THIRD DAY's CAKE.

Till late night ,, enjoying party with my friends.One of the friend ,mischiviously,mixed marijuana in soft drinks,made us all antoxicated….and don’t know how I came home.

Same night dreamt ,my father carrying a suit case and conversed

.”Son,done the best part in life,now the rest is up to you." where is he going,?Remembered, it was July 1993.. Call to my father,no response.”Later informed by old buddy, Father handed over the place of Rawal pindi to its legal heirs.,Now understood,he freed himself from this obligation. "you look too worried since you woke up."My friend asked. “Jimmy ,you know I’m sensitive about my father,,I dreamt last night, a clear indication, he is going some where"added me.",I think marijuana worked too strong". "“ we both laughed ,My feelings stood heavy, not fully contented and couldn't adjusted me softly.

My father had first heart stroke in January 1978,when ,i been a somophore, taken my exam ,vowed to assist my father in business affairs, inclined to sit in examination as an independent candidate, left college.MY father had a vast business channel.Hotels in Every city of Pakistan,cold storage and many other businesses,My decision loaded me to look after the bussines and father prevailed thinking about completion of my studies.Both of us thinking crossed.On the one hand, he breathed right,because all our hotel businesses typified rental buildings only cold storage property claiming our own structure.Father's life style was very highfy and his living was also expensive.He was known as “Seith"(Rich Business Man).Now,as astrologers says "Fatal",shunned down his running business and a day come,when we both father and son moved to a different mode of life ." Father,why did you shut down the running businesses?"I asked him."you know ,I'm a sick man,and after my death you can't handle such a vast business empire.I saved you,work hard,build your own empire."He friendly tried to convinced me."I would kick up as a starter".I remorseful expressed."Dear,business never late"He just answered in a soft tone four words.

In November, 1983 I got married to my cousin,Naheed.Noticed one thing all my realitives participated,sad to say ,business community punched the clock.The reason was obvious.

As exchanged notes ,I viewed."Now our businesses has been shunned down,what would be our lifestyle?”.He smiled and said" This is a temporary slump in our life,now we would not as lavish as before.people didn’t see your inward,they judge from your appearances.Be Smart,this is the time,show your crafts man ship".Father led an independent life,he was a free bird,whenever wherever he stood up,nothing barred him.His associates acted as High ups and top class players of the society.

One night in Rawal pindi, Before going to bed,Father closed his eyes like a kid ,turned his face towards wall ,accosted our old attendant to take his pistol and hide it somewhere,returned it in the morning.To answer my curiosity,he stated" It happened three times ,midst night, during sleep, I fired and woke up with the bang.Don’t know how I picked up the pistol? how I pressed the trigger? why I do this? .so now at night,the attendant hide it.”So,I ,realized he is mentally perturbed.

Tried my best to beg father to stay home,He dropped me by expressed nay ,became little ire and discomfort,as I felt,

staying home for him would act like strangle ,chitchat with buddies,making him alive and motivated and injected him for life.

DR Noor ,a renowned Doctor and cardiologist,friend of my father ,called me to meet him.He told me" your father facing “infarction”.In this ailment, The heart causes totally squeezed like socks,when you washed it ,,your father heart is just like that,.There are four parts in human heart,three of which are totally burntoff,only one part is working,and its been working since three years.Never know, when it gets tired."

Came back,looked towards father,smiling naughtily having a cup of tea.”Don’t worry ,everything would be all right,you would be more experienced man than me.”

Overtly perturbed,heard the condition of father’s heart.

Always on road,never sit home,if something happens on the way,how would he reach the doctor.?

Early in the morning,received a phone call from Rawal Pindi, in those days I got to stationed Peshawar,.recieved a call.

"Tariq,come soon to Rawalpindi,your father hospitalized,in intensive care unit(ICU).The whole way different thoughts coming to mind and making me nervous.All the other patients were lying in critical condition,un councious,only my father seemed in full conscious, glancing a newspaper.The most amazing and ironic, DR Noor,The renowned cardiologist ,Who was also my father’s doctor,lying unconscious next to my father' bed,He also suffered a heart stroke.

"Why do you come?I’m all right,Who told you I’m in here, a minor flip,go back,get discharged in the evening,you go back to Peshawar,your wife must be alone.”He tried to relieve me.Got discharged from the hospital the same day, constituing two months rest.

“Tariq,this is a blessing ,our Peshawar place is about ten kanals,why don’t we sell it.It was February 1986,Father suggested.”I have a business plan”.I said.”You know business needs capital,and we don’t have,”Father answered.”we would only sell the side portion of our place,even than we would have left with about eight canals and cash"I presented my suggestion with a confidence.Father approved my suggestion and we sold a piece of land.Opened a school in our premises,school became a hot cake and once again our life rolled on proper streamlining.

Life going good,everything moving softly and safe,nevertheless,one notion kicking in my subconscious,

The dream at the party night,Father's departure to other place,pinching me.I dreamt it on 23 July 1993 ,Now the fourth month November ,making it's entrance,now three months passed ,everything continued well.Now I ,marked that dream as a whims ,tried to relieve that dream from my mind.

Arrived , 10,November,,1993.Father came to Peshawar.spent two days with us ,we knew he never spent the third day, would go back to his friends,to Rawal pindi.”Tariq,I’m going to Rawal pindi,will come day after,Naheed, would prepared corn soup and Chinese fried rice,for dinner”.

As driver switched on the car, he said "stop",.He lighted and hold my hand and gave me a sweet smile,I kissed his hands.Next two days,He made him self busy and gave me a ring,"At 9,would join you in Peshawar,now going Mr Rafi's house, attending his grand daughter's birthday “.

Naheed, started preparing dishes for the dinner.

At ,4,o’clock,phone rang,”Tariq,I’m driver speaking from the hospital,Your father is no more,He had a sudden heart stroke,I’m ambulancing him".Heard the ominous news , with a great shock .Everything changed in a minute.

Next day,At ,3, his funeral took place.At the grave one of our elder said in a loud voice”Saeed Zaman(my father ) gave me five thousand rupees in 1955,to repair the school for boys in the village.There stood no roof,no furniture ,no drinking water and toilets in the school and number 2,He ,opened an account in a bank,for the stipends for the deserving students .Today,now I see many educated and high officials in this village,this is all due to this humble man".

This is our tradition,we sit for three days for dua(Pray).On third day ,My father close friend came to me for dua ceremony.He spent a big time with me,After lunch ,He begged for leave.While saying goodbye to him,opend car's door for him,saw a cake packed lying on the rear seat.”Today is my grand daughter’s birthday,I promised her bringing the cake"Drove with saying this and made me pensive,for a while,if my father would have alive,he must brought cake for me.It made me more tensed and my heart became heavy.,whenever,any one invited him on the birthday,his last words would” The cake would be mine".

Driver was looking for me"Sir,now you are the boss,I’m going back to Rawal pindi,come back after three days,take the keys of the car,please check it."

checked the car,He handed me,the Samsonite suite case,shoes,waist coat hanging inside,and promptly glazed a cake wrapped in a colourful pack."Whose cake pack is this"?My curiosity asked the driver.”We just picked a cake from the Bakery,sat in,unexpectedly Boss,had a heart stroke,He fainted,I took him to the hospital but he expired on the way".Driver stated.

Tears wetted my eyes.I opened the cake pack. Although cake been crossing third day ,it still endorsed fresh,smelling sweet and adorable acclamation.Now acknowledged firmly the cake pawned for me.

THE END.THIRD DAY'S CAKE.