THE FINAL JOURNEY by
ARMAN AMROHVI is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 India License
Checking the email I felt a sudden jolt as if mild earthquake has visited my town. The internet connection being intact made me realized that it was not an earthquake which usually –for seconds– disconnect the services which are somewhere related with our earth’s magnetic field. My email account flashed the remainder of my wife’s birthday–on 28th September– which was now 17 days ahead. This made me trail to 1996 from 2001 to the flashing date when I was married and in 1997 on the same date my daughter–Sakina–was born, the same date happens to be my wedding anniversary and the birthday of my daughter.
In between these thoughts was the most important day of my life when my wife–Afreen–disclosed the fact to me that she was expecting. In a few months from now I will be holding a life which will belong to the Almighty but whose worldly creator will be me along the love of my wife. There will be someone extending the bond between we two and above all this new being will change my personality altogether from a husband to a father. Feeling bit shy to disclose this soul soothing news to my parents, I was wondering how to speak about it, when the knock on the door distracted my thoughts and to my respond my mother walked in and said, “Now no more late working in the office be back home on time, she and the new life with her needs your presence more”. My father walked behind her saying, “Thanks for adding a prefix to me”. I was filled with exuberance on the idea that my parents were aware to the fact that a new life was to come in our family.
Suddenly I said Afreen something is burning and all the traces of the bygone days vanished but smell of something burning was quite real. I moved out of my cabin, having a large window, into the office area. Being morning time the attendance was still to be filled. All were affirmative on the idea that something was burning. With a bang the front door of office opened and my Negro friend–Micheal, who had his office on the 63 rd floor of the same building–rushed in and shouted, “The building is on fire and we all will die”. I exclaimed, Micheal was petrified and missed words, “The plane hit our…” The people panicked and started to run out. I stood there and then along with Micheal entered my cabin. He leaned from the window, “Look Arman, there is fire below us this will…” I also leaned and looking at the fire said, “Destiny is destined” saying these words I walked to my chair. I opened the personal folder on my laptop and looked at the photographs of my family. Afreen my wife, “Now again you are going, our daughter wants you to be at the Parents Teacher Meeting at her school unlike other fathers,” tears rolled down my check. “Son, now Sakina is growing and she needs you, please don’t go,” last words of my mother–in person–were constantly flashing in my mind. I with all the courage opened the compose box of my email and started to type, ‘Papa, Ammi, Afreen and lovely Sakina. I came to this far-off land dreaming an economically secure life ahead. I made many friends in the span of four years and all love and care for me’. Micheal shouted, “Arman what a fool you are to write a mail at this hour of life, we should move…” I nodded in negative without uttering a word and glued to the system. He moved out banging the door behind. I again joined my family in the letter, ‘coming here was a dream come through for me but not even a single day passed without missing you all. Each night I hold the teddy next to me personifying Sakina. On getting to the departmental store most of the time I would hear the words, “Dear, Ammi and Papa like mix fruit jam not any other, take a soap which is caustic free as Ammi is allergic, Sakina likes stuffed chocolates and so on,” are the last moment suggestion from you Afreen. While writing I was going breathless. I pulled my chair next to the huge window and the laptop on my lap. I protruded my head out of the window and for seconds breathing was easy. I again pulled myself and trailed to my childhood, ‘Papa hope you remember the day when my result of the twelfth standard was declared, you said, “Son I am proud of you for the distinction in the all the subjects,” that day till today has been the most celebrated day of my life’. A puff of air distracted my attention from writing. It was as if Sakina was slightly blowing air on my left ear. I turned to my left to catch her but the empty space made me realized that I was all alone in the room. ‘Ammi, I still don’t like half cooked meat, but the delicacy of the dish has been haunting me for an year since last I had with you was on my visit to India in December last. I planned to eat the same on my back home visit this time, forever’. The suffocation was increasing every minute, now with itching in the eyes. I again pulled my head out of the window for extra oxygen. Damped my handkerchief with water from the bottle on my table and kept it on my eyes and again seconds back I was writing. ‘Afreen the day Sakina was born we both were arguing about the future of our daughter, you wanted her to become a doctor and I wanted her to be a lawyer. The doctor business in final, please give me a cup of tea, it has been long—I realized that you are not here with me at this time but do you remember that whenever I used to bow to your part of discussion I would ask for a cup of tea from you’.
The suffocation was now unbearable. I again put my head out of the window; I could feel the heat of the flames from the floor below mine. With a huge inhale of air I picked my laptop and ran towards the staircase. The place was full of smoke and I made my way towards the terrace. On reaching there I sat on the ground and again started to write, ‘Papa you wanted me to become an IAS officer, but I wanted to do something different. Now what I am doing at present is due to my attachment towards you four, but this will become a record in some day’s time as the last mail ever of a dying man. Papa today I am thinking that you rightly said, “Death will come only once and one should be ready for it. I am nor afraid of anything at this last hour of mine. Afreen at my home here I have many things bought for Sakina, Ammi and Papa. There is a Barbie doll for Sakina, for Ammi there is a foot massager, she complained last time regarding her foot, and for Papa I have bought a Shaffer pen set. Afreen now you have to be me at my home for the rest of your life and by the side of my parents ever after. Now I am coming to stay with you all forever because I cannot escape the journey of eternity and I am going to fly from here to the ground because Ammi and Papa are aware that I can bear all pain of any sort but I cannot stand the pain of burning, it has been my weakness since childhood. Many happy returns of the day to you Afreen and Sakina on your coming birthday. Khuda Hafiz’.
I pressed the send button and waited for the message—mail successfully delivered. Then I stood up, looked at the sky and thanked Almighty for all He had given to me and jumped from one of the burning twin tower for journey to eternity.
