Peer-e-Kamil (S.A.W) By Umera Ahmad In English Page 10

Peer-e-Kamil(S.A.w)

Peer-e-Kamil(S.A.W) First Chapter

The music from the annex behind the huge bungalow could be heard on

the lawn in front of the house. Anyone would have been amazed at the

level of endurance of those inside. But one look inside, and one would

know the reason behind this level of endurance.

The room was full of swirling smoke and a strange smell. Empty cartons

of food from a popular restaurant, disposable plates and spoons, bottles

of soft drinks, and scraps of leftovers were strewn all over the carpet

which was stained by ketchup. The seven boys in the room were

sprawled on the carpet; empty beer cans were scattered around. This

was not all—they had been entertaining themselves with drugs too.

This was the third time in the last two months that the boys had

gathered here for an adventure of this kind. So far they had

experimented with four different drugs. The first time it was a drug that

one of them had found in his father‘s closet. The next time it was a drug

which a schoolmate had bought from a club in Islamabad. Then it was

something acquired from an Afghan in a Rawalpindi market. Every

time they had combined drugs with alcohol, procuring which was no

problem. Each time this happened six of the seven boys ended up

completely stoned.

Even now it was only the seventh boy who was in his senses. His face

was covered with acne, and he was dressed in a dark blue shirt with its

collar turned up Elvis Presley style, and hideous grey jeans which had

Madonna‘s face adorning each knee. He opened his eyes to glance at the

others around him. His eyes were red but not because he was in a stupor

like them. A little later he straightened up and shaking the remaining

drug from the little container out into a cone, he pulled out a straw and

began sniffing it. Then he threw away the straw and taking some of the

drug on a fingertip, tasted it very cautiously. Almost instantly, he spat it

out. The stuff was of excellent quality, but his expression showed that he

had not enjoyed the experience. He swallowed some beer as if to clear

the taste of the drug from his mouth. The other boys lay around on the

carpet, totally intoxicated and unaware of themselves: he looked at

them thoughtfully as he drank from the beer can. His eyes, though

swollen, were bright enough. The drug had not knocked him out fully.

This had happened the last three times too. Though his friends had been

knocked senseless after taking drugs, the effect on him was not so

pronounced. The first two times he had left them in their stupor and

had driven home, late in the night. This time too he wanted to get away:

the odor of the drugs in the room repulsed him. He stumbled as he tried

to stand up. He straightened up and picking his key and wallet off the

floor, he turned off the stereo. He looked around the room as if trying to

remember something. Then he turned towards the door and sitting

down again, put on his joggers, tying their laces around his ankles.

Finally, unlocking the door, he went out into the dark corridor. Groping

his way, he went past the main door out onto the lawn. As he was

coming down the stairs, he felt his nose was running and when he

touched his upper lip, he felt a sticky liquid on his hands. He switched

on the light in the entrance and saw blood on his fingertips. Reaching

into his pocket for his handkerchief, he wiped the blood off his fingers

and nose. There was a strange sharp sensation in his throat which he

tried to clear, but he felt he was suffocating. He took a few deep breaths

to ease the constriction and spat two or three times. Suddenly he felt a

tingling in his nose. He doubled over as blood began gushing out of his

nose pouring down the marble stairs like a stream.