Friday, Morning, 10.42 am.
Shakira's phone was ringing. She had just now finished her lectures and was standing in the outside courtyard of the lecture hall.
“Hi, sister, what are you doing?,” it was her brother Hamzi on the other end.
“Just now finished my lectures. It’s surprising, you are calling me?”.
“I called my own sister. It is surprising to you. What sort of world we are living in, ah..!”.
"Ok. What is the matter?".
"Don't be so rude, sister. First you should ask me how I am doing. Haven't your father taught you these basic manners, sister?".
"Well. How are you doing, my kind brother?"
"I am doing so well, my sister. Did you hear anything about me?".
"About you? What sort of thing?", Shakira laughed.
"You will hear soon. My sister, do you remember you once told me to care enough to protect the dignity of our family?” Hamzi asked in a serious sarcastic tone.
"Did I say?"
"Yeah. You said. But, you have forgotten it seems. But, I haven't”.
"Aaha… I think you try to declare something to this world".
"Absolutely right. Have you heard any news from the village"?.
"Some teachers from the village school got transferred. Then, Rushda's brother got fired".
"That's all? There are more things to add to the story".
"More things? What else? But, I didn't hear anything else. I can’t remember".
"You will hear soon".
"Okay"
"Do you know who is the mastermind for all these things?".
"Who else? Our father".
"No".
"Then, Mr Shareek".
"No. You won't guess whom till the day of judgement. It's your brother. It's me".
"Oh my god..! Really? I believe you, my brother. Now go and watch Tom and Jerry, okay…! I have lots of important things to do right now. So, stop this nonsense and get lost".
"Sister, you always call me an idiot and irresponsible. Then, when I do a clever thing, you tend to credit someone else".
Shakira started laughing. "Okay. Okay. I agree you are a very responsible, knowledgeable, talented, skilful and a genius young man. Now delighted? Now go and watch Tom and Jerry as a good boy".
"So you still don't believe my role in this, ah?".
"In transferring these teachers?"
"Yeah".
"Okay. Let's assume it is my genius brother who is behind these job transfers of these teachers. So what? What's the point?".
"They are Mohideen Hajiyar's people. Now he has gotten weaken".
"Come on, we are not on a battlefield, Hamzi. We are the people from the same village. Blood relatives".
"I can't believe my sister is talking this way. This is just like Shaythaan is reciting scripture. Your tone is not right since those ladies’ visit"
"Which ladies?"
"My old girlfriend and her mother".
"What? Your girlfriend? What are you talking about, Hamzi?", Shakira exclaimed.
"I am talking about Hamdha. Uncle Mohideen’s daughter. It was an old one-sided crush story from when I was in grade nine. Rather an ancient story. Forget about it".
"If our father comes to know, he will bury you alive".
"Don't divert the topic. The point is your tone is different since their visit".
"Maybe".
"What maybe? You tell me to forget the problems between two of our families?".
"Yeah… we have to forget someday. We can’t keep on fighting this way, can we?".
"How can you swing your mood at this speed? You asked me that day to start chaos by posting a voice message. Now you ask me to forget the whole thing?".
"Yeah. At that time I was too worried about my father. I wanted to do something. Moreover I was madly angry with Hamdha".
"So you tried to start chaos in the village scapegoating me for your personal problem with your friend".
"Yeah. I realize I was acting irrationally".
"I said I have a different plan. But, you didn't believe me".
"Wait a minute. Now I understand. You have successfully executed the ingenious alternative strategy of yours. Am I right, my genius brother?".
"You are absolutely right, my brilliant sister".
"Now you have proved yourself as responsible and talented. You have protected our family’s dignity with your clever alternative plan. Right now I have so many important things to do. I can't spend the whole time talking to you this way about this whole lot of nonsense. But, it was tremendously entertaining. Bye".
The line went dead.
* * * *
Friday,
Morning, 9.47 am
It has been almost two weeks since Shibly arrived in Marudur. When he entered, he knew nothing about this village. He knew no one. He had no idea about the customs and the culture of these people.
Shibly was a stranger just like a lonely traveller. Nevertheless, he thought of himself as a hero. He had a good perception of himself and his career. He was eager to meet his students.
How many things have occurred within these two weeks, both in his own life and in this usually dull village?! It was overwhelming.
Shibly was nobody here. He no longer appeared to be the hero of the story. He was someone who has not any sort of significance.
Many friendly faces had suddenly disappeared forever within a couple of days saying goodbye to this school.
