My Story - Dubai - Islamabad

On 11th April 2008, round about 2 AM, I was going through the most complex phase in my life as my mind was going through nostalgia. I was leaving the country I was born in forever – UAE.

Ground was shaking for me and the sky was rickety on me at the time of my departure from the country. I was parting behind my way of livelihood provided by this country and shifting to the land of the unknown and uncertainty– Pakistan. The instability in my home country gave me second thoughts always, but belief in the Almighty always re-assured me that my motherland will support me at my time of crisis unlike U.A.E. which disowned me like an aristocrat who dumps an illegitimate child born out of its own blood.

On that D-day, I experienced an earthquake jolt my life which shook me so violently that it made a mountain like me to snivel. I was saying goodbye to my childhood memories and my friends. In fact, they were not friends; they were brothers, their unconditional love for me made me ponder at times that maybe we are of the same blood. But, then I thought brothers trussed with blood quarrel, the specialty in our bond was that though we were born out of different mothers, but the mutual respect and love for each other was beyond the limits of any blood relation which exists in our humanity. I just have 1 sibling, sister, so I learnt from them what brotherhood meant. They supported and sponsored all my desires and needs which I guess is even tough for blood relatives to do or for those people who understand only in the language of the materialistic, my friends, support and sponsorship means a more lot than just a financial gain. It’s the peace of mind one shares with each other unconditionally to spread happiness into the lives of others.

I was leaving the country with a heart heavy as if it was full of lead because U.A.E. did not want me anymore. I was not an asset anymore; I became a liability for the country. Due to uncertainties in my life caused by the economic havoc in the country forced me to break an immigration law which was as strict as a line drawn on a boulder. The country which never recognized me as a national, though I was born there, was and is still ‘mother’ for me, because it’s where I came to my senses and maturity. Against all odds, I went to seek forgiveness.

But, ‘mother’ got livid and did not want to see my face anymore. If a graph was made on our lovely and rocky relationship then it will surely look like the graph of the Wall Street Stock Exchange before and after the crash of the 1930s. Truly, our relationship which was for the mutual benefit of both was rising with prosperity, but it tumbled down since the materialistic world turned its face away from me. But, what surprised me the most was that my ‘mother’, the country where I came to existence, refused to help and forgive me. Moreover, it refused to accept me in its house anymore because I was not a part of the decorum anymore; instead I was a disgrace for it.

Our relationship was coming to a depressing closing stage; it started when I was born from the womb of the natal mother crying and then was transferred to the womb of my motherland. It ended on the same note, this time I was getting out of the womb of the motherland to the womb of the new one waiting for me, once again crying.

Interestingly, this motherland did gave me all the pleasures of lives but always called me a step-son- expatriate, which I think made it difficult for her to forgive me. Moreover, I recognized an imperative fact that one should never balance a non-living entity symbolically with human beings because it lacks the characteristics found in human beings. This sense helped me to triumph over the assets I was leaving behind, though the feeling of losing did break me into pieces for a short while, and to give me enough strength to board the flight.

I waved my brothers for good, cried on their shoulders, and wiped my tears to resurrect my life once again. It was tough from the point my new life began; sadness took complete control over me during the flight – sadness caused by disownment and the sadness of losing my assets and my identity. But minutes before landing, sadness took leave, and the most cherish able moment of my life arrived. A beautiful air-hostess brought me a cake which my friend had sent it for me with best wishes for my new beginning. The delightful surprise and the sweetness of it changed my mind and my soul simultaneously. Life looked gorgeous to me once again just like the cherry on that cake looked.

When I came down the plane, it felt the world was waiting for me, it felt as someone was telling me that there is a world beyond U.A.E; it was my new mother – Pakistan. Everything was moving in slow motion and that too in a mute mode, it’s a feeling I guess only the few would have experienced in life. My mind was realizing in this extra-ordinary mode that people smile and get work everywhere beyond the reasons found in economics where stability means success and instability means crisis. The notion which gave me courage, to rebuild my life and to eventually write down this saga, was when I saw another mother welcoming me with open arms, thus it put life once again into me by making me feel that I am acceptable in any form.

This mother accepted me with all my faults and shortcomings. She vowed to facilitate me to mend my crisis. She vowed she won’t stop helping me till my last breath if I guarantee the same for her. She vowed I can count on her and in return she just wanted me to live in harmony with her sons and my new brothers. She wanted me to respect the norms she has placed in return if I helped her in decorating and rebuilding her house. She vouched, & I took oath.

After taking the oath I realized she might disown me too like the previous one so I asked her, “Mother, what if a situation arises where I am forced to break your norms for the sole reason of survival, she said, ‘Well, son that will be decided in the courts of law, and you will be given an exception if you deserve because if God can forgive the deserved ones why cant we?”. “And if you have done something which is punishable, you will be punished for it son, but not kicked out of my house’.

This re-assured my determination, and I was daring to see the world waiting for me outside the airport. I was daring to go to gain confidence and respect which I had left and lost behind.
With the Grace of the Almighty, I have gained both the characteristics immensely and the mother’s delighted too as I perform my duty diligently to help her gain respect and confidence. The mother also asked her sons recently to pick up some tools to repair the system of courts and governance, so that it never tilts towards powerful personalities because it’s for the protection of our house and she also asked me to help Pakistan generally in each and every aspect. I chose the pen as the tool to support her cause. For me the fulfillment of these promises I made with my new mother would be easier, I believe, because it does not pinch me like those I made with my old mother where I had to pay a handsome amount for her survival and mine.

Today, I have realized the fact completely that one should never compare a non-living entity symbolically with human beings because it lacks the characteristics found in human beings, be it U.A.E. or Pakistan. It’s the people who give it the human touch and characteristics, it all about the people!

I believe there are people and not robots in both the countries. More, I know I will visit U.A.E soon in life but this time I will not come in crying, In fact, I will enter with respect and dignity happily which I re-gained from Pakistan which I had lost previously.

Thank you PAKISTAN !