Peer-e-Kamil (S.A.W) By Umera Ahmad In English Page 18

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

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

=Javeria, give me Professor Imtinan‘s notes, will you?‘ Imama asked

Javeria who was studying. Javeria handed her a notebook which she

began to leaf through it. Javeria continued with her reading, but

suddenly turned to Imama, as if she had remembered something.

=Why have you stopped taking notes during lectures?‘

Imama looked up. =I would if I could understand them.‘

=What do you mean? You don‘t understand Prof. Imtinan‘s lectures?‘

Javeria was surprised. =He‘s such a good teacher.‘

=Did I say he wasn‘t? It‘s just that…‘ Imama trailed off, distracted. She

turned back to the notebook. Javeria looked at her closely.

=Aren‘t you getting absent-minded lately? Are you disturbed about

something?‘ She put away her book; her tone was caring.

=Disturbed?‘ Imama muttered. =No…‘

=You have dark circles under your eyes. Last night—I think it was three

o‘clock—when I woke up, you had not yet slept.‘

=I was studying,‘ Imama replied defensively.

=No, you weren‘t. Your book was in front of you but your thoughts were

somewhere else. Is there a problem?‘

=What problem could there be?‘

=Then why have you become so quiet?‘ Javeria ignored Imama‘s

attempts to stall the conversation.

=Now, why should I be at a loss for words?‘ Imama tried to smile. =I‘m

as talkative as ever.‘

=It‘s not just me, but others too have noticed that you have been

disturbed,‘ Javeria said seriously.

=It‘s nothing—just the usual tension because of studies.‘

=I don‘t believe you. After all we‘re all together—you cannot be any

more tense than us.‘ Javeria shook her head. Imama sighed—she was

getting fed up with this.

=Is everything all right at home?‘

=Yes, absolutely fine.‘

=Have you quarreled with Asjad?‘  

=Why would I quarrel with him?‘ Imama responded in the same tone.

=But there can still be differences and…‘ Imama cut her off in mid-

sentence.

=When I am telling you that there‘s no problem, why can‘t you believe

me? In all these years, what have I not shared with you or what do you

not know about me? Then why are you questioning me as if I were a

criminal?‘ Imama was losing her temper.

Javeria was confused. =Of course, I believe you. I thought you were

holding back because I might worry. That‘s all.‘

Javeria, somewhat contrite, got up and went back to her table and

resumed reading her book. After some time she yawned and turned

towards Imama. She was sitting up, her back to the wall and notebook

in hand, but her eyes were fixed on the wall in front.

----------------------

He parked the car some distance away from the bridge across the canal.

He opened the boot and took out a sack and a length of rope and moved

towards the bridge, dragging the sack behind him. Some passersby saw

him but they did not stop. Once on the bridge, he pulled off his shirt and

flung it into the water—in a few moments the shirt was swept away by

the flow. His tall, athletic frame, clad in dark blue jeans, was a

handsome sight.

His eyes were inscrutable. He could have been anywhere between 19 to

29 years of age, but his height and appearance made him look much

older. Holding on to one end of the rope, he threw it over the bridge till

it hit the water. Then he started tightly winding and knotting the rope in

his hand around the mouth of the sack till he had used it all up. Now, he

pulled back the length of the rope, leaving aside about three feet;

standing with his feet together, he firmly tied them with this length.

Next, he made two loops with the remaining rope and hopped on to the

railing of the bridge, and then passing his hands through the loops

behind his back, he pulled the knots and tied up his hands too.

A smile of satisfaction hovered on his lips. Taking a deep breath, he

threw himself backwards over the bridge. His head hit the water

sharply and he was submerged to the waist, head down and hands tied

behind his back, dangling from the rope tied to the weighted sack above.

He held his breath and tried to keep his eyes open underwater, but the

canal was murky and the silt stung his eyes. He felt as if his lungs would

burst and when he breathed in, the water entered his body through his

nose and mouth. He began to flap about helplessly—he tried but could  

not use his arms to raise himself up from the water. Gradually, his

movements slowed.

Some people who had seen him jump off the bridge, ran to the railing,

shouting. The rope was still shaking. They did not know what to do—

there was no visible movement under the water; his legs appeared to be

still. A crowd gathered, looking with fear at the lifeless body: the water

swung him like a pendulum, back and forth…back and forth…back

and forth.

Peer-e-Kamil (S.A.W) By Umera Ahmad In English Page 18