“You must look after Minhaj’s job”, the principal told him on Wednesday. It was a disaster. It had been mere two days since then. It was like millions of years since he had any real encounter with students. Work was stressful and draining his mental energy, not because the work was so hard but because it was dehumanizing him.
Friday was even more disastrous. It was like his country got invaded by a foreign army.
Four strange-looking men arrived at the school premises. They were heavily built and more than six feet in height. They looked like very strong men in their mid-thirties.
Shibly was working inside the principal's office. At glance, he thought they were officers of some kind from a certain government department.
Shibly stood up to go out and attend to them. But, he was too late. The principal was already there outside greeting and inviting this new troop enthusiastically.
Shibly was helpless but overheard their conversation.
“You all surprised me. I was expecting you all only on Monday. You are here on Friday itself”.
“Yes, sir. Thought of giving you a surprise. Just yesterday night we thought of coming down here and now we're. Just thought of having a feel of the school and the village we are about to work in”.
“That’s good. That’s good. When I see you I have a feeling of getting empowered. I am lucky to have a teachers panel like you”.
“We’ll always stand by your side, sir”.
The penny was finally dropped. This troop was a group of new teachers joining the staff members. They are here to fill the vacuum the transferred teachers had left behind them.
“Wow…. Wow. Superb. I was dying to have a troop of staff like you for all this time”, the principal looked in Shibly’s direction. He didn’t bother to introduce them to Shibly.
“Shibly, please make some tea and come”, ordered the principal.
Shibly hated this job at this second. The principal made Shibly look like an ‘office boy’ in front of these strangers.
Minhaj was lucky. He already left this place. He no longer needs to work under the principal and under this dehumanizing pressure.
“Shibly, you can’t go home this weekend. You got work”, the principal had told him earlier.
Shibly came with a tray of tea. New staff quickly emptied their cups and got ready to move around the premises.
The principal was about to walk with them. Before they left, the principal took Shibly to a corner.
"Look, Shibly. Security Suhail Nana is not here today. I want the staff washroom to be cleaned. Now at once. Got it, Shibly?".
He didn't wait for Shibly's response. Shibly had a disgusting feeling inside him.
The troop has started moving around the school premises as though they are going to buy the whole village. Hundreds of pairs of worried-looking eyes watching them from every corner of the school.
They were practically under occupation.
****
Friday,
Morning, 6.30 am
It was a regular habit of Mohideen Haajiyar to stay within the mosque premises after finishing his dawn prayer and to spend his time reciting Quran. Then, he would leave for the Akbar mosque office, when the sun is yet to rise. Anyone wishing to meet him could catch him up after dawn prayer. Even politicians sometimes show up without any pre-notice.
This particular Friday was unusually hot in the Akbar mosque office, despite the pleasant hill country morning wind. Mohideen Haajiyar, Zubair Hajiyar, Ubaidullah Hazrath and Fahim sir were sitting on the chairs in a circle.
Fahim sir was one of the teachers who got transferred. He was as angry as a boiling kettle.
“I told all of you several times. We should have tried our best to get a transfer to this man, the principal. If we had done it, the MARUDUR FIRST would not have come into existence. It wouldn’t have become a headache. But, no one listened to me. None of you supported me when I made some efforts on my own. Now, look what happened. It is me who is suffering”, Fahim sir was shouting in high volume.
The other three men in the office decided to keep silent for some time and they were listening to him attentively.
Zubair Haajiyar was the first one to break the silence. “Fahim sir, everyone understands your pain”.
“Understand my pain? Really? So, what is the point of your understanding? For the next few years, I’ll have to work alone in a remote location. Think about my family. My children. What would happen to them? Do you really understand my pain?”
Fahim sir took a deep breath and continued. “None of you does your job properly. If you can’t fulfil your responsibilities, what’s the point of sitting on these chairs? Simply resign and go home. More deserved will take charge of your seats”.
Now Mohideen Haajiyar talked. “Fahim sir, please calm down. We can’t take any decision if you get furious like this. None of us is happy with what happened”.
“But, I am the one who has the pain. None of you”.
Ubaidullah Hazrath spoke for the first time. “We are thinking and talking about only this thing for the last two days. We were also angry. But, we simply remained calm. Fahim son, you are an asset to this school. You are an asset to this village. You are one of our blood relatives. How can we leave you to sink in the middle of the seawater?”.
Fahim sir kept silent. He had calmed down to some extent. Meanwhile Izzadeen sir, the deputy principal arrived at the office with greetings and with his usual bright smile.
“I got late because I had to meet our lawyer”, said Izzadeen sir.
“This early morning?”.
