COLLAPSE OF AN AMBITION

Ambitions are pretty to be made but hard to accomplish through lifelong struggle. When ever a collapse of ambitions occurs; all concerns of life and art overturn the pleasures and popularity.

Jamal Khan emerged as an artist from a poor hamlet in the far southeast marshy areas of Lahore city. He possessed an innate genius of musical art. The tunes of the flute and rhythms of his sitar had magical stances on the hands of Jamal*. The throbs of the strings and notes of the flute scatter splendid imagination on Jamal’s blows and thrills. Almost all the issues of music and melody had peculiar charms with Jamal’s excellent art.

The artistic trains of Jamal Khan earned him much popularity in entertainment circles of the region. At an early age of childhood, he became popular among the community of musicians. From the acts of brilliant performance, he got great applause of the people who were fan of the musical arts. The fame then made him fly towards the centers of the city for displaying his art ambitions in the customary concerts of Lahore.

There grew a similar figure in the form of a pretty and proficient girl at the home of a village musician. Her name was Jamila living in the north skirts of Lahore. She seemed a songstress by birth. Her delicate vocal cords emitted sweat songs. In plain tones, she could amuse everyone with his songs. There appeared many hurdles in her way of singing for the public openly as being a girl. Village people had strict social sanctions for such a teen age songstress. Thus she left the village for the city to make her career in the art of singing.

Jamila happened to be an acquaintance of Jamal during a marriage ceremony concert in a local marriage of Lahore. They quickly gained applause of one another on their professional performances. Art had attractions of its own aesthetic substance. They became fast friends at once. From then onwards, they decided to perform in company for the future concerts.

They got themselves enrolled with the same concerts managing company. This togetherness provided them enough time and space for discussions on their mutual interests. Eventually the mutual interests converted to love links. The love links concluded into marriage to make them too close to share the ambitions of love and art in amiable turn of thoughts.

The marriage brought an apocalyptic change in their lives and professions. They hired a suite of two rooms in a flat. The flat had natural space on its back in shape of a flower garden. It was in line of their likings and they used to enjoy themselves from the fragrance and splendid appearance of nature in plenty. It was a fine residence for them to abide in. They both had a privilege of art accessories for mutual pace of art perpetuity.

This music merry couple of Jamal and Jamila had many chances of composing and playing musical tunes in company. The arts of ringing and singing were in close contact for winning the greatest repute in entertainment world. The specs of entertainment were popular citywide with the performance of J couple.

The reputes brought a lucky chance for them exhibit their proficiency in the famous Al-Hamra** Hall of Lahore. This event proved to be a great show for them to earn fame. This was a turning point in their lives. They returned home with high earning and grand repute. This event brought out their inner ambition.

On coming night, they resolute their ambition of setting up their own art center with increasing expected future incomes. Jamila visualized the art center with the name of ‘J & J Arts Institute’. Jamal was also agreed upon the name without raising any objection or putting an amendment.

Afterwards they plunge in themselves in setting up the proposed institute. For the purpose, they began to attend more and more concerts to gather estimated amount for the institute. This art ambition was one and all for them now. They consumed their entire energies on this new project.

They were keen to earn much in advance to establish a splendid art institute in the heart of the city. A huge amount of ten million was estimated for the institute. For long time and intense efforts, they had hardly saved half of the amount. Thus they were in search of some great concert to earn in advance.

Fortune favors the braves. Immediately, they got a chance to congregate huge income abruptly. An election winning celebration party was managed by some prominent politicians of the city. It was in honor of the new elected chief minister of the province. They performed to the best of their heart. All of the audience contributed munificently on the high scoring performance of J couple. The collection stacked up to more than five million. This was targeted achievement of their ambition. Now they were capable of fulfilling their ambition.

From the very next day, they got themselves busy in managing up the foundation of J & J Arts Institute. They needed much work by day and night to establish the institute of their ambitions. They reduced their attendance in musical concerts. They really worked hard. With in a week, they set everything fix for inaugurating a gorgeous institute of musical art.

It was late in Saturday evening when they finalized the arrangements for inauguration ceremony of the institute by the next day. Having completed all the arrangements, they went to a nearby hotel for a good meal with friends. Coming day had a special value for them. They were going to crown their ambition so early. Sunday would dawn spreading out the unique moments of their lives.

The meal was a thrill in company of the friends gathered to cheer the pleasures. Accomplishment of the ambition seemed certain. The flavor and aroma of the dishes had aroused their appetite. So they ate well to fill each and every corner of their bellies.  

At about 11 in the night, they set a departure from hotel to their flat. They were in a hurry to reach home to sleep soon for an early wake up. Jamal accelerated the car to a limit of 150 kilometers per hour. He could not control the car at such a high speed and it smashed with a dumper in a head on collision. 

 Jamila was dead on spot. Jamal was brought into senses after a day. He was recovered from the injuries with a month long intensive treatment by doctors. He had got his health back his life but neither his wife nor the ambition.

He had also lost a lot else -------------------, his memory

Doctors declared that the memory center of Jamal’s brain was damaged. They could not bring back his memories. Now he could not remember Jamila. He was not able of realizing his ambition too.

The accident proved a severe demise for art and entertainment. It was a terrific collapse of an ambition. Jamal had nothing to do with art from now onwards. He was just a ruin of artistic concerns. He was wandering free of any ambition to accomplish. He had neither the gone memories with him nor his Jamila.

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*Jamal and Jamila are characters of the story with Urdu given names.

**Al-Hamra is a famous arts displaying and performance center in the city of Lahore, Pakistan