Checking the email I felt a sudden jolt as if mild earthquake has visited my town. The internet connection being intact made me realized that it was not an earthquake which usually –for seconds– disconnect the services which are somewhere related with our earth’s magnetic field. My email account flashed the remainder of my wife’s birthday–on 28th September– which was now 17 days ahead. This made me trail to 1996 from 2001 to the flashing date when I was married and in 1997 on the same date my daughter–Sakina–was born, the same date happens to be my wedding anniversary and the birthday of my daughter.
In between these thoughts was the most important day of my life when my wife–Afreen–disclosed the fact to me that she was expecting. In a few months from now I will be holding a life which will belong to the Almighty but whose worldly creator will be me along the love of my wife. There will be someone extending the bond between we two and above all this new being will change my personality altogether from a husband to a father. Feeling bit shy to disclose this soul soothing news to my parents, I was wondering how to speak about it, when the knock on the door distracted my thoughts and to my respond my mother walked in and said, “Now no more late working in the office be back home on time, she and the new life with her needs your presence more”. My father walked behind her saying, “Thanks for adding a prefix to me”. I was filled with exuberance on the idea that my parents were aware to the fact that a new life was to come in our family.
Suddenly I said Afreen something is burning and all the traces of the bygone days vanished but smell of something burning was quite real. I moved out of my cabin, having a large window, into the office area. Being morning time the attendance was still to be filled. All were affirmative on the idea that something was burning. With a bang the front door of office opened and my Negro friend–Micheal, who had his office on the 63 rd floor of the same building–rushed in and shouted, “The building is on fire and we all will die”. I exclaimed, Micheal was petrified and missed words, “The plane hit our…” The people panicked and started to run out. I stood there and then along with Micheal entered my cabin. He leaned from the window, “Look Arman, there is fire below us this will…” I also leaned and looking at the fire said, “Destiny is destined” saying these words I walked to my chair. I opened the personal folder on my laptop and looked at the photographs of my family. Afreen my wife, “Now again you are going, our daughter wants you to be at the Parents Teacher Meeting at her school unlike other fathers,” tears rolled down my check. “Son, now Sakina is growing and she needs you, please don’t go,” last words of my mother–in person–were constantly flashing in my mind. I with all the courage opened the compose box of my email and started to type, ‘Papa, Ammi, Afreen and lovely Sakina. I came to this far-off land dreaming an economically secure life ahead. I made many friends in the span of four years and all love and care for me’. Micheal shouted, “Arman what a fool you are to write a mail at this hour of life, we should move…” I nodded in negative without uttering a word and glued to the system. He moved out banging the door behind. I again joined my family in the letter, ‘coming here was a dream come through for me but not even a single day passed without missing you all. Each night I hold the teddy next to me personifying Sakina. On getting to the departmental store most of the time I would hear the words, “Dear, Ammi and Papa like mix fruit jam not any other, take a soap which is caustic free as Ammi is allergic, Sakina likes stuffed chocolates and so on,” are the last moment suggestion from you Afreen. While writing I was going breathless. I pulled my chair next to the huge window and the laptop on my lap. I protruded my head out of the window and for seconds breathing was easy. I again pulled myself and trailed to my childhood, ‘Papa hope you remember the day when my result of the twelfth standard was declared, you said, “Son I am proud of you for the distinction in the all the subjects,” that day till today has been the most celebrated day of my life’. A puff of air distracted my attention from writing. It was as if Sakina was slightly blowing air on my left ear. I turned to my left to catch her but the empty space made me realized that I was all alone in the room. ‘Ammi, I still don’t like half cooked meat, but the delicacy of the dish has been haunting me for an year since last I had with you was on my visit to India in December last. I planned to eat the same on my back home visit this time, forever’. The suffocation was increasing every minute, now with itching in the eyes. I again pulled my head out of the window for extra oxygen. Damped my handkerchief with water from the bottle on my table and kept it on my eyes and again seconds back I was writing. ‘Afreen the day Sakina was born we both were arguing about the future of our daughter, you wanted her to become a doctor and I wanted her to be a lawyer. The doctor business in final, please give me a cup of tea, it has been long—I realized that you are not here with me at this time but do you remember that whenever I used to bow to your part of discussion I would ask for a cup of tea from you’.
The suffocation was now unbearable. I again put my head out of the window; I could feel the heat of the flames from the floor below mine. With a huge inhale of air I picked my laptop and ran towards the staircase. The place was full of smoke and I made my way towards the terrace. On reaching there I sat on the ground and again started to write, ‘Papa you wanted me to become an IAS officer, but I wanted to do something different. Now what I am doing at present is due to my attachment towards you four, but this will become a record in some day’s time as the last mail ever of a dying man. Papa today I am thinking that you rightly said, “Death will come only once and one should be ready for it. I am nor afraid of anything at this last hour of mine. Afreen at my home here I have many things bought for Sakina, Ammi and Papa. There is a Barbie doll for Sakina, for Ammi there is a foot massager, she complained last time regarding her foot, and for Papa I have bought a Shaffer pen set. Afreen now you have to be me at my home for the rest of your life and by the side of my parents ever after. Now I am coming to stay with you all forever because I cannot escape the journey of eternity and I am going to fly from here to the ground because Ammi and Papa are aware that I can bear all pain of any sort but I cannot stand the pain of burning, it has been my weakness since childhood. Many happy returns of the day to you Afreen and Sakina on your coming birthday. Khuda Hafiz’.
I pressed the send button and waited for the message—mail successfully delivered. Then I stood up, looked at the sky and thanked Almighty for all He had given to me and jumped from one of the burning twin tower for journey to eternity.