“Going to buy some properties, I guess?”.
“No. Not at all. Not that sort. Everything was about our village problem”.
“Did the lawyer say anything important?”
“Yes. He confirmed that everything - this whole thing - was illegal. This job transfer could not be justified under any administrative guidelines. He says very strongly that these teachers could not be legally transferred at the moment”.
“So, we can take some legal actions and get the transfer orders cancelled?”.
“Absolutely. Chances are more likely”.
“Izzadeen sir, Fahim sir is complaining all this time that we don’t care about him at all”.
“Why Fahim sir? None of us have any thoughts at all except this one”.
“I am sorry, everyone. I was talking in anger. I should have minded my words”.
“No. Fahim sir. Forget about it. You are the one with the pain. Naturally such words slip your mouth”.
“Any ideas about the politician who was behind this transfer, Izzadeen sir? Did the lawyer say anything?”, asked Mohideen Haajiyar.
“Yeah, it’s interesting. He says no politician was involved in this”.
“How come no politician was involved?”.
“He says a huge sum of bribe has been paid to an official. That’s how the inappropriate transfer order has been arranged”.
“Really?”. Exclaimed Fahim sir, forgetting his own destiny, “Who is this official?”.
“No idea. Our lawyer has still been collecting evidence through his contacts”.
“Until that, we can’t do anything?”, Fahim sir asked in despair.
“No, Fahim sir. Not like that. Your transfer is extra-legal. We can challenge it even now. Evidence is necessary to prove only the bribing part. That is something else. That has nothing to do with revoking your transfer order, even if the real culprits slip from the eyes of the law. You can be happy, Fahim sir. Nothing to worry about as far as what lawyer had said”.
“Alhamdulillaah”.
“Izzadeen sir, please continue to coordinate with the lawyer. We will pay his fee as well”, Mohideen Haajiyar said.
“I don’t think he will accept any payments. He feels he is obliged to do something as a fellow Marudurian”.
Ubaidullaah Hazrath coughed for a few seconds and said:
“This bribing thing is a serious thing. I didn’t tell you. But, I also talked to the lawyer. I learned that the bribe was close to one million rupees. I couldn’t believe it. If someone is ready to spend such a huge amount of money for achieving one of their aims, it is something alarming. Then, bribing is a crime. A criminal activity. It appears to me that MARUDUR FIRST people don’t worry about their means as long as their aims are praiseworthy”.
“Even their aims are not praiseworthy, Hazrath. They are power-hungry. All they want is village leadership. They think they alone deserve to be leaders. They want to sideline everyone else”, said Zubair Haajiyar angrily. “But, we don’t show any discrimination against them. Do we? Why can’t they just go along with everyone else? If they work cooperatively all of them have the potential to be selected as leaders''.
“Hungry for power is one of the serious moral diseases. It can blind anyone, even us. It could activate animal instinct in people”. Ubaidullaah Hazrath said with a deep sigh.
“Any idea about the person who paid this huge sum of bribe?”.
“Who else? It must be Saththar Haajiyar”, said Fahim sir in a hurry.
“No, Fahim sir. You are too quick to judge anyone. It is obviously not Saththar Haajiyar”, said Mohideen Haajiyar.
“Then, who?”
“We have to find out. But, not Saththar Haajiyar”, said Mohideen Haajiyar thoughtfully.
“Then, there is another question. Why did they get ready to pay such a huge sum of money? A million rupees?! It is not a small sum, isn’t it? What is their real motive? We need to find out”.
“Please, everyone should excuse me”, Ubaidullaah Hazrath stood up from his chair. “I have a speech to deliver at Coffee-Garden school for the Sinhala Language Day celebration”.
“You will be back for Friday prayers, right? Today’s sermon is yours, Hazrath”, Zubair Haajiyar reminded.
“Yeah, I remember. I will be back for the sermon”.
****
Saturday
Morning, 10.30 am
"Here you come. At last, you have thought of visiting us. What a pleasant surprise, dear", Hamdha invited Rushdha.
"You always Invite me. So finally I did come".
"Come and sit here. Let me introduce you to my mom".
Hamdha knew her mother wasn't fond of Rushdha after the incident at the restaurant. But, she was sure she would not disrespect her.
Rushdha sat on a sofa and looked around. The house had an elegantly pleasant interior designing.
Hamdha's mother came to the main hall.
"How are you, daughter?"
"Fine, aunty. How are you doing?"
"Doing well. Hamdha keeps on talking about you. But, this is the first time I see you in person. How strange..!! We live next door. Yet, never met before".
