressed to see that how humanity had detoriated. i am not sure whether we can generalise this episode with the present generation or it is more linked to the behaviour of a person or it is more linked as a behaviour from family to family.

In contrast to this attitude I would like to compare the morale of our family and specially that of our my father. My parents were blessed with 5 daughters and I was born (son) as the 6th member in the family. No doubt the prescence of a son in a family was important. All the daughter's were extremely loved and regarded and definetly more than I. My father was very strict with me but the sister's ruled the house.
It was at Lahore that I was woken up in the night by one of my sister and was told that you have one more sister. Sleepily I asked from where she had come. Immediately our father gathered us all. Gave`the news of 6th daughter in our family. He told us strictly that when we go to meet mother nobody should show or express any disappointment but should meet with a happy smiling face. The same message was clearly given to all relatives and friends. My mother was so well looked after by us and father with a special nurse at her attendance.

My youngest sister was a lovely child and soon won the heart of all. Daily a couple of new dresses were stitched by other sisters and was carried from arm to arm. When she was a little older, she would hold father's hands and jump and dance on the dinning table. In fact when one of the older aunts came to visit us she remarked that there were celebrations going on in the family.

 During the partition conflict, we , one night hurriedly left the house under the fear of an immediate attack and the youngest sister was forgotten behind. When the mistake was realised, mother & father rushed back and picked her up. This was done at the risk of their own life. Till today she is loved by all.

When she was almost 4 yrs old at Delhi, she fell sick & the doctor said that next 24hrs were critical. Father sat for 30hrs at her bedside, monitoring her conditionds personally & when the doctor gave a complete green signal, he took a cup of tea.

Many years later when my own daughter was born the whole family including my father said that a devi was born in our family. To the surprise of many pepole sweets were distributed to all the families living in our colony. Still many years later when our granddaughter was born my daughter's mother-in-law out of happiness presented her  with a diamond ring.

Just see the greatness of our family & father sahib in comparison to the present generation and the sad condition of the girl  child in today's life.

Glimpses of Dharamsala in 1942

My Dad's first posting after return from Iraq war front was Dharamshala. I was just about 4. The journey from Pathankot to Dharamshala was through mountains. Buses were very old type(not to imagine today). Somewhere on the way we enjoyed the best kulfi, I ever have had.
The house was big and had a sloping garden, the last end of which we never saw and were not allowed to go to the garden because of fear of tigers, which were so abundant in those days that nobody ventured to go out after the dark. There were so many fruit trees and the fruits never plucked. The big house costed us just Rs22/month.
The place was very thinly populated those days and I remember just about 2 houses in an area of a few miles. Upper Dharamsala was very high up in mountain.  At night I would watch a vechile moving from upper Dharamsala through the curvey road. The movement of its lights along the way would fascinate me. We often visited Bhagsunath. The water flowed with great speed  through the mouths of 2 lion heads. There would be great fun and frolic followed with excellent lunches.
The area was full of monkeys,snakes and tigers. The tigers often walked through the corridor at night and picked up 2 black  dogs from the verandah.Their bones & skin were seen a few hundred meters away near a water stream. The rains & thunders were indeed fearsome. Once the electric thunder passed through the room with such light & speed that to save us we fell flat on the ground. I remember father telling that had the back door not remained opened the lightening would have struck us all.
I had to walk a long distance to attend a K.G class at the house of a British lady. Her son had made nice train toy in a big room with signals & stations etc. We were allowed to play there. I had to walk alone a few miles to  go to the class. One day on return jouney, I felt a black man was sitting by a tree & thought he was a thief. I walked many times upto this tree and then ran back with fear & dare not cross the tree. I waited almost an hour till a kacharewala came along. I told him of my fear. He laughed and brought me to the house. Fear was only an illusion in my heart.
A few miles before  entering the city centre, was Yole camp, where  prisoners of war were kept. Sometimes they were allowed  to go out & roam about. There were annual festival(melas) at upper Dharamsala. The local gorkhas would catch with their hands the big flying mosquitoes & put them into their  mouth(raw) Once thr driver of our bus got drunk. Lucky for us he stopped the bus at the very edge of a deep ravine and dozed off. Everybody thanked God for saving all lives.

My First Glimpse Of My Dad (CONTD)

Mother,s prayers finally paid off., And one day the family received a telegram that Dad is being sent back to India (probably due to the operation).There was great relief in the house. However anxiety and worries still continued as the information came that many ships were being sunk/tarpeoed in the Gulf region. After passing some more anxiety full daye, we received a tellegram from our maternal uncle from Karachi That Dad has reached safely there and within a couple of days would be reaching Lahore . Then there was real relief and joy.
On the arrival day we reached Lahore station. Many relatives and friends accompanied us.Almost everybody had a garland in the hand. The train arrived .Every body rushed towards the compartment. We children and mother stood about 15 meters away, as though every body had more right to meet him than us.. However after a few minutes the gherao cleared ,and for the first times, I saw my Dad. A lean medium height man wearing a military uniform with a big smile stood looking at us (still 15 meters away).Hecarried attractive mouchtashe through which a proud face looked at us.We children almost ran towards him.He picked me up in his arms,hugged me and pastered kisses on my head and face.I kept looking at him. Ican still feel the warmth and breath of my Dad. He did not allow me to get down till we reached home.I do not remember how my mother met him.Those were still the conservative days.Almost 70 years have passed , but I still see myself in my Dad,s arms standind at Lahore raiway station before the railway compartment.The scene still brings in me a sense of joy and pride to be in Dad,s arms.

My First Glimpse Of My Dad

I was born at Paeshwar at a time when dark  clouds of Second World War were hovering over Europe. The
effect of these dark clouds took abiut a couple of years to spread over India and effect Indian,s life.My DAD who was working in Military Engineering Services was posted to Iraq War Front by the British.
I have vague memory , as a child of approx.of 3, my mother visiting various temples and priests and going on long Fasts and donating a lot of money along with many hours of prayers for the safe return of my Dad.
Dad had shifted us to Lahore, our native place before moving out to Iraq. Many relatives and neighbours would visit us to pay lip symphaties. Their talks like,Oh, poor lady, a mother of 5 daughter and a 3 year old son,how would she pull through--would dampen our spirits further. Mother being busy in worship and preyers,the day to day house hold affairs were taken care by the elder sisters. During this time mother was reduced to a skelton due to heavy fasting and worries.
After about 2 years stay iat the War Front, father suffered severe appandicitec pains, and as told later an immidiate operationh had to be performed in a tent on a working table and in the light of a kerosene lamp.
The operation was succesful. As to our good luck,and difinitly due to God listining to our mother,s prayers
a good Btitish surgeon was visiting the front at that time.But the moment Dad regained conciousness , he turned aroud on the table and fell down. the stiches had to be redone .Almighty was again with us.

My First Glimpse Of My Dad