Your' Amsal

Dear Jane

How are you? I received your letter yesterday and filled with ultimate joy that can’t be described in words here. I am happy that you remember me even after years despite of your busy schedule. Being very candid, I wasn’t expecting your letter in-fact I had given up on you till yesterday. I was washing dishes when the postman knocked on door, I went expecting Razia on door, you remember Razia? My neighbor, The Rasgulla girl? How much you liked to eat rasgullahs made by her, though she was so naïve and was learning to cook back then… Ah! Those were the days... now she is an expert of it. Well I was telling you when I saw the postman on door the very first thought came to me was so morbid... Nay! Not about you. You were not anywhere near my mind, the thought which came to me was the demise of my mother in-law. She is very sick these days and doctors are trying to give her one more year but I guess she won’t make it anymore.

Oh! So sorry! What I am pouring you in. It’s like I have met my dearest friend after eons and have so much to talk about, though you were here for such a short time but made us feel like you were a part of us. Tell me how’s your life going? Are you still single and a wanderer or have become someone’s spouse? By the way I am married now and have two beautiful children, one girl and one boy. I did post you the invitation card on the address given by you and I waited for you but it was a long silence prevailed on your side then I understood that you didn’t get the post else you wouldn’t be missing my wedding for sure. I still recall those days when one night we, You, me and Razia were sitting under the shade of big oak tree and sun was about to go down behind one of the greatest white mountain and we were discussing Men… haha… like literally we were discussing Men… chuckling and throwing peeks towards their muscles and… Oh my God! We laughed like hell… what the wonderful girls out evening we had back then…

I told Ahmed about you. Ahmed, my husband. He is a doctor in a private hospital. A bone specialist from Karachi. He is trying to get back to Karachi and get himself transferred there, let’s see what happens. Such a genius he is, he must get a chance to embrace more success. By the way, I live in the same house you visited once, the only difference is that baba is no more. He left us last year during monsoon. I was the eight month pregnant with Saaim. The days were very painful for me, I went in shock state, couldn’t able to think the life without him. You know how kind he was, how lively and cheerful he was. I never saw him pessimist in my life, he was all made of hope. And you second my words too because you’d met him. Anyways, after baba’ demise, because I was so close to him so I requested Ahmed to move in here and yes you won’t believe it that he agreed and moved in here with me. He always wanted to see me happy, to him my happiness is the only thing that matters. He is the best possible thing ever happened to me after being baba’s daughter. Saaim was born in his Nana’ abode, such a heaven it is. I feel solace here, it’s like baba is here with me, breathing the same air but it’s just the unseen veil between us.

Although I have so much to tell you but I guess Saaim is crying inside and he will get Rumi awake too. And I need to feed him as he is always hungry, by the way, Saaim and Rumi are my children, age one and three.

You must write to me. I will be waiting for your reply. Take good care of your health and do let me know where you are these days? It’s 3 PM afternoon here in Gilgit.

Your Asian Friend

Amsal