"Not so strange, aunty. Hamdha and I became thick friends only after we went to Colombo. Before that we were not so thick. She studied in Kandy. I studied in the village school".
"Hamdha also didn't have many friends here. You know, she was very shy".
"Actually, I was too shy to talk to her. You know how people frame others. It's like she is rich, pretty, and proud. She won't talk to us. Something like that. That’s how I thought about her".
"Was I proud? You girls never talked to me. I used to be very lonely".
"Yeah, it was just a kind of, you know, what to say? A perception. It was actually my problem. My inferiority complex. Insecurity within myself".
"You talk very openly. I like it", Hamdha's mother complimented Rushdha.
"Not always, aunty. I just feel homely here".
"You have one sister and two brothers, right?".
"Actually two sisters".
"Yeah. I know. Where does your elder sister teach?"
"Actually, I forgot the name of the place. It's in Kurunegala district, somewhere closer to Kuliyapitiya”
“Siyambalagaskotuwa?"
"Yeah. Not exactly there. But, somewhere close to that place".
"Everyone knows your brother Minhaj. The other brother?"
"He studies computer science. He was in Shakira's batch. He doesn't often come home. He works during weekends".
"I think your Minhaj brother would be getting ready for the journey, right?".
"Which journey, aunty?"
"Overseas journey? To Saudi Arabia".
"Overseas journey? I have no idea what you're talking about".
"Come on. Your brother Minhaj goes abroad with Hamdha's father next week, don't you know?".
It was a pleasant surprise not only to Rushdha but also to Hamdha.
"But, he didn't tell me a single word…!! For how long, aunty, will he stay there? I have no idea about this".
"Just two weeks I suppose. It is a business trip".
****
Friday,
Evening, 7.11 pm
"What is your next plan, Minhaj?". Mr Shareek asked Minhaj, "you have already been fired from school".
Asking questions about career and then giving advice was Mr Shareek's regular favourite obsessions for the last twenty years since he got married to Minhaj's aunt, Fauziya.
"I am visiting Saudi Arabia next week. A business trip".
“What? Going to Saudi Arabia?”. Mr Shareek asked in shock.
“Yes. Not only Saudi Arabia, Maldives as well, if it is possible”.
“How come in such a hurry?”, Mr Shareek was looking at Minhaj with envious eyes. Maybe he could have wished Minhaj to fly. But, not as high as above him.
“How come in such a hurry?”. Mr Shareek repeated his question again.
Shareek came all the way from his house expecting Minhaj to be broken because of being fired from the job. So, he had come prepared with some advice and ideas as usual. Minhaj's reply was apparently uncomfortable for him.
Minhaj decided to be sarcastic. “Yeah, things happen in a hurry. I was fired from the school in a hurry. Three teachers got transferred in a hurry. Four new staff joined the school in a hurry”.
Minhaj knew very well Mr Shareek had a very big role in this whole chaos.
Minhaj could not have been "fired" without his knowledge. But, Mr Shareek did nothing to stop it. That was all he cared about.
“When everything is happening in a hurry, why shouldn’t some good things also happen to me in a hurry?”, said Minhaj.
Mr Shareek felt awkward.
“What sort of business trip is this? I couldn’t understand. Even Fauziya didn’t tell me”. Mr Shareek said. His voice was unusually weak.
Mr Shareek used to feel his self-worth uplifting whenever he advises someone. Advising and raising his voice was part of his survival mechanism.
“It's just a business trip. I haven’t even told my mother yet”.
“Business trip? How come? I hope you won’t waste your money. It would cost a lot, you know”.
“Yes. I can assure you I won’t waste money”.
“Minhaj, I wonder what type of benefit you can gain from this so-called business trip. Minhaj, you always go behind fantasies. Why don't you stop all these things and try to land a stable job? Economies are regularly hit by repeated waves of the financial crisis. We can't survive in the business field these days”. Mr Shareek switched to his accustomed advising mode.
Minhaj knew by instinct uncle Shareek would next be demanding details about the trip.
Minhaj was suddenly alarmed. He did not want to publicise the sudden news of his lifetime opportunity. But, Mr Shareek, the man sitting in front of him, had no idea about controlling his tongue or privacy.
Telling anything to uncle Shareek or Aunt Fauziya in private means broadcasting the news to the whole village. Minhaj might become the centre of gossip. The problem was that, unlike many other expert-gossipers, Mr Shareek is usually taken as someone reliable and considered a gentleman.
