FATE

  • 22 Feb - 28 Feb, 2020
  • Nadeem Alam
  • Fiction

Faqeer Muhammad was sitting in the lorry stand and thinking about his fate. He did not earn any money a day before and today was a strike as well. Half of the day had already passed and the hungry Faqeer Muhammad had started drowning in the depths of desperation and dejectedness. He remembered the day some 20 years ago, when he was preparing for his English paper of the secondary school examination. It was the most difficult paper but he had worked hard for it. He was hoping for a good result. He studied till late night and hence, missed the morning prayers. Faqeer Muhammad was a regular visitor to the mosque and Moulvi sahab liked him a lot. His father had died a couple of years ago in a road accident. Since then, Moulvi sahab had taken care of his family. Faqeer Muhammad respected and regarded Moulvi sahab like his own father.

He was sitting in the exam hall and waiting anxiously for the paper. For the next three hours, he did not raise his head. He was glad that he knew answers to most of the questions. He happily walked back home. Only one paper was left and he had three days to prepare for it.

After the noon prayers, Faqeer Muhammad hurriedly tried to walk out of the mosque. He wanted to get some sleep before he starts preparing for the last paper. He was about to step out of the mosque when he heard Moulvi sahab call his name. He had no option but to turn back. He went and sat in front of Moulvi sahab who in a shrill voice inquired, “Why did not you come to the mosque in the morning?” Faqeer Muhammad started shivering. He was dead scared of Moulvi sahab. He was once beaten up for not reciting correctly. He still had those stick marks on his back.

With his eyes fixated on the ground, Faqeer Muhammad frighteningly replied, “I was preparing for my board exams and slept very late at night.”

Moulvi sahab got furious, “Is that an excuse you will give on the day of judgement?” Moulvi sahab continued, “Everything has been written in your fate Faqeer Muhammad. Do not waste your effort in trying to acquire something which will eventually come to you at an appropriate time.”

Faqeer Muhammad listened to Moulvi sahab with utmost patience and concentration. Moulvi sahab was very logical in his sermons. More so, Faqeer Muhammad was fed up with the hard work of studying. He also knew few of the young men from his neighbourhood who had graduated and were still jobless. His limited vision did not show him the bright future. His mother was though forcing him to continue with his studies. She worked in the houses and paid for his expenses. She did not know that Faqeer Muhammad was about to change his mind.

Faqeer Muhammad was lost in his thoughts when he heard the loud voice of Moulvi sahab, “You will not get more than what is there in your destiny.” That proved to be the last nail for Faqeer Muhammad. He had decided to stop wasting his time in worldly affairs and safeguard the life hereafter.

Faqeer Muhammad started working in Moulvi sahab’s house. The previous khadim had not returned back from his leaves. His mother begged Moulvi sahab to let Faqeer Muhammad complete his matric but she was pushed out of his house. His mother came many a times to Moulvi sahab’s house but was not let in by his own son. Faqeer Muhammad was her only child. After a while, she reconciled with her life and took it as the God’s will. Though, she did not live for long without her son, and shifted to a quieter place next to her dead husband’s grave. Faqeer Muhammad started securing his future by serving Moulvi sahab and his family. He started getting the bread of his fate from his mentor’s home. 10 years later, he was thrown out of the house as a new young pupil had come to serve the master.

Faqeer Muhammad started working in the truck stand. He repented the time when he made the decision to quit studying. Only one paper was left and he would have gotten admission in any college on merit. He still could not see the future but he was able to see what had happened in the past. For over 10 years, he was used by Moulvi sahab to do his house chores in the name of religion. He often cried at his mother’s grave and asked for her forgiveness. He was still convinced that his fate was written to be unfolded in this way.

20 years down the line, Faqeer Muhammad was married and had a child of his own. He had started working hard but never left believing in the destiny. His mind sometimes argued to the need of hard work if the fate was already written.

Before his marriage, he once tested his fate by staying for a few days at home. He waited and waited for somebody to bring him food. He was nearly starved to death when he went out and started earning his livelihood again. His belief about fate was now a little shaky.

Today was the second day of strike. While going home yesterday, he checked his pockets. He had 20 rupees. He reached home and went straight to his bed. He had bought one roti which he gave to his wife to feed their only son.

In the morning, his wife made tea and gave him the left over half roti from the night. She had not eaten anything as well. He only drank tea and left in search of work. It was afternoon now. Strike continued. Hunger was too painful. He checked all his pockets again. He knew that there were only 10 rupees in his right side pocket yet he expected a miracle to find some more money. His entire search went in vain. He even kept looking on empty roads to find a coin. But no luck. He had not eaten anything since two days now. Growls of his empty stomach started shattering his believes.

While returning home, he bought the last roti of his fate. That night, while sitting with his wife and watching his son eat, he made a promise to himself to educate his son at all cost. He now knew for sure that we get what we work for. Our fate is always in our own hands.

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