The Demand

“The Demand”

“People! Oh People! Wakeup from your sleeps, wakeup before it’s too late,

God’s sake don’t take it granted.. wakeup!!”

Many Years ago, before partition, in India, in a small town of a well-known state, I was born.

I was the eldest sister of two more siblings, named “Chanda” (Moon like) by my Parents. When I was 8, I heard my Parents; “they” are dividing the country into two not exactly halves but “they” are doing it. I, heard, I heard correctly, they said that “We demanded.”

I did not know, why? Why we demanded? I was too young to get satisfactory answers, In fact, I did not want to leave my relatives, my cousins, my school, my streets, my area behind where I was growing up. I loved my place but I had to leave. My Eyes were shedding with tears..

We were heading towards, newly born, we were happy cause we got what we “demanded” and sad because of getting news that many of us were losing so much way to “the demanded”. News of Slaughtering my own, martyrdoms of my elders, raping and killing of young age girls and women, violence and fear covered all the pathways.. My Eyes were shedding with tears ..

Train had been stopped forcefully by Indian Army which was taking us “the demanded”. All passengers were taken out and settled a desert nearby the train’s track. I heard somebody said “this is the area of ‘Mona Bao’.” Males were taken out from the crowed, children were crying, womens were afraid. We had been insulted, abused, we heard they killed many males, they beaten old age people, womens were taken out, abused, raped and then killed. They snatched all of our jewelry and money. We were so frightened. Then they allowed the leftovers to continue their journey to “the demanded”. My Eyes were shedding with tears..

I had been married got 4 sons and a daughter. My husband died in 1986 cause of T.B. It took so long to me and my kids to built a 120 yards house but losing my big house in India, losing all my finance in journey, losing my husband, never shacked my aim, my hope, my wisdom. I wasn’t hopeless because I realized that after losing this much I got the most precious thing; life without slavery; I paid for it, I paid my blood, my wishes, my dreams, my peace, my relatives, my streets, my childhood, my parents but I got precious reward; something valuable that is a free soul, free mind, I got freedom, I got the demanded and again My Eyes were shedding with tears.. 

She was a great freedom fighter in my eyes, because she and other many billions like her came alive without fighting any war probably but the war they fought; to keep them alive, keep their aim alive, wisdom alive, passion alive, the troubles and problems they faced to settle in “the demanded”, their own “the demanded”, they lived like this, they gave sacrifices like this at every moment, in the end they died with an honour. My Eyes are shedding with tears..

My first love, my precious, my beloved grandmother “Chanda Bibi” told this unimportant story of her journey to “the demanded”. She used to pray to God that please don’t test our upcoming generations for what You have tested for us, don’t take their families like we slaughtered, martyr for getting our “the demanded.” My Eyes are shedding with tears..

I, grand-son of my lovely grandmother wanted to be insane,

wanted to address all those sick, filthy, poisoned, black-hearted inferiors,

who are as ugly as opportunist & hypocrites,

who even don’t know the meaning of sufferings & sacrifices.

“People! Oh People! Wakeup from your sleeps, wakeup before it’s too late, God’s sake don’t take it granted.. wakeup!!

You have been blessed with a free country, blessed by freedom..

 see in your surroundings and learn some lessons.. Stop abusing my grand-mother’s Pakistan, those billions of others’ Pakistan who gave everything to get it.. Don’t just ruined their sacrifices, their hard work and hardship in any means complaining something  

Before the bloodshed, pain of migration, pain of slavery, dying in vein, pain of insult, abused, raped, reaches you…   

Value your free soul &heart,

Value Freedom,

Value “the demanded”,

Value

Pakistan

Happy Independence Day

Muhammad Asim