Minhaj wanted to keep the news as secret as possible. He didn’t even tell his mother. If he had told her, she would have told it to aunt Fauziya. By that time, it would have been public news. His mother was innocent. She still believed her sister. She had no idea what chaos aunt Fauziya and her husband could make in the village and in his life.
Minhaj had lost many opportunities because of their tongue. He would keep this business trip a secret until the last minute. He won’t tell his mother. Even his reliable sister Rushdha. I am sorry, sister.
“I wonder what type of benefit you can gain from this, Minhaj”.
"Actually, I was joking, uncle. There is no such business trip. I am trying to go abroad, uncle. For employment. That's it. Let's see how things go on. Uncle, you told me about it, didn't you? So I have been thinking about it since then", Minhaj said, diverting the topic. He regretted for lying. Minhaj must have controlled his tongue in the first place.
Mr Shareek felt regaining his self-worth.
"That's good. That's extremely good, Minhaj. Go abroad. Work for five or six years. Come back with money. You can get married into a good family. Actually, I appreciate your decision. You have sisters and family responsibilities. This is the best decision you have ever made".
****
Friday,
Afternoon, 2.07 pm
Actually what happened was that day Mohideen Hajiyar had called Minhaj over the phone by 10 o'clock in the morning.
"Minhaj, son, will it be possible for you to meet me after Jumu'ah prayer? Will you be free?".
"Yeah, uncle, where can I meet you?".
"Please, come to the Akbar mosque office soon after Jumu'ah prayer. Ubaidullaah Hazrath also wants to meet you. We can go to his house and talk".
"Okay. Uncle, sure".
That is how Minhaj met Mohideen Haajiyar and Ubaidullaah Hazrath.
Hazrath's house was as simple as Ubaidullaah Hazrath.
"Have you got a passport, son?", Mohideen Hajiyar asked Minhaj while sitting on a sofa.
"Yeah, I have, uncle".
“I know everything that happened in school. I am going on a business trip to Saudi Arabia next week. Ubaidullaah Hazrath also will come with me. It is a business trip. I am looking for business opportunities overseas. Would you like to accompany me?”.
“What, uncle? I don’t understand”, said Minhaj.
“Okay let me explain. I need hardworking people for my business. Not just people. I need the ones I can trust and rely upon. I know you want to be a businessman. You are an educated, honest and hardworking young man. Your father was one of my childhood friends”, Mohideen Hajiyar stopped for a second and continued, “I will never offer you a job. I know you will hate it. I want you to be my business partner”.
“Business partner?” Minhaj was shocked, “How can I, uncle? I haven’t got any money. I just try with very humble business ideas with zero investment”.
“Son, I know you don’t have any money. But, I have money. I can help you establish yourself. Rather than saying help, we can make it a business. We can do business together”.
Minhaj realized he was in a very important moment of his life. This rich man of great respect in the village knew him better than his own close relatives who were always peeping into his house.
“I am so pleased you have known this much about me and for your trust in myself…”, Minhaj wanted to say something more. But, he was overwhelmed by emotions.
“I think you wonder what type of business we can do?”, Mohideen Hajiayar himself said.
“Yes, uncle”.
“Actually, I also have no idea at the moment. We can do some brainstorming”.
“What are we going to do on this business trip?”
“No particular plan. We are going to explore the opportunities. We have no idea how the trip is going to be. The single plan we have so far is to meet the son of one of Hazrath’s friends.”
“We are going abroad to explore the opportunities?”.
“While staying inside the village, it is very difficult to come up with good ideas, you know. Especially, when we have people around us peeping into our privacy and to gossip", continued Mohideen Hajiyar, “we will have plenty of opportunities to talk and discuss. Let’s see how things develop”.
“If nothing works, you can consider this trip as just a vacation”, Ubaidullaah Hazrath laughed.
“Yeah, Hazrath is right and I won’t pay you. You know why? Because you are not my employee. You are my business partner”, smiled Hajiyar, “Don’t worry about travel expenses. That is my responsibility. What do you say?”.
Mohideen Haajiyar and Ubaidullaah Hazrath were the people whom Minhaj had tremendous respect for. Minhaj instantly realized that they offer him a lifetime opportunity that no other people would ever be ready to offer him.
((To be continued))
_ _ _ _
Next chapter: chapter 18 - the age difference
Previous chapter: chapter 16 - you will pay for this...!
* Characters, events and the places in this story are fictional and a mere product of the author's imagination. Any resemblance to real-world events or characters is merely coincidental.
** Vijayapura and Marudur are fictional places.
Riza Jaufer
Akurana -Kandy,
Sri Lanka
