Gamma Tennis
July 1st, 2007 | 
Author:
Gamma Tennis
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US $49.00
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Gamma $8.49 Gamma |
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Gamma: Gamma 2 $19.69 Gamma: Gamma 2 |
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Tennis $70 Tennis |
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Gamma Rays $10 Gamma Rays |
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Gamma 2 $10.49 Gamma 2 |
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The Magenta Gamma $23.88 The Magenta Gamma |
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The Black of Gamma $20.5 The Black of Gamma |
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Gamma Glamma $13.5 Gamma Glamma |
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Gamma Lid $14.04 Gamma Seal - Gamma Lid - 447001 |
The Family Scene-1930s Jalandhar
I remember our old styled ancestral home with high walls and a high gate in ‘Tahli Mohalla' where I spent my early childhood in 1930's in Jalandhar city now in India.
In my ancestors the most prominent and respectable person was my paternal great grandmother popularly called ‘Beeweejee' about hundred in age. She was also the maternal grand mother of my mother- Binnat Khatoon She was having quite a good health with sound teeth but with poor vision. She was very well looked after by my grand mother named Ghulam Fatima or popularly known as ‘Maassee Gamma'.
Beeweejee was very regular in her prayers and recitation of the Holy Quran. Beeweejee was well versed in Islam and had performed Hajj with many other relatives. She used to organize Juma prayers for women in the upper floor of the house behind the Mohalla mosque. She would also teach recitation of the Holy Quran to many children who regularly came around. Beeweejee used to wear old style clothes with narrow pyjamas. She was a strong and decisive lady who had final say in making many family decisions especially matrimonial alliances. I used to visit her like many other relatives to greet her and to get advice on various matters. She would call me ‘Shughra' out of affection.
Among other elders who lived in the house were my grandfather-Syed Abdul Haq and his younger brother and some other relatives in the joint family.
Outside the main house called there was a portion where my grandfather lived. I often saw him reading newspaper and carrying out many physical exercises. He was a strong and capable personality. Once there was a big snake in his portion. He immediately put a small board on the snake's head and started crushing it by standing on the board till the snake died. But it left swelling on the legs of my grandfather as it kept on hitting him by its tail.
In the course of time the joint property was divided among brothers and my grandfather built a grand estate including gardens, tennis court, poultry farm, grain, vegetable, fruit farms, etc. he and his family and descendents moved to the new estate and remained there till the partition of India.
In the poultry farm a ferocious cat used to come at night to eat some of the hens. Disgusted by cat's behavior one of my uncles-Syed Inam-ul-Haq took out a gun and sat all night on a chair and finally succeeded in firing and killing the cat thus saving rest of the hens in peace but poor cat lost its life.
One night a gang of thieves struck in the wall below a window in the farm house next to the poultry house where I lived with my parents and some other relatives for some time. The thieves stole a large number of valuables for which we all were very sorry including my grandmother who actually wept by seeing the broken wall in the early morning. The thieves had actually been hiding in a nulla close by at night and struck late night. The theft was reported to police which took several months to catch some of the thieves. The police recovered and brought a very few disfigured valuables. Contd
My maternal grandfather named Syed Mohammad Shah and my maternal grand mother named Batool had spent most of their time inMultanin connection with my grandfather's service. There also lived with them my uncles viz. Syed Miftah-ul-Haq, Syed Ihsan-ul-Haq and Syed Inam-ul-Haq and my aunt Seema Appa. My other aunts who lived mostly inJullundurcity were Izzat Khala and Rafiq Khala Once I visitedMultanwith my mother. There unfortunately it so happened that a scorpion bit a foot of my mother. It was a great anguish difficult to bear and treat. But an indigenous expert in venom treatment was found who after few days of struggle treated the anguish and my mother was alright.
In Jalandhar city both my grand parents moved to their new estate in Civil Lines but keeping a portion of their share in the ancestral house in Tahli Mohalla.
My father Syed Misbah-ul-Haq and my mother Binnat Khatoon spent their early life in Kalka,East Punjaband Wazirabad,West Punjabin connection with his railway service. Later they moved toJullundurcity in the new estate which they looked after with some other relatives like Syed Amman-ul-Haq who was also Seema Appa's husband. But he continued to live in the ancestral house. In the estate we had plenty of crops, fruits especially strawberry and oranges and vegetables. There we had a number of cattle like cows and buffalos and camels and ox for running the Persian wheel for drawing water from the well to irrigate fields. Added was a tube well which also drew abundant water. One day my grandfather was standing near the well where a peasant a passerby came along to drink water. After a glance of the estate he said this must have been a property of a big businessman. But my grandfather in all humility told him he was nothing but an ordinary man like them.
It is important to mention that my grandmother not only supervised a number of servants like cooks, bearers, and farm hands but also managed a number of other things.
When I was a child one of my uncles Syed Miftah-Ul-Haq got married when we were all living in Tahli Mohalla ofJullundurcity. When he started with the procession to bring bride I was his ‘Shahbala' (groom's close relative or friend supposed to accompany him in throughout his wedding ceremonies). I was about eight years of age and it was a very exciting moment for me. I also remember when my Uncles Syed Ihasan Ul Haq and Syed Amman Ul Haq got married to each other's sisters simultaneously. All arrangements were made at my grandfather's estate in Civil Lines. A large number of relatives and friends gathered at the estate. It was a great occasion with a lot of fun and festivity. All kinds of delicious meals were served and a variety of ice cream was specially got prepared for the ceremonies. I also vividly remember when Syed Nazir Ali Shah a famous cricketer like his brother Syed Wazir Ali Shah visited Tahli Mohalla fromAmritsarwhere he was serving as an engineer. He was forty at that time when his bride Safia Appa daughter of Dadi Amma, was of 20 years of age at that time. She was taken toAmritsarafter marriage. I still remember I was wearing a ‘plus fore suit' (a western dress very much in vogue at that time in which pants were of knee length with stockings).
About the Author
Islamabad, Pakistan.
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